Business News
CBN slashes ATM withdrawal fee, others, imposes N2 million fine on Banks
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has slashed withdrawal fees usually charged after the third withdrawal from Automated Teller Machines. The new directive is contained in the new Guide to Bank Charges released on Sunday
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has slashed withdrawal fees usually charged after the third withdrawal from Automated Teller Machines within the same month.
In a new directive contained in the new Guide to Bank Charges released on Sunday, the CBN stated that the withdrawal fee charged for the use of other banks’ Automated Teller Machines (ATM) has been reduced to N35, from N65 earlier charged.
Also, card maintenance fee has been reviewed to N50 every three month (quarterly), from the initial monthly period. The guide released by the CBN contains major changes on electronic transactions’ charges in Nigeria.
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According to CBN, the guide which was first released in 2004 (revised 2013 and 2017), has been reviewed again due to recent market development such as innovations in products and/or channels and new industry participants.
CBN reviews major E-transaction charges
As earlier mentioned, the CBN has done a downward review of charges applicable to withdrawal from other ATMs from N65 to N35, effective from January 1 2020. Meanwhile, other major reviews done by the CBN on electronic banking include:
- The cost to either obtain a new hardware token or a replacement is reduced from N3,500 to N2,500.
- Bills Payment (Including Bills Payment through other E-channels) has been reduced to a maximum of N500 (negotiable) per beneficiary from N1,200.
- Charges on electronic funds transfer have been reviewed to N10 on transaction below N5,000, N25 on transaction between N5,001 – N50,000 and N50 on transaction above N50,000.
- Charges on foreign currency denominated debit/credit card have been reduced to $10 per annum from $20 per annum.
- Also, Card Maintenance Fee on Naira debit/credit cards is reviewed to N50 every three months (quarterly), from the initial N50 monthly.
- However, transactions’ alert on consumer-induced transactions remain (N4), while no charge for bank-induced transactions.
- The CBN also removed Card Maintenance Fee on all cards linked to current accounts and also instructed banks to charge a maximum of N1 per mille for customer induced debit transactions to third parties, and transfers or lodgments to the customers’ account in other banks on current accounts only.
Banks to pay N2 million on any breach
Following the new directives, the CBN stated that any Financial Institution that breaches any of the provisions as contained in the new guide will pay a penalty of N2 million per infraction or as may be determined by the CBN from time to time.
The sanctions partly read:
“Financial Institutions are to note that any breach of the provisions of this Guide carries a penalty of N2,000,000 per infraction or as may be determined by the CBN from time to time.
“Failure to comply with CBN’s directive in respect of any infraction shall attract a further penalty of N2,000,000 daily until the directive is complied with or as may be determined by the CBN from time to time.
“Banks are required to log every complaint received from their customers into the Consumer Complaints Management System (CCMS) and must generate a unique reference code for each complaint lodged, which must be given to the customer. Failure to log and provide the code to the customer amounts to a breach and is sanctionable with a penalty of N1,000,000 per breach.”
What it means: The latest review of major electronic transactions’ charges came against the backdrop of numerous complaints from Nigerians over the exuberant and severance charges by Bank.
Nairametrics recently reported that Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB), United Bank of Africa (UBA), and other eight banks earned a whopping N135.15 billion between January and September 2019 from electronic transactions’ charges.
A look into the unaudited 2019 third-quarter reports of the banks, showed that their revenue from electronic transactions grew by 57% as against the N86.312 billion they earned from the first 10 months of 2018.
In the meantime, Banks’ customers would heave a sigh of relief from the latest review. Also, the downward review of charges may further drive the Central Bank of Nigeria’s financial inclusion drive.
Download CBN Guide to Charges by Banks, Other Financial and Non-Bank Financial Institutions
Business
FG explains why Lagos-Ibadan rail line was not linked to the sea
The government in its explanation said that the delay was due to disruption by trucks going in and out of the port complex.
