Half of the respondents of a survey on the state of the Moldovan economy, carried out by the National Marketing Association, said they just manage to make ends meet and cannot save money. Only 21% of those who manage to make savings keep them in banks, IPN reports.

As regards the consumption loans, the consumers; perception is that their accessibility is of an average level. 25% of those polled consider that the consumption loans are inaccessible. About 85% believe that the interest rates on these loans are high and very high.

The survey covered a sample of 1,184 respondents older than 18.

Though the volume of loans released by banks in 2012 and the first three months of this year decreased, the National Bank governor Dorin Dragutanu said the decrease from 4.5% to 3.5% in the base rate at the end of April will make the banks to review the lending policy, to increase the volume of loans granted to the population and companies and to reduce the interest on them if they want to remain profitable.

As regards the consumption loans, access to them and their attractiveness may increase after the bill on loan contracts for consumers is adopted. This law is aimed at ensuring higher protection for persons who take out such loans, encouraging also a responsible behaviour on the part of the creditors and greater transparency as regards the costs of loans.