Jun.18, 2010, 22:16 hrs IST,PTI, Source: FBI

HYDERABAD: Reserve Bank Governor D Subbarao today said mobile banking should be driven by banks, not telecom operators, considering money laundering and terror financing threats.

"The Reserve Bank has a clear preference for the bank-led model," RBI Governor D Subbarao said at a Banking Technology Excellence awards function hosted by the Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT).

"Given the growing concerns about money laundering and financing of terrorism, a bank-led model is decidedly safer and more sustainable," he said, adding, however, that a mobile operator-led model helps accelerate financial inclusion.

Subbarao also said the central bank wants financial inclusion to be more than just a remittance facility, which is only possible through banks.

"We want our customers to get minimum services like deposit insurance, access to affordable credit and the payment system which only banks can offer," he said.

However, the governor said that the RBI recognises that mobile telephony has an important role in the value chain and that it is keen that mobile service providers collaborate with banks to provide value-added services.

Speaking on the use of technology in banking, he said protection of customer information and confidentiality is on his priority list as there are growing concerns about the increase in cyber crimes, phishing-related frauds, identity fraud and misuse of customer information.

"We proposed to set up a working group on information security, electronic banking, technology risk management and tackling of cyber frauds," Subbarao said.

Further, the statistics about financial inclusion do not convey the true picture of the situation, he said.

"Even where bank accounts are claimed to have opened, verification has shown that a significant portion of these accounts are dormant. Very few conduct any banking transactions and even fewer receive any credit," he explained.

RBI has asked all domestic commercial banks, public and private, to prepare their own financial inclusion plan.