Amidst the global financial turmoil in 2008, the Bank witnessed a significant dip in its operating profit, falling to EUR 11.8 mn from EUR 18.9 mn in the first half of the year. Despite this setback, there was a silver lining as net interest income surged to EUR 20.9 mn from EUR 18.8 mn in the same period of 2007, pointing to a promising growth trajectory.