He noted that a self-ban mechanism for lending had been implemented, allowing citizens to establish a ban on taking out loans in their name. This measure is designed to protect against fraud and consciously reduce debt burden. Over the past year, approximately 114,000 people have taken advantage of this opportunity.
The bank's chairman also spoke about the consolidation of responsible lending principles: borrowers are now required to receive complete information about interest rates, fees, terms, and payment schedules. Additionally, the imposition of extra paid services is prohibited. Clients have the right to refuse the loan after signing it (before receiving funds) without any penalties, and they can also repay the debt early under the previous conditions.
One significant step in digitalization was the complete abolition of fees for transfers between accounts of different banks, which greatly simplified cashless payments and gave a boost to the ELQR system. As a result, the number of transactions increased by 54.5 times, and the volume of payments nearly 85 times. In the first half of 2025, 274.9 billion soms were processed through QR codes, which is 20 times more than in the previous year,” added Turgunbaev.
To enhance the resilience of the financial system, the National Bank tightened the requirements for the authorized capital of banks:
- For newly established banks — no less than 5 billion soms.
- For existing banks — a phased increase to 5 billion soms by 2030.
- For systemically important banks — no less than 8 billion soms by 2026.
