Ελληνική Ένωση Τραπεζών / Hellenic Bank Association

Hellenic Bank Association

The Hellenic Bank Association (HBA) is the representative of the vast majority of all Greek and foreign credit institutions that operate in Greece. It was established in 1928 and is a non-profit legal entity. It expresses the views of its member banks, provides advisory input to the regulatory process, participates in the decision-making procedures of international, European and national law-preparing and technical committees, and cooperates with other countries' organizations and associations of the financial sector in the context of bilateral or multilateral agreements. The HBA focuses on the collective modernization of its member banks and the overall development of the financial sector.

In a period of high uncertainty and challenges for our country, the Hellenic Bank Association (HBA) takes decisive action to ensure the effective operation of the Greek banking sector, contributing to the effort of getting the country out of the financial crisis and helping pave the way for financing investments, the economic activity and the Greek economy.

After many years of turbulence and significant losses, the Greek banking sector, for the first time, showed clear signs of stabilization. In particular, the sector showed liquidity improvement, strengthening of shareholders’ equity, high capital adequacy ratios, return to organic profitability and reduction of the all-important non-performing loans level.

Despite all these, there are still significant challenges ahead:

The drastic reduction of the non-performing loans (NPL’s) that absorb important and valuable financial resources.
The restoration of normal market funding conditions and the return of deposits to allow the ongoing uninterrupted funding of the Greek economy.
The increased competition, especially due to the rapid expansion of the markets and of the non-bank financial entities.
The new technological applications in the financial activities that make the competition even more intense and drastically transform the architecture of the banking sector.
The demanding adjustments to the new regulatory framework, that burden operating costs but also the return on invested capital.

HBA in tandem with its members is committed to cooperate with all relevant parties, domestically and abroad, through a series of initiatives, interventions and concrete suggestions aiming for the smooth operation of the Greek banks and the strengthening of market and citizen confidence to the banking system and the Greek economy.

HBA, with respect to the best international practices in corporate governance, fully adopts the view that, the success of its banks-members, depends conclusively on the strengthening of market and customer confidence as well as the satisfaction, motivation and commitment of their employees and the acceptance of the role and contribution of the banking sector to the economy and the society.

Nikolaos V. Karamouzis
Chairman of the Board of Directors, HBA