Halyk savings bank of Kazakhstan JSC gives the possibility to make settlements in Euros on plastic cardsVisa without converting

/IRBIS, Assel Omarova, March 10, 04/ - Halyk savings bank of Kazakhstan JSC (Almaty, hereinafter - Halyk bank JSC), whose securities are traded in the official "A" listing category of Kazakhstan stock exchange Inc (KASE), has spread press-release, which says that the bank has successfully passed certification of mutual payments making by VISA International in euros. This certification lets holders of currency cards VISA of Halyk bank JSC in euros keep their money while taking cash and while making settlements in European community's countries (EC) in currency converting. Halyk bank JSC has been issuing the cards of VISA International system for several years already. The bank issues cards in euros since the beginning of this currency introduction. However on the reason the payment system Visa International made settlements only in US dollar till recent time, holders of cards in euros had to loose money during converting. Certification of mutual payments in euros lets clients of Halyk bank JSC more profitably use payment cards while making payments for goods and services in EC's countries. At present Halyk bank JSC issues cards Visa in euros - of "Standard" and "Elite" formats. Total number of payments cards of Halyk bank JSC in circulation has reached 1.3 m. units, and ban's stake in aggregate indicators of second tier banks today is more than 65%. By the beginning of this year the bank's branch network comprised 528 branches: 20 oblast branches (regional), 129 district branches, 379 CSO. [2004-03-10]