2018
Date:
21 November 2018
Location:
Rogner Hotel Tirana, Bulevardi Dëshmorë te Kombit 1001, AL-Tirana
Digitalization is transforming the way banks operate, how they engage with customers and the products and services they provide. It has become a global phenomenon, supported by regulations such as PSD2. but driven by consumer expecations, business needs and rapid technological development.
The Albanian Association of Banks and KOBIL invite you to get to know what it takes to be a fuly digitized but at the same moment secure and compliant bank.
Ms. Pjerina Gaxha, Director of Personal Data Protection Department, held a presentation introducing the attendees with the legislation on Personal Data Protection and the practice of the Office of the Commissioner in the banking system. The workshop was also addressed by Italo de Feo, partner at CMS Adonnino Ascoli Cavasola Scamon, Roma, Italy, who introduced the implementation of the General Regulation on the Protection of Personal Data of the EU (GDPR) in the banking system.
At the end, participants in this workshop had the possibility to address their queries.
On 26 October, was organized the 2018 SEE NPL Forum, in Belgrade, Serbia, which looked at the what is coming next in the SEE NPL market and what does this mean for the SEE NPL market. Participants in the Forum included leading banking professionals, regulators, turn-around management professionals, investors and appraisers active in NPL sales and acquisitions.
The program of the forum had dedicated sessions that addressed in detail the efforts being made by local and international regulators, international financial institutions, banks, real estate sector players and investors, to resolve the accumulated mass of NPLs in the financial sector. Participants exchanged information and opinions on SEE NPL market, on transactions that will take place in the upcoming period across the region, challenges are facing banks in SEE markets are regional legislators, and on what the companies and banks doing in order to prevent another wave of NPLs.
Mr. Silvio Pedrazzi, Chairman of the Board, Albanian Association of Banks & CEO, Intesa Sanpaolo Bank Albania participated as a panel speaker. During his speech Mr. Pedrazzi, pointed out the challenges banks in Albania are facing in SEE market and how they can improve the quality of their data.
On 19 October 2018, at the AAB premises was organized a Workshop on the credit bureau project, with the presence of the international expert Jim Aziz from Baja Group Consultants. AAB is researching the opportunity of establishing a private Albanian credit bureau. Representative from banks, microfinance and insurance associations, utilities and legal consulting companies attended the event. This workshop provided knowledge about Credit Bureau development in Albania focusing on important topics, such as: constructing a private Credit Bureau for Albania and Albania credit bureau potential. During the workshop, the expert clarified some concerned raised by the participants.
The workshop took place on 18 October 2018. A successful event for gathering and networking for Cyber and Information Security issues, hosted by the Albanian Association of Banks. The objective of this workshop was achieved by bringing together national and international cyber security experts, exchanging knowledge and presenting development approaches, good practices, and opportunities around the topic.
More than 40 participants attended the workshop which included 2 sessions. During the first session, the ATTF expert, Mr Hristiyan Lazarov, Digital Forensics & Incident Response, Silent Breach, focused in the importance of cyber and information security management. Speakers at the second session provided an overview of Albania. Mrs Elisa Stamo, National Authority for Electronic Certification and Cyber Security, introduced the new legal and regulatory framework and Dr. Hergis JICA, Chief Commissar, Cybercrime Unit, Albanian State Police, presented the trends of cybercrime in Albania.
The event was organized in the framework of Cyber Security Awareness Month, which is an annual initiative designed to raise awareness about the importance of Cyber Security and provide business and citizens with the necessary tools and resources to stay safe and secure online, as well as improve the nation’s resilience against any potential cyber incidents.
AAB in collaboration with Symmetric Group, which is supported by the international partner New Frontier Group, organizes a business breakfast with representatives of member banks, on the topic: Digital Transformation in Banking. The meeting will be organized in the framework of the AAB strategy for promoting digital transformation and will focus on the challenges of digitization.
Date:
26 June 2018
Target Group
Heads of Retail
Heads of IT Departments;
Heads of Payments.
Agenda
The Digital Transformation path for traditional banks.
