This is an increase of 15.98 percent compared to July 2003. However, this is the lowest annual growth rate in recent years, said analysts of Raiffeisen Bank Austria, adding that this indicated a deceleration in the growth of this type of loans.
Loans granted to companies came to 56.12 billion kuna in late July, rising by some 3.7 billion kuna (7.1 percent) from July 2003.
Analysts of the central bank note that companies are opting more and more for other forms of financing, including leasing or loans taken abroad.
(1EUR = 7.4 kuna)