The National Bank reported an increase in complaints from Kazakh citizens regarding the refusal of exchange points to exchange cash dollars issued from 1996 to 2013. These banknotes are considered legal tender and should be accepted at exchange points in Kazakhstan without any commission, provided they are genuine and undamaged, as stated by a correspondent from the Kapital.kz business information center, citing the press service of the National Bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan (NBRK).
"Legislation does not allow for commissions on the exchange of cash foreign currency if the banknotes are undamaged and not deemed unfit for circulation. Commissions may only be established by exchange points if the banknotes being exchanged are non-viable or unsuitable for further circulation. If an exchange point charges a commission or differentiates cash foreign currency based on the year of issue of the banknotes, or unjustly refuses to exchange currency, it is necessary to file a complaint with the territorial branch of the National Bank where the exchange point is located. The complaint must include information along with any available documents to take appropriate legal measures," the statement said.
Information regarding these territorial branches can be found on the NBRK's online resource.
The National Bank clarified that according to subparagraph 2) of paragraph 2 of Article 30 of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Banks and Banking Activities in the Republic of Kazakhstan," banking operations include accepting deposits, opening, and maintaining bank accounts for individuals in tenge and foreign currency. The rules for conducting cash operations and operations for the collection of banknotes, coins, and valuables state that the bank performs the following cash operations: accepting cash from clients and issuing cash to clients for conducting banking and other operations as provided in Article 30 of the Banking Law. Thus, banks have the right to establish commissions for cash operations according to their internal tariff policies.
Reward rates and commissions, as well as tariffs, are set by banks and organizations conducting specific types of banking operations independently, taking into account the restrictions established by the laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan.