GB00_erste lage_E - Erste Group

Strong rise in insurance
premium income
A critical factor behind these respectable results was the strategy of s Versicherung, pursued together
with the savings bank sector, to step up the promotion of private retirement saving in Austria.
In the country as a whole, sales of “s Privat-Pension” policies—already strong in the prior
year—were increased to more than 32,700 contracts. This represents about EUR 676 million in
premiums written, or nearly 36% of s Versicherung’s total business.
The business trend for 2001 can be expected to continue in the same successful vein. In the
market for private retirement savings, a new government incentive for such provision that took
effect on 1 January 2001 will provide fresh impetus to insurance sales.
Erste Bank 2000 43