PARIS  The Dutch financial services group ING, which came close to collapse last year, said Friday that it would repay half of the 10 billion euros, or $14.6 billion, provided by the government during the height of the financial crisis.

The bank joins other lenders in Europe and the United States, like UBS of Switzerland and Bank of America, in repaying at least some government funds earlier than had been expected.

The Dutch state provided the funds to ING in October 2008 by purchasing nonvoting preferred shares. ING also received state guarantees for 21.6 billion euros ($31.8 billion) worth of assets related to mortgages in the United States this year.

The repayment, planned for later this month, is part of ING’s efforts to reinvent itself as a better-focused financial business. Under pressure from European authorities, it is planning to divest itself of its insurance operations and sell its asset management operations.