Subsidiary Organization JSC VTB Bank (Kazakhstan) says it obtained status of principal participant of Visa, international payment system

/KASE, July 4, 12/ - Subsidiary Organization JSC VTB Bank (Kazakhstan) (Almaty), whose bonds are officially listed at Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE), has provided KASE with the following press-release of July 4, 2012: quote A license of a principal participant of Visa, the international payment system, will allow VTB Bank (Kazakhstan) to execute direct settlements with Visa, as well as it renders the right to sponsor and process other Kazakh second-tier banks. Acquiring a license of Visa principal participant Subsidiary Organization JSC VTB Bank (Kazakhstan) obtains independence whilst launching new card products and services. The status of a principal participant allows the Bank to develop trade acquiring: set up own POS-terminals in shops and service points. Since the very beginning of its operations in the field of developing cashless card payments, VTB Bank (Kazakhstan) has been taking an active part in marketing campaigns conducted by Visa, as well as regularly being introducing new services for payment card holders. Rosa Imangalieva, head of Department of Bank Cards of Subsidiary Organization JSC VTB Bank (Kazakhstan): "This moment is very important to the history of our Bank's operations with payment cards. Today, over 10,000 people are owners of payment cards issued by our Bank. And the global ATM network of the VTB Group is one of the most developed in CIS-countries and Georgia. By the end of this year we are supposed to increase the number of cards by 50% and offer to our customers credit cards. unquote [2012-07-04]