ArmInfo. In Q1 2023, the banking system of Armenia increased tax contributions to the state  treasury by 8.3% per annum - up to 22.2 billion drams ($56.5 million). Of this amount, 85.2% or 18.9 billion drams were paid in direct taxes, with a y-o-y increase of 7.4%.  

ArmInfo.ArmSwissBank today brings its customers Apple Pay, a safer, more secure and private way to pay that helps customers avoid handing their payment card to someone else, touching physical buttons or exchanging cash - and uses the power of iPhone to protect every transaction. Customers simply hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near a payment terminal to make a contactless payment. Every Apple Pay purchase is secure because it is authenticated with Face ID, Touch ID, or device passcode, as well as a one-time unique dynamic security code. Apple Pay is accepted in grocery stores, pharmacies, taxis, restaurants, coffee shops, retail stores, and many more places. Customers can also use Apple Pay on iPhone, iPad, and Mac to make faster and more convenient purchases in apps or on the web in Safari without creating accounts or repeatedly typing in shipping and billing information. Apple Pay makes it easier to pay for food and grocery deliveries, online shopping, transportation, and parking, among other things. Apple Pay can also be used to make payments in apps on Apple Watch. Security and privacy are at the core of Apple Pay. When customers use a card with Apple Pay, the actual card numbers are not stored on the device, nor Apple servers. Instead, a unique Device Account Number is assigned, encrypted, and securely stored in the Secure Element, an industry-standard, certified chip designed to store the payment information safely on the device.

ArmInfo.The net profit of Armenian banks increased in by 18.8% per annum Q1 2024  (after a 2.2-fold increase a year earlier), exceeding 83.1 billion drams ($211.4 million). It was possible to maintain the positive dynamics of net profit thanks to the acceleration of the y-o-y growth of the loan portfolio from 3.5% to 18.7%, ensuring a volume of 5.1 trillion drams ($13 billion), according to the data of the Express Ranking of Banks of Armenia on March 31, 2024, prepared by ArmInfo IC.  In Q1 2024 alone, the net profit of banks increased 5.6-fold, while a year earlier in the same period a meager quarterly growth of 1.5% was recorded, and in Q4 2023, the dynamics completely slipped to negative 35%.

ArmInfo.On March 18-22, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Regional Dialogue with representatives of Eastern European and Central Asian countries is held in Skopje (North Macedonia).

ArmInfo. In the banking sector of Armenia, the volume of lending accelerated in growth in 2023 from 13%  to 21%, reaching 5.8 trillion drams ($14.2 billion). But this was not enough to save profits from the decline, which, after a 3-fold jump in 2022, decreased by 9.2% in 2023, amounting to 229.9 billion drams ($567.9 million). This is evidenced by the data of the Financial Rating of Banks of Armenia as of December 31, 2023, prepared by  ArmInfo. 

ArmInfo.Starting today, ArmSwissBank will support Google Pay for Mastercard cardholders, enabling them to take advantage of simple and secure contactless payments and digital card storage on both Android and Wear OS devices.

ArmInfo. In 2023, the banking system of Armenia doubled tax payments to the state treasury - up to AMD 123.5bln ($305 million), of which AMD 71.5bln were for direct taxes (with an annual increase of 39.7%).

ArmInfo. The net profit of Armenian banks dropped by 9.2% in 2023 (after 3-fold increase  in 2022), amounting to 229.8 billion drams ($567.8 million) due to the deterioration of the y-o-y dynamics of non-interest income from a  4-fold increase to an almost 2-fold decline. Moreover, on a quarterly terms, profit began to decrease in Q3, then fell sharply down (-35%) in Q4, according to the data of the Express Ranking of Banks of Armenia as of December 31, 2023, prepared by ArmInfo IC.

ArmInfo.From December 3 to 8 of this year, Director of the Business Development Department, Deputy CEO of ARMSWISCBANK CJSC Ara Makaryan is participating in the 28th UN Climate Change Conference (COP 28) in the UAE with the RA delegation.

ArmInfo.During the last two years, there has been a significant increase in investments in  renewable energy, including solar energy, in Armenia. This was discussed during the panel discussion held on November 28 within the framework of the Energy Weekforum.

ArmInfo.The banking system of Armenia in Jan-Sept 2023 sent 111.8 billion drams or $284.1 million to the state treasury through taxes, which is 2.4-fold higher than the year-ago. Of this amount, 91.1% or 101.9 billion drams were paid for direct taxes (including profit tax and income tax), with an increase of 2.6-fold over the year, according to the data from the State Revenue Committee.

ArmInfo.ARMSWISSBANK presents the long-awaited World Elite™ Mastercard®, which along with the possibility to carry out convenient and secure transactions, provides cardholders with many premium benefits around the world.

ArmInfo. Armenian banks are reviving their credit policy after "resting on immigrants' laurels".  This must be done quickly and competently in order to maintain profit growth and avoid its serious decline.

ArmInfo.At the end of H1 2023 two Armenian banks, Ameriabank and Ardshinbank entered the TOP-5 of the list of 1000 largest taxpayers in Armenia, ranking 4th and 5th,  respectively, in annual terms (from 18th and 24th in H1 2022). This  is evidenced by the data of the State Revenue Committee of Armenia.

ArmInfo. The profit growth rates of Armenian banks slowed down significantly amid the ongoing serious slowdown in lending to the economy. Thus, the net profit of Armenian  banks increased by 24.8% per annum inH1 2023 (against a 2.8-fold jump  in the same period in 2022), reaching 73.6 billion drams ($367.8  million), while slowing down strongly in quarterly growth from  3.4-fold to 5.2% alone.

ArmInfo.ARMSWISSBANK informs about starting the placement of 3 coupon bonds from 1^st of June, 2023.

ArmInfo. The banking sector of  Armenia in Q1 2023 increased tax payments to the state treasury by  58% per annum - up to 20.5 billion drams ($52.7 million). Of this  amount, 85.7% or 17.6 billion drams was paid in direct taxes, with a  y-o-y increase of 62%. This is evidenced by the data of the State  Revenue Committee of the Republic of Armenia on the list of 1000  large taxpayers of the country, according to which, 9 banks were  included in the first hundred of the list (as in the previous year).

ArmInfo. As part of the EU4Business initiative the EU launched in Armenia in July 2021, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Armenian  financial institutions signed EUR 30mln credit lines, Lilit Gharayan  Team Leader EU4Business- EBRD Credit Line Armenia, said at the forum  entitled "EU4Business-EBRD Credit Line in Armenia - Impact to date  and Way Ahead" on April 14.  

ArmInfo. The European Bank for Reconstruction  and Development (EBRD) and the Central Bank of Armenia signed a  memorandum under EBRD-KEXIM Joint Consultation Knowledge Sharing  Programme (KSP) with the aim to support the CBA in Digital  Transformation of Financial Market Infrastructure in Armenia. Many  thanks to @KFTC for their continued support for this initiative.  . 

ArmInfo.Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan received Regional Director of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for the Caucasus,  Moldova and Belarus Catarina Bjorlin Hansen.