Bangladesh Bank on Tuesday set the charge of Tk 10 for each inter-bank transaction for clients through automated teller machines under its National Payment Switch Bangladesh (NPSB) project.
The central bank also set charge of Tk 5 for mini statement or balance inquiry in the inter-bank transactions through ATM machines under its NPSB project.
To this end, the BB issued a circular to managing directors and chief executive officers of all banks saying the banks, which joined the NPSB, would have to impose the charge rate on their clients from April 1, 2014.
The scheduled banks are now imposing charge between Tk 10 and Tk 70 for each inter-bank transaction for clients through the ATM.
A BB official told New Age on Tuesday that the central bank had already asked all banks to complete their preparation to join with its NPSB in the quickest possible time.
The BB circular said the card (debit or credit card) issuer banks would have to pay Tk 20 to the ATM owner banks for each inter-bank transaction.
The circular, however, said that the card issuer banks will have to impose a maximum charge of Tk 10 for each inter-bank transaction for its clients through the ATM machines, meaning that the card issuer bank will have to pay a subsidy of Tk 10.
The card issuer banks, however, will receive the full charge of Tk 5 from their clients if they (clients) collect mini statement or search their balance position through the ATM machines.
The card issuer banks will not impose any charge for inter-bank ATM transaction on their clients, if they wish, the circular said.
The clients will not count any charge for ATM transaction if they use their account holding banks’ ATM machines, the BB official said.
The circular said that the BB had imposed the charges as the ATM machine owner banks had to spend money in operating and securing the machines.
‘The BB has recently set up the NPS infrastructure with a US$ 5 million financial support from the World Bank.
The NPS is now playing the role of a ‘mother switch’ and it will gradually connect all ‘child switches’ owned or shared by the scheduled banks in the country.
The child switches, which are ATM, point on sale, electronic commerce, internet banking, mobile banking and other online related banking services offered by banks, would be brought onto a common platform of the NPS under the central bank strengthening project.
-With New Age input
