The use of cards with the Russian payment system “Mir” is not possible in the Republic of Moldova, while Russia’s Promsvyazibank, with which Gagauzia’s Bashkan signed a cooperation agreement, didn’t submit applications for authorization or licensing. The clarification was made by the National Bank of Moldova (NBM) for RFE/RL’s Moldovan Service, IPN reports.
On April 9, during her second visit to Moscow, Gagauz Governor Yevgenia Guțul announced that she signed an agreement with the CEO of the Russian bank Promsvyazibank Petr Fradkov for the use of “Mir” cards on the territory of Gagauzia. Guțul informed through social media that this agreement will allow pensioners and employees in the region to receive bonuses to pensions and salaries through the “Mir” payment system, and the Russian bank will open accounts for Gagauz people “remotely”.
The National Bank, in response to a request made by RFE/RL’s Moldovan Service, said that it is the only institution on the territory of the country that licenses, regulates and supervises the activity of Moldovan banks and branches of banks of other states. “Any legal entity intending to operate a payment scheme or arrangement on the territory of the Republic of Moldova shall submit to the National Bank an application for authorization. By now, the NBM hasn’t received such a request from Promsvyazibank,” says the institution’s official response.
Thus, the residents of the autonomous territorial unit who will have such cards in Moldova will not be able to perform operations with them. “Activities within such a card payment system can be carried out only after obtaining authorization from the NBM, and the National Bank hasn’t issued such an authorization,” specified the NBM.
The Bashkan of Gagauzia Yevgenia Guțul recently promised the pensioners and budget-funded employees in the region that starting May 1, they will receive by 2,000 lei on cards issued by a Russian bank. Commenting on the information, the Government’s spokesman Daniel Vodă said that it goes to all kinds of empty and false promises.
