Deal reached for more rural ATMs

The government and the RegioBank will join forces to maintain ATMs and other banking services in sparsely populated regions. Minister Stef Blok and RegioBank CEO Hans van den Bor are signing a letter of intent for this today. The bank will receive no direct financial support, but the government will help the bank to find parties to co-finance ATMs or service points. These may be private parties as well as local municipalities. RegioBank, a division of SNS, currently has 530 offices in the Netherlands, especially outside the major cities. The bank will endeavor to keep that number and expand where possible. The national government is already cooperating with supermarket chain SPAR in maintaining shops in rural areas.