Si
IN BRIEF
Issue 8/Dec. 17, 1990
Rabo
band
Rabobank
seminars
in the Far East
Floriade
growing already
Japanese film
team in the
dealing room
Free admission
to museums
for Rabobank
customers
Raibobank
do Brasil
helps exporters
Rabobank Asia Ltd. hosted
a seminar in Singapore and
Bangkok under the titie 'Be-
yond oil prices, German reunifi-
cation and Europe 1992: mar-
ket changes and opportun-
ities'. Speeches were delivered
by specialists of Rabobank Ne
derland.
The key topic included the eco
nomie consequences of major
issues such as the Gulf crisis,
German unification and the pro-
cess of European integration,
and the reaction of the finan-
cial markets to these develop-
ments. Some 90 representa
ties of financial institutions
and corporations attended the
first session, which was held in
Singapore on 31 October. Two
days later the same topics
were aired before an audience
of some 40 financial analysts
in Bangkok. At both seminars
the speeches were followed by
lively discussions. In Singapore
extensive press coverage indi-
cated the interest of the finan
cial sector in the topics pre-
sented.
In addition to these meetings
some in-house presentations
were given to Central Bank cus-
tomers such as the Bank of Thai
land and Bank Indonesia, as
well as to selected customers
in Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta. It
is intended that these types of
presentations should take
place on a regular basis in or
der to share the views of ana
lysts from head office in global
financial markets, besides sup-
porting the activities of the in
ternational bond and equity
desk of Rabobank Asia Ltd.
In the vicinity of The Hague
in the West of the Netherlands
a large international horticul-
tural exhibition is beginning to
take shape: Floriade 1992. A
Floriade is held in the Nether
lands every ten years. One and
a half years before this spec-
tacular event opens its doors
the contours of the various
sections are visible. Rabobank
is the most important of the
main sponsors.
Producers from the horticultural
sector, as well as suppliers,
customers and service com-
panies from this branch of in-
dustry, will participate in the
Floriade which lasts for six
months. The Dutch government
Working conditions in the
Netherlands are quite different
from those in Japan in all kinds
of fields. That was the reason
for a film team from Japan
taking shots of various work-
places in the Utrecht head of
fice last month. They visited a
number of businesses to see
what is done for the em
ployees in the Netherlands to
make working as pleasant as
possible.
Starting next year, almost
two million Rabobank cus
tomers will have free admis
sion to some four hundred mu
seums everywhere in the
Netherlands. These include all
the major galleries such as the
Rijksmuseum (national mu
seum) and the Stedelijk Mu
seum (municipal museum) in
Amsterdam, but also many
small and interesting collec-
tions.
Rabobank recently introduced
its own bank card, called the
Europas, the former Euro
cheque Card, which can be
used to make electronic pay-
ments and to withdraw money
from a large number of cash
dispensers in Europe. Euro
cheques can also be ordered
along with the card. Together
with the Europas, every cus-
tomer receives an 'annual mu
seum card', with which mu
seums can be visited free of
charge.
datum
In Sao Paulo, Raibobank
do Brasil has introduced Rai-
bodoc, an operational system
that permits the proceeds
from exports to be paid in a
very short space of time upon
presentation of the shipping
documents.
Marcos da Silva Oliveira of
Raibobank do Brasil: 'It is very
simple. The seller-exporter pre
sents the original shipping docu
ment to us in Sao Paulo. We in
turn, verify the documents and
pass the payment instructions
on to the buyer-importer. Once
payment is received by the
seller, we release the shipping
documents to the buyer.'
and gives it financial
support because the
bank occupies a strong
position as a financier
and home banker for
the entrepreneurs in the
horticultural industry.
In addition, the bank re-
gards it as its social re-
sponsibility to support
activities organized in
the interests of its
members. At the Flori
ade, Rabobank mainly
aims to profile itself as
an international, inno-
vative and enterprising
bank. The organizers
expect a total of be-
tween 2.5 and 4 million
paying visitors in the pe-
riod from April to Octo-
is also taking part. Rabobank I ber 1992, including one million
links its name to the exhibition I from abroad.
In the Netherlands there is a
law which regulates a large
number of working conditions.
In many cases, Rabobank does
even more than the law re-
quires. The Japanese were very
interested in the
new dealing room.
Rabobank's health
department had a
large say in fitting it
out. Special, ergo-
nomically appropri-
ate chairs were js
even designed for it, 1
and the terminals 1
and desks are ar-
ranged in such a I
way that the chance of neck
and back complaints occurring
is reduced to a minimum. On
seeing the modern facilities,
the Japanese more or less feil
off their chairs...
