Zolotaya Korona secures license to work in Tajikistan

DUSHANBE. Jan 12 (Interfax) - Russian payment system Zolotaya Korona has secured a five-year license from the National Bank of Tajikistan to operate in the Central Asian country, the regulator said.

Zolotaya Korona operated in Tajikistan until 2020 and had more than an 80% share of the market for money transfers from Russia without users having to open a bank account. But in December 2019, Zolotaya Korona refused to join the national processing center for money transfers without opening accounts that was created by the National Bank of Tajikistan, and therefore suspended operations in the country.

There are currently 12 systems in the National Bank's registry of payment system operators.

Tajikistan launched a national processing center in December 2019 through which all cross-border transfers without opening bank accounts are now made. The National Bank said the main goals of creating the center were to improve the efficiency of the money transfer system, increase transparency and minimize transaction risks.