OUR VALUES

Part of the overall mission of the ProCredit group is to set standards in the financial sectors in which we operate. We want to make a difference not only in terms of the target groups we serve and the quality of the financial services we provide, but also with regard to business ethics. Our strong corporate values play a key role in this respect. Six essential principles guide the operations of the ProCredit institutions:

• Transparency: We adhere to the principle of providing transparent information both to our customers and the general public and to our employees, and our conduct is straightforward and open;
• A culture of open communication: We are open, fair and constructive in our communication with each other, and deal with conflicts at work in a professional manner, working together to find solutions;
• Social responsibility and tolerance: We offer our clients sound advice and assess their economic and financial situation, business potential and repayment capacity so that they can benefit from the most appropriate loan services. Promoting a savings culture is an important part of our mission, and we are committed to treating all customers and employees with fairness and respect, regardless of their origin, color, language, gender or religious or political beliefs;
• Service orientation: Every client is served in a friendly, competent and courteous manner. Our employees are committed to providing excellent service to all customers, regardless of their background or the size of their business;
• High professional standards: Our employees take personal responsibility for the quality of their work and always strive to grow as professionals;
• A high degree of personal commitment: This goes hand-in-hand with integrity and honesty – traits which are required of all employees in the ProCredit group

These six values represent the backbone of our corporate culture and are discussed and actively applied in our day-to-day operations. Moreover, they are reflected in the ProCredit Code of Conduct, which transforms the group’s ethical principles into practical guidelines for all staff. To make sure that new employees fully understand all of the principles that have been defined, induction training includes sessions dedicated to the Code of Conduct and its significance for all members of our team. Regular refresher training sessions help to ensure that employees remain committed to our high ethical standards and are kept abreast of new issues and developments which have an ethical dimension for our institution. These events allow existing staff to analyses recent case studies and discuss any grey areas.

Another aspect of ensuring that our institution adheres to the highest ethical standards is our consistent application of best practice systems and procedures to protect ourselves from being used as a vehicle for money laundering or other illegal activities such as the financing of terrorist activities. An important focus here is to “know your customer”, and, in line with this principle, to carry out sound reporting and comply with the applicable regulations. Updated anti-money laundering and fraud prevention policies are being introduced across the group to ensure compliance with German regulatory standards.

We also set standards regarding the impact of our lending operations on the environment. ProCredit Bank Macedonia has implemented an environmental management system based on continuous assessment of the loan portfolio according to environmental criteria, an in-depth analysis of all economic activities which potentially involve environmental risks, and the rejection of loan applications from enterprises engaged in activities which are deemed environmentally hazardous and appear on our institution’s exclusion list. By incorporating environmental issues into the loan approval process, ProCredit Bank Macedonia is also able to raise its clients’ overall level of environmental awareness. We also ensure that requests for loans are evaluated in terms of the applicant’s compliance with ethical business practices. No loans are issued to enterprises or individuals if it is suspected that they are making use of unsafe or morally objectionable forms of labor, in particular child labor.