State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) has urged commercial banks and card issuers to ensure smooth operation of automatic telling machines (ATMs) during the forthcoming Reunification Day (April 30th) and International Labour Day (May 1st).

To guarantee the quality of services, as well as the safety of ATM transactions during the holiday period, commercial banks must regularly monitor ATMs to ensure they have sufficient money and do not run out of cash or other services, the central bank said.

Direct cash payments should also be available to firms which are located at busy spots, to avoid an overload at ATMs.

Further, banks will be required to closely co-ordinate with financial switching companies to handle incidents, complaints and inquiries by customers, and ensure the smooth functioning of ATMs.

It is also necessary for banks to proactively monitor and send timely feedback to customers on issues arising from problems at ATMs to avoid misunderstandings, which lead to an erosion in customer confidence in overall banking services.

Card issuers also need to increase their vigilance, be on guard for tricks used by criminals, and cooperate with local police to prevent card fraud at ATM machines.

SBV also asked the National Payment Corporation of Viet Nam to examine its infrastructure, including machines and devices, and to properly organise staffs to ensure the operation of the national financial switching system through the use of ATM and point-of-sale transactions. — VNS