The milestones of Belarusbank’s development:
1922 - The savings banks were established by a resolution of the Soviet of People`s Commissars of the RSFSR on the 26th of December. Their main aim was to provide facilities for a safe keeping of people`s spare money. The savings bank was part of a new economic policy and monetary reform of 1922 - 1924, and the savings of people started to be used as a major source of financing for the country`s industrialization processes.
1923 - The Principal Savings Bank number 16 was established in Minsk to manage the development of the savings business in Belarus.
1927 - Reception of taxes, duties and payments, as well as utilities payments by savings banks from the population
1930 - Establishment of the savings banks management body – Main Board of State Savings-banks and State Credit of the BSSR
1933 - More than 1000 savings banks operating
1933-1941 - Further expansion of network of savings banks on the BSSR territory
1945-1951 - Reconstruction of savings banks system, expansion into rural area
1948 - New Statute of savings banks, savings banks system was subordinated to the Ministry of Finance of BSSR
1951-1962 - Expansion of s avings banks functions, development of non-cash settlements
1962 - Savings banks system was subordinated to the State Bank of the USSR
1962-1987 - Automation of the bank
1994-1996 - Development project within the framework of the institutional loan of the World Bank
1995 - Transformation into JSSB Belarusbank. The first international audit by Coopers&Lybrand
1996 - Acquisition of Belsviazbank and Belzheldorbank. Principal member of Europay Int. (Presently MasterCard Int.)
1997 - Opening of the Representative offices in Russia and Poland
1998 - The Government of the Republic of Belarus selected Belarusbank as an authorized bank to implement government housing and agriculture development programs. A new activity was to implement the revenue part of the government budget within the system of one bank and to set up a single mechanism of collecting and reporting payments to the budget.
1999 - First international rating by Thomson Financial BankWatch
2000 - Principal member of VISA Int.
2001 - Opening of the first foreign credit line without sovereign guarantee in favour of foreign lender
2003 - Opening of the Representative office in Germany
2004 - Issue of the 1 000 000th banking card
2005 - Issue of the 1 500 000th banking card
2006 - Attraction of the First Syndicated Loan
Belarusbank became a member of the International Forfaiting Association
Issue of the 2 000 000th banking card
2007 - First issue of mortgage bonds on the local market
First issue of loan participation notes
Opening of the Representative office in China
2008 - Belarusbank won the international festival-contest “Choice of the Year 2007” in the nomination “Banks” receiving the highest grades among Belarusian banks.
As of 19 February 2008, the volume of mortgage-covered bonds placed by the Bank exceeded USD100 mln in equivalent.
In March 2008, the Bank introduced foreign exchange transactions in the currency of the People’s Bank of China.
In May 2008, the Bank put in place a 900th infokiosk.
As of 1 June 2008, the volume of funds deposited by physical persons with Belarusbank stood at BYR 7.3 trln.
As of 5 June 2008, the volume of the Bank’s outstanding bonds exceeded BYR250 bn.
The Bank started to take deposits in China’s yuans into the term foreign currency account “Universal” on 9 June 2008.
2009
On 9 January 2009, Belarusbank started construction of its administrative building at Dzerzhinski av., Minsk.
In March, Belarusbank was recognized as the best bank of the world in terms of client servicing via Western Union in 2008.
In March, Belarusbank and the Warsaw Stock Exchange signed an Agreement on Cooperation in Warsaw, providing Belarusian companies with an access to the international capital market.
The Bank implemented an express money orders system for individuals without opening an account (BLIZKO OAO AKB "Svyaz-bank", Moscow).
The implementation of the archive of electronic memorial documents (AEMD) and electronic document turnover has allowed the Bank to place around 50% of the day's accounting documents into the AEMD (an average figure for 2009).
The Bank participated in financing of investment projects to develop the cement industry - PRUP "Belarusian Cement Plant", PRUP "Krichevzementnoshifer" and OAO "Krasnoselskstroimaterialy".
In June, the Bank started to provide export loans to non-residents of the Republic of Belarus as part of the Decree No. 534 of the President of the Republic of Belarus dated 25.08.2006 "On Promotion of the Export of Goods (Works, Services)".
In June, the Bank started to purchase bonds issued by corporate entities.
The number of trade and service outlets implementing the discount program for plastic card holders together with the Bank was more than 100 in June.
The General Shareholders' Meeting approved the Corporate Governance Code for the Bank.
The Bank started to purchase minted bars of precious metals in all regional centers of the country.
The Bank started to sell certified brilliants through its organizational units.
A Loan Agreement between Belarusbank and AKA Ausfuhrkredit-Gesellschaft mbH (Germany) for more than EUR 34.0 million was signed in Frankfurt-am-Main.
The Banker magazine pointed to the dynamic development of the Bank by moving it 175 positions up in the Top 1000 World Banks - the Bank ranks 452nd among the largest banks of the world.
The internationally recognized financial publication Global Finance gave the Bank the title of the Best Bank of the Republic of Belarus in 2009.
For the second year in a row, the Bank won the international competition Choice of the Year as Bank No. 1 among Belarusian banks.
The Bank's press service won the country-wide public relations competition as the Best Press Service of the Year and was awarded the diploma "PRemia - 2008".
The Bank issued a new card product in October - БелКарт-M and Visa Electron chip savings cards.
The Bank put into operation an 1 500th infokiosk in October.
In October, Belarusbank became the first Belarusian bank to start the refinancing of mortgage-backed loan debt of its customers using uncertified mortgages.
Retail deposits in equivalent of all currencies reached BYR 10 trillion in November.
As of 1 December, the volume of Belarusbank's outstanding bonds was more than BYR 1 trillion.
The Bank obtained an e-commerce license from Visa International in December.
During the year, the Bank put into operation the new premises for branches No. 113 in Kobrin and No. 624 in Stolbtsy, and for banking services center No. 415 in Mosty.
At the end of 2009, 1287 outlets of the Bank (around 70% of all outlets of the Bank) were connected to the centralized data warehouse for individuals (ЦХД ФЛ), providing individuals with a possibility to use their deposit accounts in any region of the country regardless of where an account was opened.
From January through December 2009, the outstanding debt on loans provided to residents of the Republic of Belarus increased to BYR 10.7 trillion (835,000 of running contracts).
The Bank lent more than BYR 3 trln and commissioned more than 30,000 flats with a total area of 2.3 mln sq. m. as part of the government housing program.
2010
As of 1 January 2010, the corporate bond portfolio owned by the Bank was more than BYR1 trillion.
The share of Belarusbank in total loans to individuals issued by the banking system of the country increased in 2009 by more than 6% and as of 1 January 2010 stood at 67,5%.
From 10 August 2010, the Bank started to provide soft consumer loans in accordance with the Decree No. 371 of the President "On Soft Consumer Lending". As of 1 January 2010, the Bank entered into more than 3 thousand loan agreements amounting to more than BYR 12 bln or 76% of the total soft consumer loans provided by the banking system of the country.
As a result of transformations in the organizational structure of the Bank to change over to a two-level information processing system, the Bank set up 71 banking services centers, exceeding the number of branches by 6 units.
E-mail: info@belarusbank.by