17 April, Minsk /BELTA/. By the end of 2013, Belarus had 11.8 million payment cards for a population of 9.4 million residents, as reported today by Lyudmila Stefanovich, Head of the Department for the Development of Banking Payment Cards and Electronic Money of the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus, during the 2nd International Practical Conference on Banking Innovations, according to a BELTA correspondent.
The number of payment terminals in the republic increased by 40% over the past year. This was made possible by the fact that in recent years, great attention has been paid in the country to increasing the number of terminals in trade and service organizations. Today, a banking payment card is the primary tool for non-cash payments.
As noted by Sergey Dubkov, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the National Bank, a banking payment card is no longer just a means to pay in a store, settle utility bills, and withdraw cash from an ATM. Currently, a banking payment card provides access to a wide range of convenient and simple electronic services that allow users to solve a whole spectrum of tasks in both everyday life and business. It is important that cardholders can access their accounts through various channels. As emphasized by Sergey Dubkov, the National Bank is currently taking measures to provide more banking services through mobile communication systems, for which consultations are being held with mobile network operators.
Sergey Dubkov called the reduction of cash circulation in the country and the active increase in the volume of non-cash payments a strategically important goal, as this reduces the costs of operating the monetary system. According to the National Bank's estimates, approximately 20% of GDP is required to maintain cash circulation. When transitioning to non-cash payments and actively using electronic money, significant savings are achieved, while the speed of business processes increases and the level of comfort for bank clients grows.-0-
News of Belarus (BELTA)