Banks are committed to ensuring that no customer is left behind, regardless of where they live or their digital skills. For this reason, the Spanish Banking Association is working intensively with the authorities and other stakeholders to find solutions to major challenges of our time, such as improving financial inclusion in depopulated rural Spain and enhancing personalised service for older people. <\/p>\n
All of this reflects our mission to serve the real economy\u2014something we never forget\u2014and is set out in the Strategic Protocol for the Banking Sector\u2019s Social and Sustainable Commitment, which the three banking associations signed a year ago. I explained this yesterday at the course organised by the Association of Economic Information Journalists, held at the Men\u00e9ndez Pelayo International University. <\/p>\n
The customer is, and will continue to be, at the centre of everything banks do. This is our priority and our raison d\u2019\u00eatre, which drives the continuous adaptation of our service model to changes in consumer habits and makes it essential to strike a balance between innovation and supporting those who prefer in-person service. <\/p>\n
In addition to driving the digital revolution, the banking sector plays a fundamental role in the green revolution now under way, where the greatest complexity is not financing the green economy but the transition of non-sustainable or more polluting sectors. Clear and harmonised rules are needed, along with high-quality data and analysis, stronger public-private collaboration, and respect for the transition and the established timelines, because moving too fast could have undesirable effects. <\/p>\n
The banking sector is involved in the major transformations of our society and attentive to customer demands, which also extends to crypto-assets, and therefore cannot remain detached from this reality. In Spain, 12% of adults own crypto-assets. A coordinated and balanced regulatory response is needed in this area to contain risks without undermining innovation. <\/p>\n
It is essential that regulation ensures a level playing field for all players engaged in the same activity, regardless of whether or not they are banks. This is not currently the case with non-bank operators, which have access to banks\u2019 customers\u2019 transactional data and, by combining it with their own, can “work magic” to expand and improve the range of products and services they offer. <\/p>\n
If we cannot compete with them on equal terms and we do so with our hands tied, our most basic function\u2014providing financing\u2014may be affected. Who will provide credit to households and businesses if that happens? <\/p>\n
Spanish banks are prepared and well placed to help the Spanish economy navigate periods of uncertainty, as was evident in the most difficult moments of the pandemic. During this health, social and economic crisis, the banking sector has been on the front line: keeping branches open during lockdown, granting payment deferrals on mortgages and consumer loans, providing ICO-guaranteed loans to 750,000 companies and self-employed workers, and bringing forward the payment of pensions and unemployment benefits. <\/p>\n
Alejandra Kindel\u00e1n, Chair of AEB<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Banks are committed to ensuring that no customer is left behind, regardless of where they live or their digital skills. For this reason, the Spanish Banking Association is working intensively with the authorities and other stakeholders to find solutions to major challenges of our time, such as improving financial inclusion in depopulated rural Spain and enhancing personalised service for older people. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":38208,"parent":0,"template":"","etiquetas":[704],"categorias-blog":[783],"class_list":["post-38207","blog-aeb","type-blog-aeb","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","etiquetas-m_aeb","categorias-blog-presidency"],"yoast_head":"\n