Communication to the public

On Tuesday, December 1, 2020, Fiks Fare, a daily show on Albanian television station Top Channel, presented to the public a chronicle following the case of a citizen who objected being in the capacity of a guarantor on a loan received in 2000, based on a written notification which was communicated to him by a Non-Bank Financial Institution.

The case was brought to NOA' s attention by Top Channel reporters as part of a meeting held at the company's offices on October 28, 2020, upon their request.

Pursuant to this meeting and respecting the quality standards in handling client complaints and in terms of transparency policy that NOA applies to all its clients, the case in question was analyzed and investigated in a short time by the relevant structures of the company.

Regarding the final result of the analysis, a telephone call was made with Top Channel television reporters, presenting the necessary clarifications and maintaining the confidentiality of the data as well.

It is worth mentioning that the facts presented during the show transmitted on December 1, did not clearly reflect either the information that NOA shared with Top Channel reporters, or the situation regarding the individual who was the subject of the chronicle in question. Based on these ambiguities, in order to better inform the public, we present the following facts for further clarification of the case raised by Top Channel television:

The chronicle refers to a loan received in 2000, according to a contract signed in front of a notary where the identification of the parties was done in the subject's presence.

The financing in question was transferred under a loan transfer agreement to a new creditor, who subsequently contacted the parties that are part of the loan agreement signed in 2000. This transfer means that the notification letter sent to the persons involved in the case was not sent by NOA, but by the new creditor, as NOA was no longer responsible for the obligations resulting from this loan;

Despite the above, in order to respect NOA standards on quality customer service, in handling client complaints, pursuant to transparency policies in providing response to the requests and in the spirit of cooperation with the media, NOA conducted relevant investigations upon this complaint according to the issues presented by Top Channel reporters;

Based on the conducted investigations, it resulted that the person presented in Top Channel chronicle, had a different date of birth from the person who was a party, in the capacity of a guarantor, in the loan agreement of 2000. Despite the fact that the other personal information coincides (name & surname), the person who raised the concern was born in 1982, while the guarantor was born in 1978.

The case in question best proves the importance that NOA dedicates to the observance of the highest standards in servicing its clients, the fast process in handling any potential complaints, transparency and open communication policy. The case confirms the company's practice in building a qualitative, confidential and long-term relationship with each client, consumer protection organization, or the media, inviting each of them to not hesitate to contact the company staff in order to address any unclarities or sharing any kind of necessary information.

Being active in the Albanian market for 22 years, and with a focus on financing small entrepreneurs, self-employed, farmers and Albanian families, NOA serves its clients in accordance with the legal framework and regulatory acts in force on the financial sector. Licensed by the Bank of Albania, certified by the Eurospean Union according to the Code of Good Practice for Microfinance Institutions, NOA maximally prioritizes the service quality and standards to its clients as well as it always tries to make the financial products meet the clients’ needs. This permanent investment to provide products fully adapted to the economic reality of our country is at the core of our differentiation as a leading financial institution in the country.