DUSHANBE, September 22, Asia-Plus — A number of credit card holders in Tajikistan more than doubled in the year to September 1, 2007, increasing from 11,222 to 28,413 people, Asia-Plus has leaned at the National bank of Tajikistan (NBT).
The source at a NBT said that Tajik banks are currently developing the credit card payment system due to so-called “wage” projects, concluding contracts with companies on paying wages of their employees via credit cards.
According to him, competition between banks for customers has improved quality of service.
Tajik central bank said that number of automated teller machines (ATM) had also increased in the country. As of September 1 2007, 88 ATMs have operated in Tajikistan, which is 38 more than last year by this date.
This computerized telecommunications device provides a financial institution’s customers a secure method of performing financial transactions in a public space without need for a human clerk or bank teller, according to the NBT source. Using an ATM, customers can access their bank accounts in order to make cash withdrawals (or credit card cash advances) and check their account balances.
Besides, 41 point-of-sale (POS) terminals now function in Tajikistan
Four Tajik banks now issue and serve credit cards: AgroInvestBonk; TojikSodirotBonk (TSB); OryonBonk, Bank Eskhata. Open joint-stock company (OJSC) TajPromBank also serve credit cards but it does not issue them.
AgroInvestBonk, which was the first to introduce credit card payment system in the country, tops commercial banks in Tajikistan in terms of number of credit card customers. As of September 1 2007, almost 15,000 credit card holders in Tajikistan are customers of this bank.
TSB has more than 8,000 credit card holders among its clients, OryonBonk has nearly 4,500 credit card holders among its clients, and Bank Eskhata has 661 credit card holders.
According to Tajik central bank, the mentioned banks are members of International Payment System Visa Int. and licensed to issue Visa cards: Visa Electron; Visa Classic; Visa Gold; Visa International.
