CB could acquire PRO 100 from Sberbank to create national payment system - paper
MOSCOW. April 15 (Interfax) - Bankers and officials met with Russia's First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov on Monday to discuss the development of a national payment system for which a special company would be created controlled by Central Bank, Russian newspaper Vedomosti reported, citing meeting participants.
It is assumed that this newly created company will buy the brand and technology of the PRO 100 system from Sberbank . One participant from the decision on creating the national payment system said the possibility of taking PRO 100 from the Universal Electronic Card system was under discussion.
Another meeting participant said no decisions were made during the meeting with Shuvalov yesterday, and the meeting's agenda included getting everything in order before meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev.
Russia's Central Bank first wants to create a non-profit organization and include the organization's management and financing in legislation, Central Bank Deputy Chairman Georgy Luntovsky proposed to Vladimir Sidorenko, the director of the government's economics and finance department, Vedomosti said, citing a letter. Luntovsky is suggesting that it be required by law to use the new cards, and that the wages of civil servants and state employees be transferred to these cards. In order to maintain operations for international cards, Central Bank is proposing to use interhost connections.
The national payment system must be created so that cards issued to participants are accepted by international systems and vice versa, participants of a Central Bank working group have said. Aside from officials, this group also includes Sberbank, the Bank of Moscow , Uralsib , VTB 24 , Gazprombank , Russian Standard, TCS Bank, Alfa-Bank and Promsvyazbank . If the payment system is to be built from scratch, it is advisable to buy a license for international technology, bankers said, adding that Central Bank should be the payment center.