The Southern Wairarapa mayor Alex Beijen, has started a petition to demand the government order banks to open branches in small towns.
Beijen lives in Martinborough with a population of less than 2000. The region’s other small towns have similar numbers.
The mayor invented a reason to justify the banks engage in unprofitable activities just to please him which he called “social responsibility”.
Why stop at banks? What about a zoo, an opera house, an international airport and so on?
It’s not compulsory to live in the region which attracts affluent Wellington retirees. In making that location decision they know the trade-off is the absence of numerous big city facilities but willingly accept this for the region’s many appealing features.
Aside from that the closure of bank branches is a world-wide phenomenon. The majority of people cope in our new technological age. Banks are not just closing shopfronts in small towns but literally everywhere. Within 3 years there will be none anywhere in the developed world.
Their purposes are as a depositary for the public’s money and as a lender; nothing more.
Yet increasingly we read of invented claims by halfwits as to their role. There are court cases set down for this year in which either dumb buggers or innocent victims of scamsters, are suing banks for their losses. Their argument, like Beijen’s, is based on an invented bank function, namely to monitor bank client depositors to ensure they’re not crooks.
Again, why stop there? Should the banks not also monitor customers’ jaywalking, health, general life-style, dress sense, musical taste and so on and if not, why not?
The government will ignore Beijen’s plea for the very good reason that it’s idiotic.
If it’s good enough for Beijen to invent “social responsibilities” for banks, then it’s good enough for me to invent “social responsibilities” for hick town mayors, such as thinking before you speak and embarrass your family.
13 Comments
There’s no Taco Bell in our town, and nobody is doing anything about it.
No KFC or Mac D’s here but a couple of socially responsible banks do exist
I live in the region, I fear that plonkers like Beijen are getting these position because of the socialist moving from WGTN.
Don’t worry about Covid, Socialism will be the death of us all.
Dry River should be socially responsible and sell their pinot for same price as a cheap Sav
It’s going to be a bit of a change and challenge for some people but as we know, especially after last year, change is the one constant. We’ve only had banks in NZ for 200 or so years anyway.
Not so sure of you second to last para “the government will ignore…..” there are some silly buggers in the government
….New Zealand land of socialist loonacy.
Ah ha ha …””New Xi-land “” !!! That says it all . ( Not mine just noticed it on NewsHub ).
I have spent a lot of time in Thailand over the past few years and i also have a bank account set up there. when i go into a bank branch in Thailand, (and this can be in any province) they usually have a nice young girl, smiling and welcoming you into the bank, while holding the door open for you and generally making a fuss over you.
In New Zealand, it is the opposite. Banks do not want customers coming into the branches and when you go up to a teller behind the counter, the Tellers are always saying that you can do all this on line, making you feel unwelcome and generally getting the cold shoulder.
The banks in New Zealand can then use the excuse that customers are not coming into the branches, thus reducing the opening hours, which in turn lead to branch closures.
I would suggest that open honest competition is the best cure to lousy attitdes towards customers. I suggets it would also be honest to accept that nobody in NZ would work for the salaries probably paid to bank employees in Thailand.
I haven’t set foot in a bank for years. I can do everything I need via face to face retail experiences and the internet.
Here in Pahiatua the last bank to close was the ANZ a couple of years ago and was replaced with a ATM machine.
Kiwi Bank shares space in the local /book/lotto/post shops.
The only other bank is Westpac which pre Covid was open 5 days a week. Post Covid its down to two half days and i suspect will soon close its doors. It used to have an ATM at the multi shop I mentioned, but they took that out and now customers share space on the ANZ ATM machine.
Our spendthrift council tells residents the local economy is doing well. They suggest new jobs are on the horizon. Last year nearly 10% of ratepayers in our district qualified for rate subsidies. I suspect we are the envy of all.
I forgot, the BNZ left an ATM machine behind when they skipped town.
Service of banks left a long time ago. Its a sign these banksters have got too important for their boots.
If you’re important enough a private banker should come and see you.
Might be a good time to bring account number portability to bank accounts; the same as what they did with telephone numbers. They will then be forced into real competition, rather than milking their customers.
It would be a very good question to ask John Key in public, to see if he had any problem with it; but the media or politicians wont go there.
My last visit to a bank, BNZ, was to send some funds to my overseas account. Bank staff: No we can’t do that here, you have to do it yourself online. Me: But it’s more than you allow me to do online. Bank staff: You have to apply online to send the amount you want to send. Me: Just do it here. Bank staff: Sorry we’re not allowed to do it now. Me: Why don’t you just shut up shop and close down? You obviously don’t want to do anything. Bank staff: ……..