Mandated lead arrangers Bank Austria Creditanstalt AG, Bank fr Arbeit und Wirtschaft Aktiengesellschaft (Bawag), LB Kiel and Raiffeisen Zentralbank üsterreich AG have launched into general syndication a five-year amortising €50mn syndicated term loan facility for Slovenia’s Banka Celje.

Erste Bank der ísterreichischen Sparkassen AG and ING Bank NV have joined the facility as arrangers in senior syndication with a third bank considering joining the transaction at the same level.

Banks are being invited as co-arranger, lead manager and manager with required commitments of €4mn, €3mn and €2mn respectively. Repayment is in seven equal, semi-annual instalments. The facility pays an interest margin of 42 bps pa. Fee levels remain undisclosed.

Celje is Slovenia’s sixth largest bank. It captures a 70% market share position in the region of Celje, but maintains a countrywide branch network.