North Macedonia: pensioners' money remains in accounts at Alta Bank Bitola

North Macedonia's Pension and Disability Insurance Fund director Nikola Memov, National Bank (NBRM) Governor Trayko Slaveski and Stanka Traykova, head of the Macedonian Pensioners Associations Union, met at the NBRM to discuss the situation at Alta Bank AD Bitola and efforts to keep pension payments uninterrupted.

Slaveski said customers' money is still in their accounts at Alta Bank AD Bitola. He said temporary restrictions concern how the money is used and were introduced to protect the bank's liquidity and stability and the interests of all customers. Officials stressed that pension payments are a priority for the NBRM and urged people not to panic.

Memov said pensioners who apply at all branches can receive a document to use when transferring to a new bank. Choosing or changing a bank is handled individually, and deleting a record from the old bank and registering with a new one does not depend on the Fund. Pensioners must first deregister from their current bank and then apply to the new one with the Fund-issued document containing their pensioner number. The meeting stressed there is no need to rush. Conditions are being prepared so that all pensioners wishing to leave Alta Bank can do so within the next two weeks.