Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Marko Primorac announced the possibility of establishing a national ATM network, under which commercial banks would be required, through a memorandum, to commit to its implementation. This would effectively mean that ATMs are shared, and cash withdrawals at any of them would be free of charge, reports HRT.
The Minister expressed hope that a Memorandum of Understanding would soon be signed with commercial banks.
“If the network is established within a certain timeframe—which we will of course specify—it will mean that every bank will be considered part of the ATM network. As such, a cash withdrawal from any ATM will be treated as if it were made from one’s own bank, and no fees will be charged. We believe that, despite a slight delay, this is a good and constructive solution. It will have long-term positive effects, primarily for consumers,” said Primorac.
Tamara Perko, Director of the Croatian Banking Association (HUB), stated that she could not yet comment on the potential establishment of a shared ATM network, as they had not yet received the memorandum proposal.
She noted that such a move would likely lead to a rationalization of the network and a reduction in the number of ATMs, but that these machines would, in turn, need to be refilled with cash more frequently.
“But that’s just an assumption—we need to first see exactly what the memorandum says before we can provide a more precise outlook,” Perko stated.