BRUSSELS, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Belgian banking group KBC
will pay back a "significant" part of the state aid itreceived from the Belgian government by the end of this year,the group's chief executive said on Monday.
KBC, which took 7 billion euros ($9.14 billion) from Belgiumand the region of Flanders during the 2008-09 financial crisis,needs to repay 4.67 billion euros of principal, plus penalties,by the end of 2013.
"We plan to repay a significant part of this by the end of2012," Chief Executive Johan Thijs said during a presentation atthe group's headquarters in Brussels.
The amount would depend on guidance from the regulator aboutnew capital adequacy rules, Thijs added.
The group paid back 500 million euros in December.($1 = 0.7657 euros)
(Reporting By Robert-Jan Bartunek; editing by PhilipBlenkinsop)
((robertjan.bartunek@thomsonreuters.com)(+32 2 2876850))
Keywords: KBC STATEAID/