Page 14 - Annual Report 2022

CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE

2022 saw us finally emerging from the impact of COVID-19 with a renewed sense of hope as to
what the future could hold for Albania and the world at large. Yet in only a few months, we have
experienced world-changing events: the invasion of Ukraine, cyber state terrorism, record inflation
levels, persistent supply chain disruptions, a looming energy crisis, and the growing likelihood of
recession across Europe and beyond.

The importance of working together—business, policy makers, and society at large—has rarely
been so evident or so critical as we attempt to provide the stability and certainty we all need in our
tumultuous world.
At BKT, our purpose is to build trust and help solve problems important to our stakeholders, and
it’s with this in mind that we strive to make a beneficial difference for our clients, for our people,
and in our communities.

Despite the turmoil the world has seen in recent months, BKT has witnessed a remarkable growth
across all our portfolios, posting strong profits throughout 2022. This growth, along all the other
financial indicators, reflects a solid performance, confirming once more the standing of BKT and
the commitment of the bank to continue to be the leader in the financial market.

The fiscal year 2022 was a significant milestone in the journey of BKT. While delivering on our
promises to our stakeholders, our team displayed exemplary commitment through yet another
challenging year to deliver essential services, adapt to the new normal, raise the bar on innovation,
and remain steadfast towards our goals.

Our bank is now more profitable, more efficient, more robust than before—and therefore in a
strong position to not only survive in the global competition but also to be on the offensive.

Our team’s effort was again noted by many around the world, who have granted BKT many of
the prestigious annual awards, with both Global Finance magazine and Finance Central Europe
honouring BKT as the “Best Bank in Albania for 2022”. The collective efforts of our employees and
partners have set our bank on a journey of distinctiveness to become an open, customer-centric
and future-ready bank that will offer its customers “a world of new and improved possibilities”.

We are extremely thankful for our dedicated team members, shareholders, and customers who
have placed their trust in us. As we look ahead to the coming year, our position as a community
bank continues to be strong. We will continue to honour the principles that have served us well
since 1925. Thank you for your continued support.

I thank our stakeholders for their continued confidence and willingness to partner with BKT in its
long-term growth journey. As we look forward to 2023, the growth momentum is tremendous
across every segment within our bank. Our aspirations are bigger, and we remain optimistic and
confident of continuing to deliver steady upward movement on business and financial metrics.

Warm Regards,

MEHMET USTA

CHAIRMAN