Belgium faces cash point crisis

9 November 2004

BRUSSELS – There are too few cash machines in many areas of Belgium, according to a report out on Tuesday.

The company Banksys, which runs Belgium’s network of holes in the wall, said there were 60 neighbourhoods in the country without enough cashpoints, especially in Brussels and Liege.

It accused the banks of failing to cooperate with it to deliver the extra machines that customers want.

It said some areas are always on its list of poorly served neighbourhoods, which is published every three months.

Boulevard Anspach in Brussels, for instance, doesn’t have enough cash machines accessible on the street, nor does the Outremeuse area of Liege.

Banksys said the number of cash machines available only to a single bank’s customers – called ‘Self banks’ – were on the increase.

By contrast, ATMs, which everyone can use, including tourists and clients of other banks, are falling in number.

There are today nine percent fewer than four years ago and in some neighbourhoods they have entirely disappeared.

Claudine Massau, the secretary of the Liege branch of the union of small and medium-sized enterprises, said banks were failing to act on its letters requesting more ATMs.

She added that there were even more areas than the 60 Banksys had highlighted that needed a hole in the wall machine.

Subject: Belgian news