While recently in the state Duma at once introduced a bill of social nature, involving the ban on charging any commissions from individuals for housing and communal services. Because it applies to all banks, payment agents, Bank payment agents and postal operators, then it is not surprising that the first who took up arms against him, and while steel cans. First of all, this ban might affect the savings Bank, acquired a dominant share in the market of reception of payments for ZHKU in the 60 – 65%, and VTB Bank and Post office.
In late February the Association of banks of Russia held a meeting of the banking and payment communities with representatives of Bank of Russia. It managers of credit institutions, the Central Bank warned about the possible reduction of the infrastructure for accepting payments for utilities. Simultaneously, they offered the option of “softening” the consequences of the bill. In early March the Association of banks of Russia sent its message of disagreement with the project in the financial market Committee of the state Duma. Motivation is still extremely simple: that the abolition of such committees would deprive banks of funds for the maintenance of a network of techniques payments. Next is actually going to outright blackmail and threats of closure points of reception of payments, the growth of queues and increase the time for payment up to 40-90 minutes.
Then offered all the same pattern, when to levy charges on banks formally shifted control of the company, modestly keeping silent about what these commissions in more volume will be inevitably passed again to the population. In General, the proposal can be reduced to the simple phrase “do you want it that bad, nice is worse.” It’s funny in all this, perhaps, is that the Bank has decided to blackmail, probably forgetting about who they are and what they do. After all, the Central Bank has a range of available measures of culling.
First, in a milder form, the Central Bank can always introduce a variety of restrictions on the making Bank of these or those operations. As a warning, to change their minds. If you continue to receive payments, the restrictions can be removed. Secondly, and this is the more stringent version of the Central Bank, if his team didn’t change their minds and continue to persist in heresy, in fact an order may dismiss the management and the owners of the Bank from the management of one or another financial institution, replacing them with more resourceful persons. And finally, thirdly, the toughest option is revocation of license. To find a formal reason for this or do not bother the Central Bank in its total lack of accountability and impunity can always. It would wish.
If you think about the simple fact that banks in Russia is still more than four hundred, and the Central Bank planned again this year to trim the number of Bank that is similar to the rejection of reception of payments for ZHKU could have far-reaching consequences. In this particular case, it is a pity not them, but their customers – ordinary citizens who may be innocent victims of a showdown between the Central Bank and which belongs to them by banks.
As for the resources of the banks to maintain the existing network of reception of payments for ZHKU, the profit of the same savings Bank with its 65% market share of these payments upon closer inspection are likely to be more than enough to not only maintain, but to continue its development. Nothing wrong with that. Besides, there will be less resources to Finance unprofitable and non-core projects of this institution.
Goodbye to commissions, payments for utility services, major banks, and they do it in the first place, could at least reduce the financial pressure on the wider society. For as in his time one would say while the Minister of Finance, “Share it!”. The only question is, will the Central Bank seriously to abolish the Commission. I would like to be wrong, but there is a strong feeling that the clash of interests of bankers and ordinary citizens, he will stand on the side of bankers.
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