[ad_1]
Despite a profit of over NOK 1 billion in the first half of this year, Sparebanken 1 Nord-Norge will cut the number of branches in Northern Norway by half. Find reactions.
The bank has announced that it will close 16 of the 31 bank branches. None of the places affected by the closure have alternative banks to turn to, Klassekampen writes.
Both Arild Olsen, head of the local council at Longyearbyen in Svalbard, and Tana Mayor Helga Pedersen reacted strongly to the news.
– We cannot get in a car and drive to the next bank, says Olsen, who believes that it is very important to have a financial institution in Svalbard. You are also concerned about what this means in terms of employment.
Also read: Sparebank1 Nord-Norge closes half of its branches
The mayor of Tana, Helga Pedersen, also raises a big question about the bank’s desire to close the branch in her municipality.
– To put it mildly: this is very unfortunate. It’s also very surprising, says Pedersen, who has already contacted President Karl Eirik Schjøtt-Pedersen about the case.
Stein Vidar Loftås, Communications Director at Sparebank 1 Nord-Norge, says that both private customers and the business community are in good digital hands.
It says that apart from Svalbard, 94 percent of the northern population will have a bank within an hour’s drive, while everyone will be able to get to an office with a three-hour drive.
[ad_2]
