The FECAV denounces that there are banks that refuse to grant the basic payment account, a modality without costs or commissions created by law for vulnerable groups – El Faradio | journalism that counts

The FECAV, a Santander neighborhood entity, has warned this Tuesday that there are banks that continue to reject requests for the basic account, which is a product that does not have commissions or expenses created by Law (therefore, not granting it would be breaching it) for groups most vulnerable, with economic problems or no income, since the relationship with a bank is practically mandatory (aid, bills, direct debit supplies) even if there is little or no income.

This reality, which EAPN recently warned about in a few days, is “reprehensible” and happens in “most” of the entities

“It should be remembered that any bank has the obligation to attend to the request to open a basic payment account,” they insist, emphasizing that it is “a basic instrument to combat social exclusion, since without an account number we cannot receive any state aid, make payments, enroll in training courses, domicile our payroll and a long etcetera of usual procedures, in the daily life of any neighbor ”.

As detailed, the reasons that the banks allege to deny this right are varied, from the residence permit, the expired asylum request, ignorance, “even simple classism.” “None of them is sustainable,” they assert, noting that the banking entities that deny this product are not complying with Royal Decree Law 19/2017, which included the European Directive 2014/92 EU.

And they urge the interested parties to exercise this right and, if necessary, to request the complaint sheet, which the offices must provide to the corresponding entity under penalty of a fine.

MICROFINANCE AND YUNUS CENTER

In relation to the financial world and alternatives, last week the UC hosted a talk in which Oikocredit explained the microfinance system, an alternative to the big banks and funds.

The event, in which Oxfam Intermón, a member of the Cantabrian Coordinator of NGDOs, participated, contributed fair trade products, the main area in which it works both on its website and in its store in Santander, was at the initiative of the Yunus Center of the UC.

The YSBC Cantabria, founded in 2019, is part of a worldwide network of almost a hundred centers led by Professor Yunus. His goal is to promote and expand his vision to reduce poverty and try to solve other social and environmental problems through the creation of social enterprises and businesses. To achieve its objective, it develops awareness-raising, training, research and transfer activities framed in the new impact economy, in particular with the concepts of company and social business.

Since July 2019, the rector of the University of Cantabria (UC), Ángel Pazos, signed a collaboration agreement with the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize and 1998 Prince of Asturias Award for Concord, Muhammad Yunus, by which UC was accredited as Yunus Center (Yunus Social Business Centre-YSBC), different awareness, training, research and transfer actions have been carried out on the concept of social business. This type of business is one that seeks to solve a social or environmental problem and that reinvests all profits in the business itself, as well as in solving the identified problem.