OREANDA-NEWS. Kazkommertsbank JSC (Almaty), whose securities are officially listed on Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE), has provided KASE with the following press-release:

"...Today BTA Bank and Kazkommertsbank announced successful completion of the integration of hardware and software system of the South Kazakhstan branch of BTA Bank with the technological platform of Kazkommertsbank.

This branch was the third regional branch of BTA Bank which migrated to Kazkommertsbank's software within the planned integration of the two financial institutions. Earlier, similar events have been successfully completed in Zhambyl  and Kyzylorda branches of BTA. Thus, branches of Kazkommertsbank and BTA  operating in the southern regions of Kazakhstan are almost completely integrated  with each other.

Nina Zhusupova, Chairwoman of the Management Board of Kazkommertsbank, commented on the interim results of the integration:
"Everyone who, one way or another, follows the process of integration of BTA and Kazkommertsbank, might have this question – why do the two banks merge gradually, branch by branch, and not at the same time across the country? However, in our opinion, and we have emphasized that many times, the highest priority is the comfort of customers and uninterrupted banking operations. Therefore, having studied the international experience in terms of technological merger of large banks, we have chosen a complex and at the same time the most comfortable option for customers."

Magzhan Auezov, Chairman of the Management Board of BTA Bank:

"Our team of specialists carefully plans all integration events regarding each branch taking into account the integration experience, regional specificities and  interests of clients.

The result of this extensive preparatory works is fast, and unobtrusive for customers, migration to bank software of Kazkommertsbank, which allows us to build a solid foundation for the final merger of the two banks which we plan to complete in the first half of 2015".

As announced earlier, the current operating activities of Kazkommertsbank and BTA, despite the complexity of the process of their integration, are carried out in  the regular mode; the entire range of banking services – credit, deposit, transfer  operations, settlement and cash services and other banking services – are still  available to the clients. The quality of services rendered and service rate remain  the same.

Despite the gradual technical integration of BTA and Kazkommertsbank nothing changes about BTA Bank customer service – BTA customers continue to be serviced at the same offices as before. The branch service network merger will occur somewhere in the first half of 2015, thus BTA Bank customers will not have to renew previously closed agreements and change account numbers and other bank details".