Russian banks began to connect to the National Payment Card System
In Russia, testing begins to connect several domestic banks to the Russian operations center. The work is carried out by the National Payment Card System (NSPK) JSC, which provides its own technological platform capable of processing banking operations, including with the implementation of transactions of various international payment systems.
At the moment, banks, many of which are under Western sanctions, participate in tests for connecting their bases to the NSPK operational center. We are talking about such banks as VTB24, Gazprombank, Russia Bank, Alfa Bank, SMP Bank, UBRR (Ural Bank for Reconstruction and Development), Rosbank.
It should be recalled that the National Payment Card System is primarily responsible for anti-Russian sanctions for its emergence and active involvement in the country's banking sector. As soon as the first statements appeared that the West was ready to block the use of VISA and MasterCard payment systems by Russians, as well as to disconnect Russia from the SWIFT system, the Russian authorities, together with the Central Bank, began to discuss the issue of a phased transfer of the Russian banking sector to the domestic payment system , the functionality of which will be similar to the leading payment systems of the national and international level of Europe, Southeast Asia and North America.
In the Federal Law No. 112-FZ, an addition has appeared in the form of the chapter 4.1, which is called: The National Payment Card System.
This chapter, in particular, determines the feasibility of creating a Russian payment system and outlines certain mechanisms for its functioning.
From article 30.1:
The purpose of organizing a national payment card system (hereinafter referred to as NSPK), which is a payment system created and functioning in accordance with this chapter, is to ensure the continuity, efficiency and availability of money transfer services.
From article 30.2:
The NSPK operator is created in the form of a joint stock company (...). When the NSPK operator is formed, 100% of its shares belong to the Bank of Russia.
It is reported that if the testing is successful, then the creation of a fully-fledged national payment system with processing based on the domestic platform will be completed before the end of March 2015. At the same time, NSPK employees declare that the system is implemented on the basis of standards used by Russian and other banks so that banks do not have problems associated with the possible transfer to new versions of standardization. In other words, the system will work according to the same principles that foreign payment systems operated in Russia operate on, but the main operations center will be located in Russia.
Currently, a reaction from the owners of those foreign payment systems, which today are the most popular in the Russian banking sector, is expected. It's about the already mentioned VISA and MasterCard.
Theoretically, Russian banks and customers of Russian banks in the case of the implementation of the Russian payment system program will be spared many risks associated with the possibility of foreign intervention (based on sanctions or on the basis of the well-known Cyprus option, when, on orders from outside, Cypriot banks were forced to “share” some of their deposits. customers). All this is great in terms of a very timely response to economic sanctions against Russia - a step towards real independence of both the banking sector and its operational component.
However, there are some pitfalls. One of these pitfalls is viewed in the above 30.2 article on the National Payment Card System. This is about the ownership of 100% of shares of NSPK JSC to the Bank of Russia (Central Bank). It seems to be nothing strange. And who else would give the NPCS “remote control”, if not the Central Bank? But there is a nuance. The nuance is connected with the status of the Bank of Russia, which is in its relation prescribed in the Constitution and in the Federal laws of the Russian Federation.
According to part 2 Art. 75 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the Central Bank performs its main functions whatever other organs state power.
At the same time, Article 9 No. 86-ФЗ of 10 July 2002 says:
Bank of Russia can participate in the activities of international organizationsthat develop cooperation in the monetary, foreign exchange, banking and other areas of the financial market, including the development of cooperation between central banks and (or) relevant regulatory (supervisory) bodies (organizations), as well as participate in the activities of associations, not having the status of an organization (including forums, groups, committees.
And also in this law: from v. 1 -
Functions and powers provided for by the Constitution of the Russian Federation and this Federal Law, the Bank of Russia exercises independently from other federal bodies of state power, bodies of state power of the subjects of the Russian Federation and bodies of local self-government.
From Art. 2 -
The authorized capital and other property of the Bank of Russia are federal property. In accordance with the goals and procedures established by this Federal Law, The Bank of Russia exercises authority to own, use and dispose of the property of the Bank of Russia, including foreign exchange reserves of the Bank of Russia. Withdrawal and encumbrance of the said property without the consent of the Bank of Russia are not allowed, unless otherwise provided by federal law.
And more:
The state is not liable for the obligations of the Bank of Russia, and the Bank of Russia for the obligations of the state.
Article 5 No. 86-ФЗ from 10 July 2002 says that the Central Bank is accountable to the State Duma.
It is accountable that it may be accountable, but at the same time it is very, very independent. In addition, it has the opportunity to participate in the activities of international organizations whose line of work is extremely difficult to track.
As a result, Russia seems to be forming a national payment system with its own processing center as a response to anti-Russian sanctions, but how much will this system really be national, and how much will it serve national interests? Could it be that the high-sounding words about our own payment system, based on the parameters of the international systems already operating in Russia, will ultimately be a matter of camouflage using western options with a processing center controlled "from there"? I would like to think that this skepticism has nothing in common with reality, that the system is really designed to protect exclusively national interests.
In principle, the result is already clear in the near future. If the same VISA regarding the creation and development of the NPCS under the control of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation does not utter a sharp word, then “this is no accident” ...
