Banks shortening opening hours, insurance offices closed
Ljubljana, 16 March - A majority of banks and savings banks in Slovenia have announced shorter opening hours as the nation is in the lockdown mode to contain the spread of coronavirus. Insurance companies meanwhile closed their offices today, and started to provide their most frequently-sought services solely by phone or on-line.
Ljubljana
A NLB bank branch.
Photo: Nebojša Tejić/STA
File photo
NLB, the country's largest bank, said on Monday that its offices in Slovenia would operate under a shortened schedule, from 8:30am and 1pm, as of Tuesday.
The exceptions are the office in the UKC Ljubljana hospital, which has been closed until further notice, and the office in the E.Leclerc shopping mall in Ljubljana's south-eastern borough of Rudnik, which will be open between 9am and 1pm.
Slovenia's second largest bank NKBM is switching to the same opening hours, except for the offices in the Europark shopping mall in Maribor and an office in Ptuj, which will be open between 10am and 2:30pm Monday through Friday.
All specialised NKBM counters at post officers around the country will be closed until further notice, the bank said.
The offices of the Kranj-based Gorenjska Banka will be open from Monday to Friday between 8am and noon, but some of the offices will be temporarily closed, the bank announced.
It added that clients would be able to pay their bills without commission at the bank's most visited ATMs.
Both banks have advised their clients to use debit and credit card and their on-line and mobile banking services. Changes to the policy will be updated regularly on the banks' websites.
The Bank Association said that, as some shopping centres and bank offices in them could be closed in the future, banks and savings banks would, regardless of possible gradual closure of their offices, secure regional coverage.
The association added that operations would be switched to on-line and mobile banking to the greatest possible extent, noting that a majority of services could be provided without clients visiting a bank in person.
"In order to limit the transmission of infections with the coronavirus, handling of cash should also be limited," it said.
Insurance companies meanwhile closed their offices today and switched to electronic and telecommunication channels to service their clients.
Zavarovalnica Triglav, Generali and Zavarovalnica Sava said clients would be able to conclude or extend insurance policies and file damage claims remotely.