BPH sets is sights on becoming the second largest national bank

This is part of its strategy which envisages the increase of revenues from retail activity. The new outlets now offer products for individual clients but from next year they will also offer services for small and medium-sized enterprises. "Our aim is to go up from third to the second place on the retail banking market," declared BPH president Józef Wancer, "This is why we decided to expand our own network of outlets - by the end of next year we will open 77 new ones - and the partnership network, which will have around 600 outlets by the end of 2006." The bank is now present in two thirds of towns which have a population of over 20,000, but it soon may have a network similar to Pekao SA, which now holds the second place on the retail banking market. However, analysts doubt if Bank BPH will be able to assume Pekao's place on the market. "It will be possible on the condition that Pekao SA does nothing," stated Marcin Materna, an analyst with Millenium DM. (Puls Biznesu, p. 11) E.B.