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Banks Start Axing Branchless Banking Units

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Banks Start Axing Branchless Banking Units
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A Point-of-Sales machine used to provide branchless banking service. Photo Courtesy: RBB

September 9: Banks have started reducing the number of branchless banking facilities in the recent days taking a U-turn from their policy to promote such service in the past.

Banks have stated difficulty in providing branchless service due to Covid-19 pandemic as the reason for reduction in number of branchless banking units.

Earlier, banks and financial institutions (BFIs) had been increasing the number branchless banking facilities to increase the access of people to the banking services.

However, commercial banks have closed 12 branchless banking units in the last four months amid coronavirus crisis, informed Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB).

The move to reduce the number of branchless banking units has been construed as a measure taken by banks to reduce their operating cost after the pandemic started taking toll on the banks’ profit.

BFIs need to take permission from the central bank to open or close branches while there isn’t any requirement for such formalities in case of branchless banking service. Therefore, banks had been focusing on branchless banking service to provide their services at comparatively less cost.

According to Nepal Rastra Bank, there were 586 branchless banking units as of mid-June, which has now shrunk to 574.

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