Social Responibility of the National Bank of Serbia

In addition to its legal mandate to preserve price stability and ensure functioning of an efficient financial system, the National Bank of Serbia is also charged with social responsibilities.

Socially responsible behaviour, in its broadest sense, means taking responsibility for the impact of one’s activities on the community and its resources. One of the key resources for an institution such as the National Bank of Serbia is public trust, which is built through open and ongoing communication and true commitment to understanding the needs and problems of the community. In order to improve this communication, the National Bank of Serbia engages in a number of activities that benefit society at large.

Financial services consumer protection

By setting up the institute of financial services consumer protection, the National Bank of Serbia aimed to provide assistance to citizens in the exercise of their rights, as well as to improve their understanding of services and products offered by the financial sector. Financial Services Consumer Protection Centre comprises a Call Centre, which provides answers to all citizen queries regarding financial services.  The NBS also engages in preparation and publishing of leaflets and brochures in order to clarify particular features of financial products the citizens should pay special attention to when making informed decisions.

Cultural and educational activities

As an institution of national and European significance, the NBS actively engages in public education. It has enabled both local and foreign audiences to learn about money as a specific form of our cultural and historical heritage and to visit the Bank building, which is of the largest and most beautiful 19th century edifices in Belgrade. Aware of its role and significance in the society, the National Bank of Serbia opened a Visitor Centre which organizes exhibitions and educational activities to inform the citizens, and especially the younger generations, about central bank operations and various aspects of money. The Visitor Centre, both traditional and innovative, performs not only its core exhibition activities but also enriches them with interactive details, films, lectures and educational material for target visitor groups, and conducts specially-designed program for primary school children comprising lectures, quiz games and workshops.

The National Bank of Serbia is also an active participant in a number of cultural events such as the European Heritage Days, Night of the Museums and International Day of the Francophonie, and cherishes its cooperation with tourist organizations of Serbia and Belgrade, as well as with the Children’s Cultural Centre in Belgrade and Centre for Contemporary Museum Didactics.

The NBS Visitor Centre Project won the annual ICOM Project of the Year award since: “Opening of the Visitor Centre and performance of its activities represent a unique museological project in our country, and sets a good example to other important state institutions“.

As part of its efforts to promote culture, the National Bank signed an agreement with the Ministry of Culture, pursuant to which ground floor hall of the Slavija office building will be used as an exhibition hall during the reconstruction of Belgrade museums.

Donations and humanitarian activities

The National Bank of Serbia is an active member of the donor community. It provides financial assistance to a number of humanitarian and other organisations of social importance, as well as to natural persons.

The National Bank of Serbia has set up a special Committee to consider financial assistance applications submitted by legal and natural persons. The Committee convenes at least once a month, and considers applications received by the 5th day in the month.

In the course of 2008, the National Bank of Serbia paid out around 12 million dinars to legal and natural persons through donations and material aid schemes.

The largest single donation was granted to the Clinic-Hospital “Bežanijska kosa“ for the purchase of the DEXA osteodensitometry apparatus. Aid was also provided to the Belgrade Centre of Gerontology – “Daily Centres and Clubs” business unit, for repairing the roof of the Daily Centre and Club for the Elderly “Rakovica I” in Belgrade. The National Bank also financially supported the reconstruction of the Institute for Mother and Child Health Care “Dr Vukan Čupić“. Donations of the National Bank were also granted to schools, publishing houses, organisations for children and youth, the Serbian Red Cross, and other humanitarian funds and associations.
 
In addition, the National Bank provided financial assistance to natural persons, most often in cases of serious medical emergencies.

Within its humanitarian initiative “A gift for an unknown friend”, the National Bank of Serbia distributed New Year gifts to children aged 4-12, in-patients of various institutions, such as: the Muscular Dystrophy Association of the South Bačka District – Novi Sad, the Centre for the Protection of Newborns, Children and Youth “Dragan Filipović - Jusa“ in Belgrade, the Home for Women with Mild and Severe Developmental Disorders at the St Petka Monastery in the town of Izvor near Paraćin, and the Daily Centre for Children with Disabilities in Šabac. 

In 2008, the National Bank of Serbia donated its obsolete fixed assets and IT equipment to a number of institutions, such as: pre-school institutions and schools, health centres, the Centre for Accommodation of Children and Youth with Disabilities “Bežanijska kosa“, social welfare centres of the City of Belgrade – departments of Zvezdara and Savski venac, the Ministry of Interior – Belgrade headquarters, the Town Assembly of Malo Crniće, and other institutions and organisations. 

Responsibility towards employees

Human resources and a responsible recruitment policy are the cornerstone and the key prerequisite for successful performance of the National Bank of Serbia. With a view to improving motivation, expertise, and efficiency of its staff, the National Bank of Serbia offers various education and training opportunities such as undergraduate and postgraduate studies, professional training and foreign language courses, seminars in the country and abroad, and taking exams to acquire international certificates.