FINANCIAL OMBUDSMEN WILL BE INVOLVED IN HELPING DEBTORS

FINANCIAL OMBUDSMEN WILL BE INVOLVED IN HELPING DEBTORS

FINANCIAL OMBUDSMEN WILL BE INVOLVED IN HELPING DEBTORS
The Public Council under the Financial Commissioner's Office is preparing a draft law on the participation of a financial ombudsman in the pre-trial settlement of disputes on loan debts between banks and citizens. This is not his authority at the moment.

As explained by Financial Commissioner Viktor Klimov, on average, 1.8 loans per citizen, over 11 million people have three or more loans. According to Klimov, in case of default, both the lender and the borrower find themselves in a critical situation. To resolve the issue, it is necessary to request data about a citizen from various authorities, including his debts, while respecting banking and commercial secrets, as well as the law on personal data.

The service is still discussing how the financial ombudsman will participate in the pre-trial settlement of disputes over loan debts between banks and citizens. It may be an agreement with signs of mediation between the borrower and the lender, a technical protocol or another document. It is planned that a moratorium on debt collection, new loans and out-of-court bankruptcy may be introduced for the period of conciliation procedures. As a result, borrowers will receive a competent independent public assistant, and lenders will be able to negotiate with them and monitor compliance with agreements and the preservation of trade secrets.

09.02.2024