What is real innovation behind Digital Banking?
True Value of Omni-channel platform and Process automation.
Networking, Discussion
On 29 May 2018, the Albanian Association of Banks (AAB) organized a round table on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Raiffeisen Bank experts presented the changes and main requirements of the regulation, as well as shared with the attendees their experience in implementation of these requirements. The event was attended by representatives from compliance, legal and information technology departments of member banks, who actively participated in the discussion.
The General Data Protection Regulation – GDPR is the EU regulation provides a unique and equal processing of EU citizens’ personal data (including as well European Economic Area countries: Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway and Switzerland), which will be performed on the basis of a business relationship. The GDPR has applied to organizations across the world from 25 May 2018. In a general view, the main innovation of the GDPR is its extended jurisdiction.
Specifically, all public or private entities, independently on their location, are obliged to apply the GDPR, for maintaining or processing personal data of EU citizens.
In 2015, the United Nations defined a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that address social and economic development issues on a global scale, each with their own set of related targets. All sectors of society are encouraged to work and collaborate towards these vital goals.
Businesses as a crucial contributor to the Albanian economy play a vital role by joining the efforts on achieving the SDGs.
Speaker: Ilir Ciko, national expert on SDGs
Date: 24 May 2018
Time: 12:00-13:30
Event type: Workshop
Target Group
This half-day workshop on ‘’Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)’’ is designed for;
Corporate Communication Managers / Senior Experts or officers having a basic knowledge on SDGs Officers working on CSR, Marketing or related fields in a company department
On March 01, 2018, AAB, in cooperation with Mellon Group, organized a workshop to discuss the digital transformation and the Second Payment Services Directive (PSD2). The activity was attended by representatives of Bank of Albania, AAB’ member banks and banks in Kosovo. The goal of workshop, was to provide advice to participants in the context of changing market trends, technological and regulatory environment.
Some of the topics covered in the workshop by the experts of some companies such as: Mellon Group, Gemalto, Euronovate and Crowdpolicy, included strong customer authentication & dynamic linking; ID verification & hybrid customer on-boarding; Know Your Customer and become an e ID provider; E-Signatures for paperless branches; open banking API – the minimum PSD2 mandate.
The Albanian Association of Banks (AAB) hosted on 20 February a roundtable on the Italian and Albanian banking sector. It brought together Bank of Albania’ representatives, chief executive officers and high-level managers from several banks, Italian Ambassador to Tirana, as well as representatives of the Albanian and Italian Association of Banks (ABI), to discuss about the current situation, perspectives and challenges of the banking industry.
The event was opened by the AAB Chairman, Mr. Silvio Pedrazzi, who welcomed the participants and provided an overview of the banking system in Albania focusing in particular on structure of the Albanian banking system and recent economic and financial trends. He welcomed the opportunity to deepen the engagement with the Italian counterparts and to take advantage of their experience as an EU country.
Mr. Guido Rosa, the deputy Chairman of ABI, thanked the organizers for the reception and for the organization of the visit of the Italian delegation in Albania. During his speech he emphasized that Italian banking sector overcame the crisis and mergers has occurred. Banks face now the need to modernize their business model. He pointed out as the most significant challenge the link between the amount of capital and the income produced form the banking activities.
Mr. Pierfrancesco Gaggi, Head of International Relations (ABI) make known to the participants the structure and recent developments in the Italian banking system within the European Framework. He highlighted the consolidation of the sector and the issues of NPL. Following the macroeconomic stabilization, the situation of banks improved considerably, even under the pressure of many regulatory changes.
On a regulatory standpoint, Mr. Deniz Deralla, Head of Supervisory Department, Bank of Albania, introduced the latest developments in the regulatory framework and relevant measures for foreign intermediaries. Topics such as financial trends within the European framework, Basel II and III Acord, the changes that have already occurred and changes to be made, measures to control and decrease NPL and the need for improved standards, were presented during his speech.
At the end of the meeting, the parties agreed to continue to strengthen the partnership and cooperation on issues of common interest.