Circular dated September 30, 2021 regarding facilitating people with disabilities’ access to banking services and products

Cairo: September 30, 2021

Dear Mr. Chairman of the Board of Directors,

Greetings,

In implementation of the provisions of the Central Bank of Egypt Circular No. 10 of 2018 (Circular on the Rights of People with Disabilities in Banking), and in light of the need to facilitate access to banking services and products for people with disabilities, and to ensure the implementation of the provisions of the aforementioned circular, this circular is issued to clarify the mechanisms for applying the provisions of the aforementioned circular and to ensure the full implementation of the rights of people with disabilities in banking.

Following the importance of facilitating access to banking services for people with disabilities, the Board of Directors of the Central Bank of Egypt, in its meeting held on September 27, 2021, approved the attached guidelines for facilitating access of people with disabilities to banking and products.

This circular is issued to clarify the mechanisms for applying the provisions of the attached guidelines for people with disabilities, in accordance with the provisions of the aforementioned circular and the supervision of the Central Bank of Egypt.

Please find attached the guidelines.

Yours faithfully,

Tarek Amer
Director General of the Guidelines for Facilitating Access of People with Disabilities to Banking and Products

Scope of Application:

These guidelines apply to all banks operating in Egypt, including branches of foreign banks, except for the activities of the Egyptian Monetary Authority. The application of these guidelines does not extend to persons who have a mental or intellectual disability, whether total, partial, or temporary.

First: General Rules:

1. Banks must ensure that the services provided to people with disabilities are not inferior to those provided to other customers, and that the services provided to people with disabilities are not less than those provided to other customers, in accordance with these guidelines.

2. Banks must consider the identity documents of people with disabilities as valid identity documents for banking transactions.

3. The medical certificate must be issued by a doctor approved by the Social Insurance Authority.

Second: Due Care Procedures:

1. Banks must accept the medical certificate issued by the Social Insurance Authority to prove the disability, provided that it is consistent with the type of disability and the age of the person.

2. The medical certificate issued by the Social Insurance Authority (bearing the previous stamp and the medical certificate) is valid for one time only in the banking relationship, provided that the identity documents of the person with disability are consistent with the provisions of the approved circulars.

3. The bank must not impose any additional conditions on the person with disability.

Third: Principle of Fairness and Non-Discrimination:

1. Banks must not discriminate against people with disabilities in providing banking services for reasons related to their disability.

2. Banks must issue identity cards/cards for people with disabilities in a way that does not reveal their disability, provided that the cards are consistent with the provisions of the circulars, and that the cards do not contain any symbols or numbers that indicate the disability, unless the person with disability requests it.

3. Banks must assist people with disabilities in using banking services, including providing assistance in reading documents, provided that the assistance is provided by a person approved by the bank, and that the assistance is not provided by a relative of the customer, unless the customer requests it.

4. Banks must provide banking services to people with disabilities in a way that allows them to use electronic banking services, including sending SMS messages to people with visual disabilities, provided that the bank provides the necessary assistance to the person with disability to use the electronic banking services.

5. Banks must not charge people with disabilities any fees for using banking services, except for the fees charged to other customers.

6. Banks must provide banking services to people with disabilities in a way that allows them to use banking services in a way that does not reveal their disability, unless the person with disability requests it.

Fourth: Transparency and Disclosure:

1. Banks must not refuse to open accounts for people with disabilities for reasons related to their disability, unless the bank has a legitimate reason for doing so.

2. Banks must provide banking services to people with disabilities in a way that allows them to use banking services in a way that does not reveal their disability, including providing Braille and audio CDs.

3. Banks must provide information to people with disabilities in a way that allows them to use banking services in a way that does not reveal their disability, including providing information in Braille and audio.

4. Banks must disclose the information related to the banking services provided to people with disabilities in a way that allows them to use banking services in a way that does not reveal their disability, including providing information in Braille and audio.

5. Banks must provide banking services to people with disabilities in a way that allows them to use banking services in a way that does not reveal their disability, including providing information in Braille and audio.

Fifth: Preparing the Infrastructure for Customers with Disabilities:

1. Banks must allocate at least 10% of the counter space in branches to serve people with disabilities, taking into account the provisions of the circulars and the guidelines issued by the Central Bank of Egypt regarding the preparation of branches for people with disabilities, and that the banking services provided to people with disabilities are consistent with the provisions of the circulars and the guidelines issued by the Central Bank of Egypt regarding the preparation of branches for people with disabilities.

2. Banks must provide ATMs that are accessible to people with disabilities, taking into account the provisions of the circulars and the guidelines issued by the Central Bank of Egypt regarding the preparation of branches for people with disabilities.

3. Banks must provide ATMs that are accessible to people with disabilities, taking into account the provisions of the circulars and the guidelines issued by the Central Bank of Egypt regarding the preparation of branches for people with disabilities.

4. Banks must provide ATMs that are accessible to people with disabilities, taking into account the provisions of the circulars and the guidelines issued by the Central Bank of Egypt regarding the preparation of branches for people with disabilities.

5. Banks must provide ATMs that are accessible to people with disabilities, taking into account the provisions of the circulars and the guidelines issued by the Central Bank of Egypt regarding the preparation of branches for people with disabilities.

6. Banks must provide ATMs that are accessible to people with disabilities, taking into account the provisions of the circulars and the guidelines issued by the Central Bank of Egypt regarding the preparation of branches for people with disabilities.

7. Banks must provide ATMs that are accessible to people with disabilities, taking into account the provisions of the circulars and the guidelines issued by the Central Bank of Egypt regarding the preparation of branches for people with disabilities.

8. Banks must provide ATMs that are accessible to people with disabilities, taking into account the provisions of the circulars and the guidelines issued by the Central Bank of Egypt regarding the preparation of branches for people with disabilities.

9. Banks are allowed to use a representative for people with disabilities to provide banking services, provided that the representative is approved by the bank, and that the representative is not a relative of the person with disability, unless the person with disability requests it.

Sixth: Training Staff:

1. Banks must train their staff on how to deal with people with disabilities, including training on how to deal with people with disabilities, and training on how to deal with people with disabilities, and training on how to deal with people with disabilities.

2. Banks must provide a banking chat service for people with disabilities.

Seventh: Transition Period:

Banks are allowed to apply the provisions of these guidelines for a period of six months from the date of issuance of this circular.