HD Saison currently serves nearly seven million customers at 17,000 offices nationwide. — Photo vietnamfinance.vn

The State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) has approved consumer finance company HD Saison to increase charter capital to VND2 trillion (US$85.84 million) from VND1.4 trillion.

After the capital hike, Ho Chi Minh City Development Joint Stock Commercial Bank (HDBank) owns 50 per cent of Saison’s charter capital, Japan’s Credit Saison Co Ltd holds 49 per cent and HCM City Securities Company holds 1 per cent.

Established in 2007, Societe Generale Viet Finance Limited Liability Company (SGVF) - the original name of HD Saison - was the first fully foreign-owned non-bank financial company to obtain a business registration certificate from the SBV with an initial charter capital of VND520 billion.

SGVF was acquired by HDBank in 2013 and changed its name to the Ho Chi Minh City Development Joint Stock Commercial Bank Finance Limited Liability Company (HDFinance). In 2015, HDFinance became the HD Saison Finance Co (HD Saison) after receiving strategic investment from Japan’s Credit Saison group.

HD Saison currently serves nearly seven million customers at 17,000 offices nationwide. The finance company also provides installment loans to individual customers via agents located at the POS of its partners, such as motorbike shops, electronics and furniture stores, tourist agencies, and other retailers. Most clients range from low to middle-income earners who are not served or under-served by banks, which often require lengthy procedures and a strict credit history. — VNS