The Federal Government has stated why the China Civil Engineering Construction Company (CCECC) Nigeria Limited could not link the final part of the Lagos-Ibadan rail line to the sea.
The government in its explanation said that it was due to disruption by trucks going in and out of the port complex.
According to a press statement signed by the Director, Press and Public Relations of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, Eric Ojiekwe, this disclosure was made by the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, while on a routine tour of the Lagos-Ibadan rail line project on Saturday, April 10, 2021.
The Minister pointed out that the original blueprint for the Lagos-Ibadan rail line project was not adhered to by CCECC Nigeria Limited and TEAM consortium and therefore warned that the master plan of the soon to commence Ibadan-Kano rail line project should not be changed.
The statement from the ministry partly reads, “The Nigerian Government has restated its commitment to connect the whole country by rail with the soon to commence Ibadan-Kano Standard Gauge Rail project.”
Amaechi forewarned that the master plan of the soon to commence project should not be changed as the original blueprint for the Lagos-Ibadan wasn’t adhered to by Messrs CCECC Nigeria and TEAM consortium. The Minister who rode the train from Ebute-Meta to the 8.72 km Apapa Port Spur line, informed the media that the inability of Messrs CCECC Nigeria to link the final part of the rail line down to the sea is rather due to disruption by trucks going in and out of the port complex.’’
The Minister had noted that the Federal Government has paid its share of the counterpart funding of the Ibadan-Kano rail line project and is waiting for China-Exim bank to ratify its side of the agreement for the project to commence.
He also advised the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) to acquire more land around the train stations and the rail tracks for future development adding that this will be near impossible to do in the future as whatever space available now would have been taken over by businesses attracted to the rail line.
In case you missed it
It can be recalled that full commercial train services commenced on the Lagos-Ibadan rail line after train operations commenced on December 7, 2020, with only Lagos, Ibadan and Abeokuta residents enjoying the train services.
This is because other minor and major stations along that route were yet to be completed.
IBADAN-KANO RAIL PROJECT TO COMMENCE SOON – FG
The @NigerianGov has restated its commitment to connect the whole country by rail with the soon to commence Ibadan-Kano Standard Gauge Rail project.
The Minister of Transportation, @ChibuikeAmaechi, while on routine tour of the— Federal Ministry of Transportation (@MinTransportNG) April 11, 2021
Manufacturing
Industrial Index loses -12.39 points, as BUA and Lafarge Cement shares top losers list
The NSE Industrials index lost 12.39 index points in the first trading week in the month of April.
The Nigerian Stock Exchange Industrial Index at the close of trading activities for the first week in the month of April closed on a bearish note, following a 0.66% decrease in the shares of BUA CEMENT and Lafarge.
At the close of trading activities on the Nigerian Stock Exchange on the 9th of April 2021, the industrial index depreciated by 55.01 index points, to close lower at 1,928.18 index points for the week.
When compared to the overall performance of the market, the NSE Industrial index underperformed, noting that the NSE All-Share Index and Market Capitalization depreciated by 0.66% to close the week at 38,866.39 and N20.3350 trillion respectively.
READ: COVID-19, VAT, FX scarcity adversely impacted our operations in 2020 – Nigerian Breweries boss says
What you should know
The NSE Industrial Index was designed to provide an investable benchmark to capture the performance of the Industrial Sector. It comprises the most capitalized and liquid companies in the industrial sector and is based on the market capitalization methodology.
The index tracks the performance of ten industrial companies on the Nigerian Stock Exchange which includes Dangote, BUA, and Lafarge Cement.
The overall performance of the companies for the week was bearish, as the index closed on a negative note driven by the decrease in the share price of BUA Cement and Lafarge.
MEYER (19.51) was the only gainer for the week, while BUACEMENT (-1.09%) and LAFARGE WAPCO (-3.00%) were the only losers for the week.
GAINER
- MEYER up by19.51% to close at N0.49.
LOSER
- WAPCO down by -3.00% to close at N21.00.
- BUACEMENT down by -1.09% to close at N72.70.
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