Bank services are way too expensive, claims IBnGR report

According to a report prepared by the Market Economy Research Institute (IBnGR) on "Threats for consumers in the retail banking sector", the prices of banking services are still too high, while the banking sector's own regulations makes it very difficult for clients to fight for their rights. The average cost of making a bank transfer in ten Polish banks amounted to EUR 0.75 in 2002, while the price for the same service in the EU amounted to an average of EUR 0.25. In the meantime, fees for using bank account in Poland amount to an annual average of zł. 335, while in countries like Great Britain it is free of charge. According to the report, it turns out that many banks offer their products in packages, which limits transparency of the financial services. "Clients have often no chances of making changes to the contract signed with a bank if they decided to use a different solution," reads the report. (Rzeczpospolita, p. B1) M.M.