Dušan Nikezić, Vice President of the Freedom and Justice Party (SSP), stated that Serbia has a usurious, not a stable banking system. He called on the Governor of the National Bank of Serbia (NBS), Jorgovanka Tabaković, to resign, accusing her of ignoring the protection of the rights and interests of bank service users while commercial banks multiply their profits.
“Serbia has a usurious, not a safe and stable banking system, as bank profits in 2024 have reached an astonishing 1.5 billion euros, which is three times higher than in 2021 and 15 times higher than in 2012,” Nikezić said, according to the SSP statement.
He added that he does not understand what further analyses the NBS governor needs to limit bank interest rates, fees, and commissions — demands that SSP has been making for the past six years.
“You boast about having conducted an analysis of the impact of climate risks on the banking sector, yet you have not found time to analyze banking fees and loan margins, which are among the highest in Europe. Since you have been ignoring the arbitrariness of banks for 13 years — banks that earn billions of euros on the people’s hardship — and neglect your legal obligation to protect the rights and interests of bank service users, it is high time to stop with meaningless statements and step down from your position as NBS governor,” Nikezić concluded, as reported by SSP.
