Industry Financial Services Headquarters Kigali Number of employees 1,477 Total assets 325 million USD (2015) | Founded 1975 Type of business Private | |
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Key people John Vitalo
Chairman
Sanjeev Anand
Managing Director Products Loans, Checking, Savings, Investments, Debit Cards Revenue Aftertax:US$540,000 (RWF:395.2 million (Q3:2015) | ||
Banque Populaire du Rwanda Ltd (BPR), is a commercial bank in Rwanda and licensed by the National Bank of Rwanda, the national banking regulator.
Contents
Overview
As of October 2015, BPR was a medium-sized financial services provider in Rwanda. Its total asset valuation was approximately US$325 million. At that time, shareholding in the bank was valued at about US$50 million. The bank focused its lending to businesses in the agricultural sector. It employed 1,477 staff at that time.
History
The origins of the bank can be traced back to 1975, when the first Banque Populaire du Rwanda was formed in the settlement of Nkamba, in the city of Kibungo, Eastern Province. Over the next ten years many other similar banks were founded around the country. In 1986, the various autonomous Banques Populaires formed an umbrella called the Union des Banques Populaires du Rwanda (UBPR). UBPR was operated as a cooperative bank.
In January 2008, following 33 years of experience in the Rwandan financial sector, UBPR was transformed from a cooperative bank into a commercial bank: Banque Populaire du Rwanda S.A. In June 2008, Rabobank, the Dutch cooperative banking conglomerate, acquired 35 percent of the shares in BPR. In July 2012, Visa Inc. certified the bank to issue visa-branded debit and credit cards.
In January 2016, Atlas Mara completed its acquisition of a controlling stake of BPR after acquiring shares from existing shareholders and merging the bank with the commercial banking business that was spun off BRD.
Ownership
As of August 2016 the bank's stock is owned by the following corporate entities:
Arise is an investment company that focuses on investments in Africa. It is owned by a consortium of European financial institutions including FMO, Rabobank and Norfund
Branch network
As of August 2009, Bank Populaire du Rwanda maintained a network of 25 full-service branches, including at the following locations:
- Main Branch - Kigali
- BPF Branch - Kigali
- Kimironko Branch - Kimironko, Kigali
- Muhima Branch - Muhima, Kigali
- Rwezamenyo Branch – Rwezamenyo, Kigali
- Muhanga Branch - Muhanga, Southern Province
- Musanze Branch - Musanze, Northern Province
- Rusizi Branch - Rusizi, Western Province
- Gicumbi Branch - Gicumbi, Northern Province
- Rubavu Branch - Rubavu, Northern Province
- Ngoma Branch - Ngoma, Eastern Province
- Huye Branch - Huye, Southern Province
- Rwamagana Branch - Rwamagana, Eastern Province
- Karongi Branch - Karongi, Western Province
- Nyamagabe Branch - Nyamagabe, Southern Province
- Nyagatare Branch - Nyagatare, Eastern Province
- Bugesera Branch - Bugesera, Eastern Province
- Nyanza Branch - Nyanza, Southern Province
- Ngororero Branch - Ngororero, Western Province
Governance
The activities of Banque Populaire du Rwanda are supervised by a nine-member board of directors. The current chairman of the board is John Vitalo. The day-to-day affairs of the bank are managed by a six-member executive management team, led by Sanjeev Anand, the Managing Director.