Fight against usury and other social loans

There are various partnerships with different entities to provide credit to individuals or small companies in difficulty. Overall in 2022, the Group disbursed about 389 million euro in anti-usury loans and other social
loans, including in particular about 3.2 million for the fight against usury in Italy and abroad.

Agreements with foundations and associations (e.g. Adiconsum, Exodus 94, Fondazione San Nicola Medici, etc.) facilitate credit inclusion for disadvantaged individuals and small companies. The guarantees financed with the Usury Prevention Fund allow loans to be raised from the banking system, thus preventing the financial exclusion of weak individuals who might otherwise turn to illegal credit channels.

In addition, the Bank makes available the “Finanziamento Microcredito Imprenditoriale” (“Business microcredit loan”), dedicated to micro-enterprises in the start-up phase of a new business or at times of growth, providing access to credit even without collateral. This opportunity is suitable for the purchase of capital goods or services for the business, paying salaries to new employees and paying for training courses. The product features include assistance services offered free of charge by the  VoBIS association (Volontari Bancari per le Iniziative nel Sociale - Banking Volunteers for Social Initiatives). During 2022, applications were implemented to allow loan requests to be accepted also from freelance professionals and unrecognized associations.

In 2022, over 550 loans were disbursed, for a total of 16.7 million euro.

Even in the Group's foreign banks, attention is paid to the weakest groups. In particular, the Bank of Alexandria aims to position itself as a reference for financial inclusion, economic empowerment and income support for small businesses and non-banked customers, with a greater focus on small farmers and artisans. In 2022 the Bank activated its offer of new products in the Agribusiness sector also in line with the guides of the Central Bank of Egypt, providing a total of 32,000 loans for a total amount of about 57 million euro, also providing customers with training services on the responsible management of waste generated in agriculture, in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP).