Economy 13 August 2025, 7:28am

Certified Corporate Loans are to be launched in Hungary

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The National Bank of Hungary (MNB) has introduced a Certified Corporate Loan rating system to encourage competition among banks. The goal is to help small and medium-sized businesses to obtain forint-based loans for their investments quickly and on favourable terms, said MNB Governor Mihály Varga after meeting Elek Nagy, President of the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCI or MKIK), in his office. During the meeting, Nagy confirmed that the Chamber would promote the Certified Corporate Loan scheme to businesses.

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Mihály Varga said that the central bank had held several rounds of talks with the Hungarian Banking Association regarding market-based measures to stimulate corporate lending, particularly in the SME sector.

Following the Certified Consumer-Friendly Products certification, which was previously used, the central bank made the Certified Corporate Loan (MVH) certification available on 1 August 2025.

The MNB Governor explained that the designation can be awarded to corporate loan products for investment purposes that provide forint-based loans meeting the conditions set by the central bank.

Mihaly Varga added that, following the evaluation of applications, certified corporate loans could be made available to businesses as early as September. These loans would then become a permanent feature of market practice, providing widespread support for businesses' investment objectives.

The President of the MKIK and the Governor of the central bank agreed that supporting small businesses in Hungary is a key task in the current turbulent global economic environment. They concluded that one of the new tools for achieving this could be the Certified Corporate Loan.

Cover image (for illustration purposes only): Getty Images