The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the processes of digitizing Moldova Agroindbank (MAIB) and, owing to the provided modern services, an increasing number of customers gave up going to the bank for a simple operation to pay for public utilities. They decide to use the time in a different way, opting for online banking services. MAIB aims to move all the services that are now available at the counter to digital channels during the next one-two years, Aliona Stratan, first vice president of Moldova Agroindbank, stated in an interview for Business Class that is quoted by IPN.
In 2020, the number of MAIB customers who were enrolled digitally doubled, while of operations trebled.
Aliona Stratan believes the payments during the next two-three years will become ordinary operations and will migrate to the built-in banking zone, which means the people will not need to make big efforts to pay each bill as most of the payments will be made automatically. A relevant example is the payment for a taxi ride (Yandex, Taxi or Uber outside the country). Payments for all the types of transport (urban, interurban) will be developed in the immediate period and the digital products and services will be part of all the spheres of life. There will be broadly implemented such technologies as blockchain, smart contracts, etc. An important aspect of payments in the future will be the Internet of Things that only stated to be developed and that has huge potential and the payments will be an indispensable component of their functionality.
The first vice president of MAIB said in the context of digitization, besides knowledge in the banking sector, bank employees will acquire skills in digital transformation, management of products, marketing and also a set soft-skills, such as self-management, critical thinking, decision-making, leadership. MAIB aims to implement continuous training systems for the bank’s personnel and such systems could be later applied at universities in Moldova.
A year ago, MAIB announced new objectives in the “We go digital” direction and the past year developed innovative digital products that are popular with the bank’s customers. An increasing number of customers started to use MAIBank and to make use of the available functions.
Currently, about 40% of the customers prefer to come to the bank. This makes MAIB to create conditions for them. Each branch includes a self-service area with at last one ATM and a Self-Service Terminal. Practically all kinds of payments and operations related to accounts can be performed there. If someone encounters difficulties, a meeter greeter of the bank offers support to the clients and helps them to make the first steps towards digital banking. The clients there are also helped to install the MAIBank application and to make the first simplest operations, noted Aliona Stratan.
