The National Bank plans to discuss the final version of the draft changes to the rules of cash transactions in hryvnia based on the results of processing proposals from market participants. The regulator also promises to create conditions for non-cash payments in all regions of Ukraine. The NBU reported this in response to an official request from the Ministry of Finance.
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On March 22, 2024, the National Bank published its draft resolution with changes to cash transactions. The document clarifies a number of terms and rules, including for cash payments by the population without opening an account, as well as for the collection and transportation of cash by non-banking structures.
These also include owners of networks of self-service terminals, which professional participants call PTKS – software and technical self-service complex. They are located in almost every Ukrainian store and people are used to topping up mobile phones, bank card accounts, paying for utilities, etc.
The NBU project had a great resonance among professional participants, primarily among non-bank owners of these terminals, who feared that they would be prohibited from collecting their PTCs on their own – with the involvement of collectors not licensed by the National Bank, whose services are cheaper than those of banks and professional CIT companies (Cash-in-Transit), professional collectors.
In the event of such a ban, it was allowed for the population to increase tariffs for payments at self-service terminals or even remove terminals in remote settlements, where collectors charge an increased tariff for services.
This was confirmed to the “Ministry of Finance” by the National Bank, where reported a lot of proposals on the issue of working with cash proceeds of payers.
“The largest number of proposals/comments were received on clause 16 of the draft Amendments. We are talking about the procedure for the delivery of cash (cash proceeds) by business entities, including commercial agents of banks, non-bank payment service providers and their commercial agents. The National Bank is currently reviewing the proposals provided. The final decisions on whether or not to take into account each specific proposal have not yet been made,” the NBU told us.
The National Bank also clarified that during the public discussion (from March 22 to April 1, 2024) of the draft document The National Bank received 27 proposals from banks, non-banking structures providing payment services, other business entities, associations, local governments and individuals.
The National Bank assured that they will do everything to ensure that Ukrainians, even in remote settlements, have the opportunity to make non-cash payments, even if they use self-service terminals.
“At the initiative of the regulator, banks will direct their efforts to the development of mobile branches, placing more ATMs, spreading non-cash payments and digital solutions, expanding the network of branches.
We also note that some banks attract merchants as commercial agents to provide financial payment services for transferring funds without opening an account (including for replenishing a bank account using payment card details). Providing the specified payment service to users by a merchant as a commercial agent of the bank may be an alternative to using PTC,” says the National Bank’s commentary for the Ministry of Finance.
It also notes that the NBU plans to publish the latter (after all modifications) edition of the draft rules for cash transactions in hryvnia.