Starting in 2026, the NBU will start checking banks for inclusiveness
22 December 12:15
The National Bank of Ukraine has announced significant changes to the system of supervision over financial institutions. The regulator has made a fundamental decision to include an assessment of the accessibility of financial services in the list of mandatory inspection procedures. This was a response to the problems faced by veterans and people with disabilities when receiving services in branches. This was announced by the Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine Andriy Pyshnyi on his Facebook page, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
The regulator devoted the last meeting with the heads of the largest banks this year to the topic of barrier-free access. The catalyst for the conversation was the recent incident with veteran Ruslan Knysh, who faced problems with his service.
The NBU emphasizes that this is not a problem for one particular institution, but a challenge for the entire system. After conducting a quick analysis of the regulations, the NBU concluded that the current rules give banks enough flexibility to avoid such situations.
What will change for banks
Starting in 2026, the availability of services will be subject to an official inspection assessment by the NBU. Inspectors will check banks against the following criteria:
- Strategy: whether inclusiveness is part of the bank’s development plans.
- Processes: how the organizational and functional work is set up.
- Products: whether they are adapted for people with disabilities.
- Personnel: whether employees receive appropriate training.
Requirements for financial institutions now
Without waiting for 2026, the NBU expects banks to immediately revise their internal procedures. This includes a wide range of changes: from removing physical barriers in branches to adapting contracts and introducing alternative ways to identify customers (which is especially important for people with disabilities).
