Bank-Insurance
BB Lowers Age Limit for MFS Accounts
Bangladesh Bank (BB) has recently implemented a significant policy change by reducing the age limit for opening mobile financial services (MFS) accounts, such as those offered by bKash and Nagad, from 18 years to 14 years. The relaxation in age restrictions specifically applies to individuals between the ages of 14 and 18 who hold Bangladeshi nationality and have parents or legal guardians who are also Bangladeshi citizens. This decision was communicated through a circular issued by BB.
To open an MFS account under this new provision, applicants are required to provide their birth certificate along with the National Identity Card number of their legal guardian. The account will be linked to the legal guardian’s MFS account, and the legal guardian must authenticate the applicant’s account.
It’s worth noting that under this revised policy, transfers or cash-ins into these accounts must be made through the legal guardian’s bank account, MFS account, card, or e-wallet, with agents or other MFS accounts not being allowed for this purpose, unlike the previous practice.
These accounts, designed for individuals aged 14 to 18, can be used for various financial transactions, including cash withdrawals, person-to-person transfers, mobile balance top-ups, utility bill payments, education fee payments, and merchant transactions. However, BB has imposed certain transaction limits to ensure responsible usage. For cash-ins, the daily limit is Tk 5,000, with a monthly limit of Tk 30,000. Cash-ins can be performed a maximum of five times a day and ten times a month.
For cash-outs, the daily limit is Tk 5,000, with a monthly limit of Tk 25,000. Similar to cash-ins, cash-outs can be conducted a maximum of five times a day and ten times a month. Person-to-person transfers have a daily limit of Tk 5,000 and a monthly limit of Tk 15,000, maintaining the same frequency restrictions.
For various payments, including utility bills and merchant transactions, the daily limit is Tk 5,000, and the monthly limit is Tk 20,000. These transactions can be performed three times a day and ten times a month.
It’s essential to note that the maximum balance allowed in these accounts for individuals aged 14 to 18 is Tk 30,000.
The Bangladesh Bank has adjusted the dollar price to Tk117 from Tk110 by introducing the crawling peg exchange rate mechanism.
Under this new approach, the bank will buy and sell dollars with Tk117 as the mid rate.
This decision was reached during a meeting of the monetary policy committee on Wednesday, May 8th.
Additionally, the committee has opted to discontinue the SMART lending rate mechanism, allowing banks to set their lending rates based on dollar demand and supply, according to a circular issued after the meeting.
The crawling peg system permits a currency with a fixed exchange rate to fluctuate within a specified band of rates, combining features of both fixed and floating exchange rate regimes.
On May 5th, Bangladesh Bank Governor Abdur Rouf Talukder announced the adoption of a market-based interest rate and the implementation of a crawling peg system to stabilize the foreign exchange rate.
He stated that the central bank is collaborating with prominent economists and bankers to devise a contractionary monetary policy aimed at curbing inflation and restoring macroeconomic stability.
Earlier, on April 2nd, the World Bank stressed the importance of a crawling peg mechanism aligned with market-clearing exchange rates to narrow the gap between formal and informal exchange rates, as outlined in the latest Bangladesh Development Update report.
Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has advocated for a market-based dollar rate. In January 2023, the IMF attached several conditions to a $4.7 billion loan facility over a three-and-a-half-year period. Bangladesh has received two installments of the loan by fulfilling nearly all conditions, except for the reserve requirement.
On Sunday (May 5), the Bangladesh Bank (BB) once again dissolved the board of directors of the National Bank.
In a letter addressed to the managing director of the National Bank, the central bank announced the cancellation of the existing board of directors.
Furthermore, the banking regulator established a new board of directors and appointed Khalilur Rahman, the bank’s sponsor director, as the new chairman, according to the BB’s communication.
Mezbaul Haque, spokesperson for the Bangladesh Bank, commented on the development, stating that the action was taken to bolster the bank’s board of directors.
This move comes after a similar action in 2023 when the central bank ordered the dissolution of the National Bank’s board and formed a new one.
Prime Bank PLC has recently received Bancassurance Business commencement approval from Bangladesh Bank.
Mohammad Shahriar Siddiqui, director, BRPD, Bangladesh Bank handed over the approval letter to Nazeem A Choudhury, deputy managing director – consumer banking of Prime Bank PLC, at a ceremony held at Bangladesh Bank recently.
Mohammad Ashfaqur Rahman, additional director, BRPD, Bangladesh Bank, Ashraful Alam, joint director, BRPD, Bangladesh Bank, Miah Mohammad Rabiul Hasan, chief bancassurance officer, Prime Bank PLC were also present at the ceremony.
Bancassurance is a partnership between a bank and insurance company that will allow a Bank to sell insurance products of the insurance company through its distribution channels.
To offer a wide range of products to its customers and ensure best in class service, Prime Bank has partnered with leading insurance companies National Life Insurance Company Ltd. and Reliance Insurance Ltd.
Being one of the leading banks of the country, Prime Bank hopes to cater to the needs of insurance requirements of its customers through Bancassurance, in Bangladesh market.
