Šéf Home Creditu Jiří Šmejc poskytl české sekci CRI exkluzivní rozhovor a vyjádřil neochvějnou důvěru v budoucnost svého podniku v Číně. Mj. uvedl, že s velkým zájmem sledoval 19. sjezd Komunistické strany Číny. Podle něj je Čína významným motorem světové ekonomiky. Níže přiložený text rozhovoru vám napoví víc.
1. What's your expectations for CPC's 19th party congress?
As China is an important engine for the world economy, the world businesses expect the 19th CPC National Congress to bring an important momentum and new impulses to China's economic development. We at Home Credit, who keeps investing into inclusive consumer finance platform in China, expect the CPC National Congress reconfirms the recent trend of growing domestic households consumption as an important driver of the country´s economic future. As President Xi Jinping urged financial sector to "enhance the ability of finance to serve the real economy" and "continuously meet people's ever-growing needs for a better life", we become very confident about Home Credit's mission. We will continue "practicing inclusive finance" and leveraging our own expertise in risk management and best lending practice with proven success globally to provide safe, responsible and convenient consumer finance services for Chinese consumers. We strive to change the way the world shops to enable more people to enjoy things that matter for them.
2. Do you think in the past 5 years China has successfully developed itself as well as improved people's life?
Everyone has witnessed the rapid development of China and the improvement of people's life. In the past five years, China implemented upgraded development strategies which have boosted the structural adjustments with the flourishing new business models, new industries, and new products. With the growth of national economy, now Chinese residents have higher disposable income, which leads to the continuously increasing purchasing power. In the past five years, there were over 60 million people climbing out of poverty, and the China's poverty rate dropped from 10.2 percent to under 4 percent. Now Chinese consumers can easily buy products that matter for them in order to further improve their living standards. The development of Home Credit and the whole consumer finance industry also echoed such changes.
3. What do you think about Xi Jinping's speech on the opening ceremony of the party congress? Is there any highlight which you think is good for the economic tie between Czech and China, Europe and China?
President Xi pointed out in his report that "never forget why you started, and you can accomplish your mission". Although Home Credit is a foreign company, we share a very similar mission. In whatever we do, we always refer to why we have entered the lending industry: we change the way people can shop: a small, affordable loan can enable a big change to happen in people's lives. We don't only help people get money for the things that are immediately out of their reach; we can also improve the experience for those who are looking for alternatives to traditional banking experiences. Home Credit has been serving people with low and middle income by providing safe and convenient consumer finance services in order to make the wonderful happiness more accessible, and to build a better life for them. Home Credit will never lose the original aspiration that practicing inclusive finance, and will act as a responsible enterprise.Besides, President Xi also highlighted the mission of building a human community with shared destiny which is, in international politics, expressed through the Belt and Road Initiative. The Czech Republic and China relations have dated back to 1949 when my country as the first European state recognized young P.R. of China and helped it politically and economically. The two counties have developed long-term, in-depth partnership over trade, finance, education, culture, sports, medical, etc. As a Czech company, Home Credit actively contributes to the stable, positive, and win-win bilateral relations between the two countries. For a long term, Home Credit has been providing its support to many projects including sponsoring China-Czech Cooperation in Air Ambulance Service, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra's Tour in Asia, the "Czech Year on Belt and Road" series events, and the annual China Investment
4. Do you believe that after the party congress, China will continue to open up its market and investment environment?
Yes, we noted very well President Xi Jinping's words that "China will not close its door to the world; it will only become more and more open." The Belt and Road Initiative will be a focus of China's efforts to "promoting the opening up in an all-round way". The Czech Republic is an important hub on the Belt and Road Initiative routes, and Home Credit, a company from the Czech Republic, has been engaged in and committed to the Initiative for a long time. We not only broadly participate in the related activities in our homeland but we also support Chinese companies in their business expansion into third markets along the Belt and Road Initiative routes by providing consumer finance loans to customers who buy Chinese products like electronics and other.In the process of expanding the overseas markets, Home Credit has accumulated a deep insight into the consumption behaviors of local residents and is good at providing localized consumer finance services. By leveraging our business network in southeast Asia and other overseas markets, Home Credit provides OPPO, vivo, Huawei and other representative companies of "Made in China" with consumer finance solution that covers the entire process of lending, consumption, payment and credit system construction, to help them rapidly exploit the southeast Asia and other markets along the Belt and Road Initiative routes.
5. Is Home Credit optimistic about China's future? Will it invest more in China?
Home Credit is very confident about its future in China. Today, our registered capital in China has already exceeded RMB 7 billion. Since starting our operation in China market, Home Credit has been actively getting engaged in development of local communities. While pursuing our own growth, we also bear our corporate social responsibility in mind all the time. In the future, we will continue providing innovative consumer finance services for Chinese consumers, enhancing the cultivation of consumer finance talents, and improving the public financial literacy through diverse channels and forms. In the meantime, we also want to join hands with more Chinese companies and work together with them to promote the development of the entire financial industry
