Initial figures from leasing companies shows 2003 was a boom year

Sector representatives forecast that the very good situation at the end of last year may negatively affect sales in Q1 2004. In 2003, the five largest companies on the market, EFL, Raiffeisen Leasing, BRE Leasing, BZ WBK Leasing and BEL Leasing, leased assets worth zł. 5.3 billion against zł. 4.1 billion in 2002. Wojciech Nowacki, president of BZ WBK Leasing, claims that record high sales were due to falling interest rates and the improving financial situation of exporters. "In 2003, over 30% of our portfolio constituted cars. This is a lot, especially bearing in mind that we leased none two years earlier. I believe that the majority of decisions concerning leasing real estate will be made this year," said Mieczysław Groszek, president of BRE Leasing. Last year, a lot of companies tided up their portfolios and decreased the share of industrial equipment leased in favor of cars. (Rzeczpospolita, p. B5) M.M.