BRD Societe Generale awarded the starting First Home credit on Wednesday. A couple from Bucharest requested the money to buy a two-room apartment in Colentina. The credit counts 54,500 euros. The couple engaged to pay a 307 euros monthly rate for 30 years.

The two, aged 28 and 26, got married in September last year. They were renting a flat, paying 350 euros monthly. The couple initially applied for a regular credit, but the bank proposed they apply for the First Home scheme. They had to pay a 3,000 initial deposit to secure the flat built in 1986.

Romanian PM Emil Boc insisted to be part of the first conference that saw the launch of the scheme. He thanked the banks for reacting positively to the programme. He said this would re-launch the construction department. "As you can see, good things can happen in Romania, as well", he said.

UPDATE Romanian PM Emil Boc, Finance minister Gheorghe Pogea and president of the National Credit Guarantees Fund for Small and Medium Enterprises (FNGC-IMM) Aurel Saramet assisted the first credit awarded through First Home (Prima Casa) scheme. There are over 10,000 potential clients registered for the scheme, with 20-25% interested in building a new dwelling, according to Saramet.

The journalists wanted the officials to comment on the fact that the prices have already started to go up after the scheme was announced. The minister of Finance pointed at the first couple to take on the credit saying they are the only ones to decide whether or not to pay the price.

The diplomats did not give satisfactory details on how the scheme will encourage the economy since the first credit of the scheme is awarded for an old apartment. Romanian PM invited the press to be part when a credit contract awarded for the building of a new house will be signed.

FNGC-IMM president said that, starting from tomorrow, other three banks will be joining the scheme: Alpha Bank, Leumi Bank and the Romanian Bank. He said all banks had access to the same data, but some of them are still to decide on internal norms before they can join the scheme.

The interest for the credit the Avram family contracted in order to buy a two-room flat in Colentina, Bucharest is 5.49%. If it weren't for the scheme, BRD representative said the couple could have received only 30,000 euros. She said the bank was reviewing several hundreds dossiers for the scheme. The minimum monthly income a person needs to have to be accepted to apply for the scheme is 400 euros or the equivalent in lei.