Home Credit Operation

PROVIDENT FINANCIAL PLC
7 September 1999


Provident Financial - Analysts' briefing on Central European Home Credit
business
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

A group of analysts are visiting Poland today and tomorrow to see Provident
Financial plc's Central European Home Credit operation.

The Company announces that in Central Europe in the two-month period to the
end of August, agent numbers had further increased from 1,730 to 2,000 and
customer numbers from 57,000 to 78,000, with customers now increasing at a
rate of over 2,500 a week.