News

Measures taken by Center-invest Bank in response to COVID-19 have been highlighted as examples of best practice among signatories to the Principles of Responsible Banking of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI).

In an interview for Kommersant-South, Dr Vasily Vysokov, Chairman of Center-invest Bank’s Board of Directors, spoke about the business mood, competition among banks, and the positive effects of the pandemic for the financial markets. Center-invest Bank has conducted an online survey, allowing businesses to independently assess their potential and to create a development strategy for the short-term.

On 28 April 2020, the Chairman of the Russian State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, chaired a video conference meeting on banking issues with the Russian Central Bank Governor, Elvira Nabiullina. The meeting was attended by heads of State Duma committees and parliamentary groups. Heads of Russian banks also attended, including Dr Vasily Vysokov, Chairman of Center-invest Bank’s Board of Directors.

Center-invest Bank has introduced a new business banking tariff to help its customers to reduce their costs during the period of lockdown and social distancing. The new "Concession" tariff applies from 27 April to 31 August 2020 and is available in every branch.

Russia’s first Financial Literacy Centre has marked its sixth anniversary. Since its establishment in 2014, the Centre has helped over 300,000 people improve their financial knowledge. Users include schoolchildren, students, teachers, entrepreneurs and pensioners.

During a video conference organised by the Rostov region’s branch of OPORA Russia, Center-invest Bank spoke about measures to support SMEs and sole traders during the COVID 19 pandemic. The bank also proposed the creation of a loan programme to support economic transformation. OPORA Russia is a non-governmental organisation representing Russia’s SME sector.

Together with Center-invest Bank, the Expert Yug analytical centre is running a research project "Characteristics of the Young Entrepreneur". The project aims to build up a portrait of the younger generation of entrepreneurs, and its findings will be compared with the results of similar studies in 2017 and 2019. As part of the project, southern Russia’s successful young entrepreneurs will be showcased in the media.

Expert RA has published its annual ranking of Russia’s banks that work with SMEs. Center-invest Bank is in 4^th place. Year after year we are one of the leading banks for SMEs in Russia.