A total of 429 clients and guarantors approached the Banking Ombudsman in the first nine months of this year, while 57 of their requests for the protection of financial rights were processed.
The banking ombudsman, Halil Kalač, announced that in the first nine months compared to last year, there was a 16 percent increase in complaints against banks and microfinance institutions (MFIs).
"This growth was most affected by complaints against Hypo Alpe Adria Bank due to the application of the Law on the Conversion of Loans in Swiss Francs to Euros," Kalač told the Mina-business agency.
He recalled that the Parliament adopted that law at the end of July, in order to protect users of loans indexed in Swiss francs from currency risk, because their debts have multiplied due to the increase in the exchange rate.
"Those debts grew so much that they could not and today cannot pay the monthly loan installments regularly or at all," said Kalac.
He explained that it is about loans indexed in Swiss francs that the bank approved in 2007 and 2008, which, in addition to other assets, were also secured by a mortgage.
Kalač reminded that the bank was obliged to convert the debt into euros on the day of signing the contract within 30 days from the entry into force of the law and to provide each client with the balance of the debt as of August 31.
He also announced that a significant number of clients complained to the bank that it did not apply the Law and that it provided incorrect debt data as of August 31, which was established by court experts.
As he said, in the first nine months, the banking ombudsman processed 57 requests for the protection of the financial rights of clients and guarantors, of which 54 complaints related to the work of banks, and three to the work of MFIs.
Of the client complaints that were processed, 29 related to loans, i.e. debt, interest, reprogramming, mortgage activation and commissions. 12 complaints related to accounts, 6 to cards, and 2 to deposits.
"Out of a total of eight procedures initiated by the guarantors, the largest number related to the blocking of total earnings or pension, current account and overdraft", explained Kalač.
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