LUSA 08/27/2025

Lusa - Business News - Mozambique: Profits at bank BIM halved in first six months

Maputo, Aug. 26, 2025 (Lusa) - The profits of bank BIM Moçambique, the bank of the Portuguese group BCP, halved in the first half of the year, to just under 1,669 million meticais (€22.4 million), compared to the same period in 2024.

According to the financial statements from January to June, this compares with net profits of 3,225 million meticais (€43.3 million) in the first six months of 2024.

The bank's total assets grew at the end of June to 206,118 million meticais (€2.769 billion), including 45,773 million meticais (€615 million) in loans to customers, slightly above the close of 2024, while liabilities rose to 170,092 million meticais (€2.286 billion), including 163,604 million meticais (€2.198 billion) in deposits, which also increased.

Banco Internacional de Moçambique (BIM) began operating in October 1995, as a result of a strategic partnership between Banco Comercial Português (Millennium BCP) and the Mozambican state.

On 31 December 2024, it had a share capital of 4.5 billion meticais (€60.5 million), the majority of which was held by BCP África (Millennium BCP group), with a 66.69% stake, followed by the State of Mozambique (17.12%), the Mozambican National Social Security Institute (4.95%) and Empresa Moçambicana de Seguros (4.15%), among other shareholders.

BIM Moçambique's profits had already fallen by less than half in 2024, to 3,309 million meticais (€44.5 million), according to data from the report and accounts previously reported by Lusa.

According to the bank, this is a reduction of 54% compared to the net profit for 2023, when it reached 7,211 million meticais (€96.9 million) - at the time an increase of 8.2% in one year - "essentially explained by increases in impairments and provisions".

'Reflecting the increase in impairments for public debt,“ BIM, one of the three largest in the country, explained in its annual report, noting that the impairment of public debt securities increased by 2.1 billion meticais (€28.2 million) last year, 'following the downward revision of the rating for state issues in national currency”.

BIM emphasises, however, that the solvency ratio increased due to the increase in own funds, standing at 36.7%, "considerably above the regulatory limit of 12%, reflecting the bank's resilience and financial strength".

The bank's board of directors then decided not to distribute dividends to shareholders from the 2024 profits, applying them to strengthening reserves, due to the recent rating decisions on Mozambican sovereign debt.

PVJ/ADB // ADB.

Lusa