DENARIA – Ensuring Fair Access to Cash

The third DENARIA Conference took place in Madrid on 24 April, hosted by the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP). The focus was how cash can ensure a fair, inclusive and secure digital transition, particularly in a country where cash continues to be the main payment method for a very significant number of citizens.

The conference was developed around the contents of three round tables.

The first, ‘Reflection on the Cash Situation in Spain: Needs for Effective Action and Best Practices’, was attended by the presidents of three Provincial Councils. As a result of the closure of bank branches and ATMs, councils are getting involved in guaranteeing access to cash, opting for different public-private models depending on the needs, economy and idiosyncrasies of their inhabitants.

Options include subsiding ATMs in some, or even in all, municipalities of the province; other councils have designed programmes involving a mobile office with a financial professional to maintain the personal client- entity relationship. The results have been a success, with a high number of operations being both scalable and replicable.