Express Finance – Instituţie Financiară Nebancară S.A. is a joint-stock company with foreign equity, whose major shareholder is CHF International. CHF International is a non-profit corporation in the USA, which addresses various programs with the appropriate social, environmental and economic solutions in order to ensure that the communities can manage and sustain their future development at a steady forward pace.

With an experience of over 50 years in local and international projects, CHF International works in an average of 30 counties each year, promoting democratic principles to effectively build, strengthen and promote change within local institutions and communities and shape policy decisions for recognition and support to our world’s most vulnerable populations.

CHF International has extended its activities from housing microfinance to the areas of disaster relief, environmental management, infrastructure rehabilitation, economic development, civil society development, and post-conflict response.

After 11 years working through CHF International, Express Finance is the institutional successor of the operations for business and housing loans to the micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSME) sector and individuals in Romania. Express Finance is continuing CHF’s strategy in assisting the clients who want a simple and convenient access to loans.

CHF International has successfully implemented no less than five USAID development projects in Romania, result of several agreements between the Governments of Romania and the USA. Starting with a modest “Model Project for NGO Development” of the amount of USD 150,000 in Timisoara 11 years ago, continuing through complex projects such as the “Enterprise Development and Strengthening”, consisting of concerted activities to improve the legal and regulatory environment, increase the competitiveness of selected sectors such as rural tourism and IT&C and increased access to credit , to emergency assistance projects for floods in 2005, all financially supported by USAID, the institution disbursed during these years more than 11,000 loans with a value of USD 42 million.

Express Finance has leveraged new capital funds and has extended the loan program activities for microenterprises and SMEs to 15 counties, with loans up to 30,000 USD.

The loans are market-rated, are granted according to the client history with Express Finance, the repayment capacity, the feasibility study of the business, and their value can grow progressively up to 30.000 USD. The loans have a reimbursement period of 3-36 months. The average loan is $7,000 and is repaid in 14 months.

Express Finance has 14 operational offices, as follows:

• West: Timişoara, Arad, Oradea, Resita
• Center: Deva, Alba Iulia, Sibiu
• South-West: Drobeta Turnu Severin, Târgu Jiu, Râmnicu Vâlcea
• South: Slobozia, Alexandria