At least 13 Polish lenders have raised the margins they charge on mortgages in the last couple of months, as a result of the new bank tax to be implemented by Poland’s new government. Lending giants like Bank Pekao, mBank and Deutsche Bank top the list, followed by eurobank, Raiffeisen Polbank and Citi Handlowy. While denying the step is a consequence of the new tax planned for the sector, the news hasn’t come as surprise to the market. Alior Banku, Banku BPH, Bank BGŻ BNP Paribas, Banku Ochrony Środowiska, Banku Millennium, Bank Pocztowy and Credit Agricole Bank Polska are planning similar steps this month. The amount by which they’ve raised the margins ranges between 0.1 to 0.5 percent.
