, July 11, Asia-Plus – The open joint stock-company (OJSC) “AgroInvestBonk” has completed an action aimed at drawing people into use of Visa Electron card.
Ms. Muhiba Mahmadjonova, the head of the AgroInvestBonk department for marketing and public relations, has told Asia-Plus that the action’s results exceeded all expectations because more than 2600 people, both residents and non-residents, had lodged applications for getting the plastic cards.
“Therefore the bank had to order for additional blank plastic cards in order to satisfy people’s applications for the plastic cards,” said Ms. Mahmadjonova, “The main objective of this action was in increasing number of cashless settlements on transactions in retail trade; at present more than more than 90 percent of transactions in the republic are carried out in cash.”
Ms. Mahmadjonova reminded that plastic cards have been in circulation in the country since 1998. According to the National Bank of Tajikistan (NBT), a number of holders of plastic cards emitted by four banks in the country has amounted to 7,389 people as of May 1 this year. Number of holders of plastic cards emitted by AgroInvestBonk alone has increased by 54 percent since the beginning of this year and amounted to 6,600 people.
According to her, a number of transactions carried out in the country by plastic cards last year amounted to 75,723, and over the first four months of this year, this number has amounted to 16,333.
“As of
May 1, 33
bank machines have operated in
Tajikistan
, and the overall amount of transactions by bank machines last year was 27,032,610 Somonis, and over the first six months of this year, this amount has been 6,954,818 Somonis,” Muhiba Mahmadjonova said.
ABOUT:
A Visa Electron card can be used at almost any Visa merchant or automated teller machines (ATMs) worldwide (approximately 820,000) for purchases or cash withdrawals. The card is issued by a major bank in a European Union single currency area country, one where many foreigners live, which means it can be used in situations were an obviously “offshore” card might not be appropriate.