God grant that all the author's arguments about the strangeness of the role of the Central Bank in this process were completely untenable.
At the moment, banks, many of which are under Western sanctions, participate in tests for connecting their bases to the NSPK operational center. We are talking about such banks as VTB24, Gazprombank, Russia Bank, Alfa Bank, SMP Bank, UBRR (Ural Bank for Reconstruction and Development), Rosbank.
It should be recalled that the National Payment Card System is primarily responsible for anti-Russian sanctions for its emergence and active involvement in the country's banking sector. As soon as the first statements appeared that the West was ready to block the use of VISA and MasterCard payment systems by Russians, as well as to disconnect Russia from the SWIFT system, the Russian authorities, together with the Central Bank, began to discuss the issue of a phased transfer of the Russian banking sector to the domestic payment system , the functionality of which will be similar to the leading payment systems of the national and international level of Europe, Southeast Asia and North America.
In the Federal Law No. 112-FZ, an addition has appeared in the form of the chapter 4.1, which is called: The National Payment Card System.
This chapter, in particular, determines the feasibility of creating a Russian payment system and outlines certain mechanisms for its functioning.
From article 30.1:
The purpose of organizing a national payment card system (hereinafter referred to as NSPK), which is a payment system created and functioning in accordance with this chapter, is to ensure the continuity, efficiency and availability of money transfer services.
From article 30.2:
The NSPK operator is created in the form of a joint stock company (...). When the NSPK operator is formed, 100% of its shares belong to the Bank of Russia.
It is reported that if the testing is successful, then the creation of a fully-fledged national payment system with processing based on the domestic platform will be completed before the end of March 2015. At the same time, NSPK employees declare that the system is implemented on the basis of standards used by Russian and other banks so that banks do not have problems associated with the possible transfer to new versions of standardization. In other words, the system will work according to the same principles that foreign payment systems operated in Russia operate on, but the main operations center will be located in Russia.
Currently, a reaction from the owners of those foreign payment systems, which today are the most popular in the Russian banking sector, is expected. It's about the already mentioned VISA and MasterCard.
Theoretically, Russian banks and customers of Russian banks in the case of the implementation of the Russian payment system program will be spared many risks associated with the possibility of foreign intervention (based on sanctions or on the basis of the well-known Cyprus option, when, on orders from outside, Cypriot banks were forced to “share” some of their deposits. customers). All this is great in terms of a very timely response to economic sanctions against Russia - a step towards real independence of both the banking sector and its operational component.
However, there are some pitfalls. One of these pitfalls is viewed in the above 30.2 article on the National Payment Card System. This is about the ownership of 100% of shares of NSPK JSC to the Bank of Russia (Central Bank). It seems to be nothing strange. And who else would give the NPCS “remote control”, if not the Central Bank? But there is a nuance. The nuance is connected with the status of the Bank of Russia, which is in its relation prescribed in the Constitution and in the Federal laws of the Russian Federation.
According to part 2 Art. 75 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation, the Central Bank performs its main functions whatever other organs state power.
At the same time, Article 9 No. 86-ФЗ of 10 July 2002 says:
Bank of Russia can participate in the activities of international organizationsthat develop cooperation in the monetary, foreign exchange, banking and other areas of the financial market, including the development of cooperation between central banks and (or) relevant regulatory (supervisory) bodies (organizations), as well as participate in the activities of associations, not having the status of an organization (including forums, groups, committees.
And also in this law: from v. 1 -
Functions and powers provided for by the Constitution of the Russian Federation and this Federal Law, the Bank of Russia exercises independently from other federal bodies of state power, bodies of state power of the subjects of the Russian Federation and bodies of local self-government.
From Art. 2 -
The authorized capital and other property of the Bank of Russia are federal property. In accordance with the goals and procedures established by this Federal Law, The Bank of Russia exercises authority to own, use and dispose of the property of the Bank of Russia, including foreign exchange reserves of the Bank of Russia. Withdrawal and encumbrance of the said property without the consent of the Bank of Russia are not allowed, unless otherwise provided by federal law.
And more:
The state is not liable for the obligations of the Bank of Russia, and the Bank of Russia for the obligations of the state.
Article 5 No. 86-ФЗ from 10 July 2002 says that the Central Bank is accountable to the State Duma.
It is accountable that it may be accountable, but at the same time it is very, very independent. In addition, it has the opportunity to participate in the activities of international organizations whose line of work is extremely difficult to track.
As a result, Russia seems to be forming a national payment system with its own processing center as a response to anti-Russian sanctions, but how much will this system really be national, and how much will it serve national interests? Could it be that the high-sounding words about our own payment system, based on the parameters of the international systems already operating in Russia, will ultimately be a matter of camouflage using western options with a processing center controlled "from there"? I would like to think that this skepticism has nothing in common with reality, that the system is really designed to protect exclusively national interests.
In principle, the result is already clear in the near future. If the same VISA regarding the creation and development of the NPCS under the control of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation does not utter a sharp word, then “this is no accident” ...
God grant that all the author's arguments about the strangeness of the role of the Central Bank in this process were completely untenable.
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