Nigeria’s Banker’s Committee on Tuesday in Abuja unanimously agreed to stop interbank ATM charge of N100, about 65 cents
Briefing
journalists at the end of their meeting in Abuja, the Managing Director
of First Bank, Mr Bisi Onasanya, said the decision was in line with
“popular trends’’ in other parts of the world.
“Presently when you use the ATM of a bank other than your bank, there is a charge of N100 which is borne by the account holder.We
have decided that we will work out the modality and ensure that with
immediate effect we would pass on this cost to the respective banks
which bear the cost of providing services.
“No matter where you are withdrawing your money from, you will not be subjected to any charge for using the ATM.According to him, the new policy does not cover withdrawals inside the banking hall when the ATMs are not working.“But
for transaction on what we call “not on us’’, when you are an FBN
customer and you use the ATM of a GTB bank, it is free and it will no
longer bear any cost.’’
Mrs Agnes Olatokunbo, Director of Banking
Services at the Central Bank, said the apex bank and the Securities and
Exchange Commission (SEC) would conduct a joint examination of
stockbroking firms to ensure financial stability.Presently, the
CBN supervises the bank but in the interest of financial stability, we
will be working jointly with SEC to supervise stockbroking firms,
especially those owned by holding companies under the new banking
reforms.’’
Also speaking, the Group Managing Director of Union
Bank, Mr Emeka Enuwa, said the banks had also decided to support
mortgage liquidity facility for civil servants and private sector
employees.
Enuwa expressed the committee’s support for the Federal
Government’s ongoing efforts to provide more affordable housing to
civil servants and the middle class.The cost of acquiring a
house for an individual, as a civil servant, is quite difficult and
getting a mortgage over a long period of time had not been that easy.
“What
this programme intends to achieve is to make it much easier for civil
servants and private sector employees to assess financing to acquire
homes for themselves at an acceptable duration and reasonable interest
rate.’’Speaking on the modalities for assessing the credit
facility, Enuwa said the details would be provided subsequently as the
framework had just been agreed on.
On other decisions reached at
the meeting, Dr Shehu Mohammed, acting Managing Director of Keystone
Bank, said the committee also agreed to make “significant donation’’ to
flood victims across the country.
Mohammed said the meeting
considered the issue of the recent flood in the country and decided that
respective banks should make donations through the Federal Government
fund-raising committee headed by Alhaji Aliko Dangote.