OREANDA-NEWS. May 21, 2013. Visa Inc presented a Life is Better with Visa national marketing campaign supported by the Central Bank of the Republic of Azerbaijan to develop and stimulate cashless payments in the country.

The event was opened by first deputy Governor of the CBA Alim Guliyev, who mentioned that the CBA, as usual, prioritizes increase in the volume of cashless payments in the country in harmony with its mandate and takes various measures on an ongoing basis. He drew the participants’ attention to broad infrastructure capacity and the key role of the population in popularization of cashless payments. The CBA attaches special importance to raising financial literacy of households and the business community.

A.Guliyev mentioned that, President Mr Ilham Aliyev assigned related public institutions to upgrade the level of cashless payments to that of developed countries through raising the scale and scope of cashless payments in the country. He detailed implementation of the assignments and added that the Bank had developed and delivered to the Government a package of complex measures on stimulation of cashless payments, expansion of cashless payments infrastructure and enhancement of its legal basis. Information systems of public institutions have been integrated to the National Payment System within the e-Government construction; as a result of measures taken on further usage of e-payment services, the Government Payment Portal – created by the CBA is transforming to a unified payment platform to accept taxes, duties, rent fees, administrative fines and other budget payments.

A.Guliyev finalized his speech with brief information on joint projects with international card organizations and told that complex measures to be taken will allow to uplevel cashless settlements indicators in a short run.

Katarzyna Sosin, General Manager on the CIS and South-East European countries of Visa Inc highly evaluated cooperation between Visa and the CBA and stressed that the CBA’s ongoing and well-thought policy aimed at development of cashless payments paved the way to higher volume of cashless payments in the country economy and further expansion of their infrastructure; more and more Azerbaijanis have access to a convenient, reliable and secure payment facilities. “Results of promo-campaigns held by Visa in Azerbaijan up to now display high interest in cashless payments here, she said. We are totally sure that the Life is Better with Visa campaign will also be a success.”

Visa made a presentation on its campaigns. The event was finalized with a question-answer session.

To note, within the National Marketing Campaign Visa payment card holders will get discounts at designated vendors when maintaining cashless payments. This campaign will stimulate banks’ broader payment card portfolio and maintenance of cashless payments by cardholders. The campaign under the Life is Better with Visa motto will continue from May 16 through May 31, 2013.