ZBP's new appointment to protect the interests of banking customers

The Polish Banks Association (ZBP) will by the end of this year appoint a Banking Arbiter to serve as an ombudsman for bank customers. The Arbiter will work to resolve disputes between banks and their customers in the field of retail banking services. Only individuals will have the right to file complaints with the Arbiter's office. "We imagine that the institution will be settling several thousand cases a year," said Krzysztof Pietraszkiewicz, general director of the ZBP. The arbiter's decisions will be binding for the banks, but not for the customers. "If customers find the arbiter's verdict unsatisfactory, they will always have the option of legal action," said Pietraszkiewicz. The arbiter will rule only on cases involving no more than zl.8,000. The arbiter's term in office will last four years, and only people who have worked as legal advisers or solicitors for at least ten years will be considered for the new post. There are reported to be eight candidates interested in becoming Poland's first Banking Arbiter, with the final decision to be made this Wednesday. Pietraszkiewicz pointed out that similar institutions operate in most European Union countries, and there is going to be a growing need for such a service in Poland, with the banks developing their retail operations and the number of disputes with customers on the rise. (Puls Biznesu, p.6) T.J.