Central Bank governor Jos? Lois Malkum has told the media that a commercial bank from Europe and another from the US are interested in buying Baninter. The identities of these foreign companies are not being revealed at the moment, but they are said to have made their applications to the Central Bank. Malkum commented that the offers have been made due to the strength of the Baninter brand and the important assets of the bank.
He added that the priority at the moment was to ?normalize? the situation and that any decision on its sale, transfer or merger will come at a later date.
He repeated his reassurance that the Central Bank will guarantee Baninter clients’ savings “down to the last cent” and that this applies to savers as well as current account holders. As reported in Hoy newspaper, he also stressed the Central Bank is standing behind all Baninter?s foreign commitments. ?All transactions and commitments that Baninter has with foreign correspondent banks will be absolutely honored; we absolutely guarantee all types of transactions,? said Malkum.
He said that former deputy governor of the Central Bank, Luis Manuel Piantini (now a member of the Monetary Board) will be coordinating the transition process between Baninter and the Central Bank. Piantini was in charge of the process when Banco Intercontinental (Baninter) absorbed Banco del Comercio in 1996.
Hundreds of concerned Baninter customers have been withdrawing their money from the bank since the intervention of the Banco Central was announced. In the first day alone, RD$600 million was withdrawn from Baninter accounts. Customers are being given a choice of withdrawing the total amounts of their savings, or having them converted to Central Bank savings certificates, in either US dollars or pesos.
?We need to neutralize with demonetizations the effects on the economy of the people that have been closing their accounts at the bank.?Central Bank governor Malkum told Hoy newspaper.