	abn says profit rise encouraging in view dollar algemene bank nederland n v abnn as chairman robertus hazelhoff said the bank s pct increase in net profit to mln guilders from mln in was encouraging in view of the sharply lower dollar hazelhoff speaking at a press conference after the release of abn s results said a sharp decrease in foreign ings had been compensated by a strong domestic performance notably in the securities business he said the bank was also proposing a one for share split which should facilitate trade in the bank s stock news of the split sparked a guilder rise in abn s share price on the amsterdam bourse to a close of guilders prospects for hung on three uncertainties namely the future trend of the dollar the level of interest rates and abn s share of equities trade hazelhoff said provisions for general contingencies were reduced in by pct to mln guilders while taxes increased by pct to mln guilders he added lower global interest rates in had nipped ings margins via traditional lending activities he said hazelhoff said abn was unlikely to continue reducing risk provisions in the future but he noted the bank was not overly concerned about default by latin american debtors a factor which brokers say has distanced dutch insititutions from bank stocks recently he said that of the bank s estimated financially troubled sovereign debtors about one quarter were latin american countries these would ultimately pay up he said he added that losses incurred through loans to tin producers in the wake of the tin council crisis at end had been written off reuter 
