About 4-5 banks account for servicing of 70% of trade turnover, but in fact only Bank Vozrozhdeniye is active on the market of retail trade clearing settlements. The Bank Vozrozhdeniye's representatives willingly shared their experience with the forum participants. The significant part of the Bank's extended and diversified branch network (37 branches and over 60 additional offices of various level) covers the whole Moscow Region, where the Bank is well known and customers are actively using its services ranging from lending to collection. The Bank's particular achievement is the most active introduction of various forms of cashless settlements varying from the account distant control systems (such as "Client -Bank") to bankcards. The Deputy Chairman of Vozrozhdeniye Mark Nakhmanovich turned attention of the audience to this particular issue. As in answer to the problems highlighted by Administration representatives in their presentations, and in particular, by Tax Service, Mark Nakhmanovich underlined the significance of clearing settlements for transparency of financial flows. Over a little more than two years the Bank has managed to create an intraregional infrastructure center for bankcards service covering over 300 trade and service enterprises including both big department stores and filling stations. Their number is constantly growing. Just a couple of years ago, finding himself behind the Moscow ring road a cardholder did not know what to do with his card in Moscow Region. But now at his disposal there are not only 64 ATMs of Vozrozhdeniye, but also a wide range of points of sale and service set up by the bank, where a customer can pay by his card without any problems. Moreover, the bank helps the trade enterprises to build up communication links, to implement their equipment, as well as to solve a lot of technical and organizational issues. So, businessmen come to realize their competitive edge and improve servicing of their clients with "plastic money". Mark Nakhmanovich said in his address: "While operating efficiently in this field, the bank, by the way, is solving the problems related not only to arrangement of its own business, but to comprehensive development of banking business and financial relations in the Region as well. Having become pioneers in the card business in the Region, we have made a real breakthrough. What does it mean? First, it means creating and encouraging of a sufficient number of consumers - cardholders in Moscow Region. Second - building up a broad infrastructure for their servicing both through improving the system of cash advance outlets (automated teller machines) and linking the points of sale and service to the electronic payments network. Third, establishing and introduction of new consumer culture, as well as new models of consumer behaviour among the Moscow Region residents and businessmen, i.e. getting into the habit of using card-based cashless payments. Also we believe, we have contributed to dispelling a myth, that a bankcard is a privilege of the prosperous people. Among nearly 220,000 holders of the cards issued by our bank the majority are the employees of the budget sphere".
The Bank continues to implement payroll schemes (in a number over a thousand). They significantly make life easier for enterprises by saving funds and resources in giving out salaries that would enable not to divert working assets, as well as promote clearing settlements contributing to the growing number of cardholders and encouraging trade organizations to accept cards. Among participants of the payroll projects there are a lot of trade companies. So, a famous formula "commodity - money - commodity" has been amended with another one - "commodity - card - commodity". But role of the banks in their relationship with trade would not be limited to this business area alone. Participants of foreign trade activity are also in need of lending services, collection operations, foreign currency service, tax guarantees and other aspects of financial services. The above aspects of financial relations were highlighted in her presentation by Ludmila Goncharova, the Deputy Chairman of Vozrozhdeniye. She reminded about the traditional links of the bank in Moscow Region, told the audience about the new credit products. The Bank's branch network ensures a high speed of service, which is essential for trade and service enterprises having high speeds of turnover. The bank also facilitates improving relations between manufacturers and trade companies and with the help of special lending schemes contributes to the growth of business volumes and cost minimization. The bank has also experience in establishing business contacts between trade enterprises and service organizations, i.e. in construction, transport and insurance business.
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