The total portfolio of Alfa-Bank (Ukraine) and Ukrsotsbank (both based in Kyiv) could expand by 10% in 2018, Alfa Group CEO in Ukraine and Board Chairman of Ukrsotsbank Ivan Svitek has said.

"I think that there will be a positive trend: based on the current pace, we would grow by up to 10%. With the view of segments, we precisely diversify this percentage. In the corporate segment we will remain at $1 bn, and in the retail segment have already started a higher pace than last year, 18% of the growth in the portfolio in five months," he said in a joint interview with Board Chairperson of Alfa Bank Ukraine Victoria Mykhailo with Interfax-Ukraine.

He also said that by the end of the year the NPL portfolio of Ukrsotsbank will decrease to $100 million.

"When I came, it was half a billion U.S. dollars, then we reduced to $280 million, and now a little over $200 million. I think we will reach $100 million by the end of the year. We will work out the remaining transactions in 2019. We want to sell money, but not buildings, facilities and lands, so for us one of the tricks is the work with NPL at Ukrsotsbank. Unfortunately, not everything is now sold well, but if we look at the dynamics of reducing the troubled portfolio, then we are going faster than the market," the banker said.

Svitek also said that by the beginning of the year the NPL of Alfa-Bank was about 10.9%.

"In Ukrsotsbank, the figures are already below the average for the market, and there is a further downward trend. We believe that the Alfa has already been "worked out," although, of course, there are complex cases. For us, now the focus is working on the problem of Ukrsotsbank," he added.

Mykhailo, in turn, said that the volume of reserves was formed in full.

"This spring, two large comprehensive inspections of the National Bank were completed, and none of the banks received instructions on expanding [the reserves]. I think that we will not have surprises after the stress testing," she said.