Editorial
Bankarstvo, 2021, vol. 50, br. 1
DIGITALISATION OF THE BANKING SECTOR AND THE ROLE OF THE ASSOCIATION OF SERBIAN BANKS Srđan Zec Information Technologies and Digital Banking Specialist
The increase in online commerce, the increase in the number of loans granted “remotely”, and the introduction of new services such as video onboarding, account transfers, and transfers of funds via mobile phones, show the readiness of banks and regulators to make the financial market of Serbia modern and more in line with the latest European trends. The Association of Serbian Banks, in addition to its active participation in the mentioned digitalisation projects, as well as some others, such as IPS, data exchange with state institutions and the improvement of the eGovernment portal, represents the common voice of all banks and fulfils its role, among other things, by strengthening the cooperation of banks and the state with the fintech industry. I believe that we are, thus, the driving energy that inevitably brings forward change, both in terms of business and technology, as well as in terms of changing our conceptualisation and old habits. In that sense, the Association constantly conducts consultations, surveys, and initiatives among its members, in order to get a clear overview of the banks’ needs in the process of improving business, as well as to improve the user experience, as an imperative. Continuing their current practice, the expert committees for information technologies and digital banking of the Association of Serbian Banks plan to open several development projects this year as well, which would continue the practice of joint introduction of digital services between the banking sector and the state. In that light, I must mention the recently completed project “My Data for My Bank”, which the banks developed together with the eGovernment portal and the Strategic Project Implementation Unit within the RS Government. It is a project of digital exchange of data on citizens, bank clients who apply for cash loans, with the aim of simplifying the entire process for the clients and reducing the time frame necessary for collecting the needed documentation.
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