The Bank of Albania has placed restrictive measures on the United Bank of Albania (UBA), suspending the issuance of new loans—particularly real estate loans—until the bank increases its capital and stabilizes its financial indicators.
Reports indicate that the Bank of Albania has kept UBA under strict supervision for several months, demanding it strengthen its regulatory capital in line with legal requirements.
According to official filings submitted to the National Business Center, where Kadri Morina, owner of the insurance company Eurosig, holds a 98% stake, UBA’s capital adequacy ratio fell to 15.71% in 2024, down from 19.81% at the end of 2023.
While the legal minimum is 12% of risk-weighted assets, the Bank of Albania maintains a conservative stance, requiring banks to hold higher levels of capital.
UBA’s financial indicators have been volatile in recent years. In 2022, its capital adequacy ratio dropped to around 12%, but by 2023 it recovered to 19% after shareholder capital injections. However, some of these injections were challenged by regulators as non-compliant. Combined with recorded losses of €5.5 million in 2023 and €6.2 million in 2024, UBA’s capital ratio slipped again to 15.71%.
Following an inspection in March–April 2025, the central bank placed UBA under a mandatory plan to raise regulatory capital. Sources suggest the bank is gradually meeting supervisory conditions.
UBA remains the smallest bank in the Albanian market, holding just 1.1% market share, with total assets of around €250 million and capital of approximately €36 million at the end of the first half of 2025.
