Euro Banking
Rabobank
International
What's NewS
Issue 6June 1997
While the politicians discuss and debate the legalities and niceties
of European Monetary Union, much of the basic business of
public information on the transition to the Euro appears to have
been left to the banks. Most financial institutions are doing their
utmost to provide customers - both retail and corporate - with
essential information. We are no exception. The first Euro seminar
attracted no less than 400 clients to workshops on Euro effects on
payment systems, treasury, fiscal and accounting, and 1T.
According to Rabobank board-member Jan Groninger, who
opened the sessions, there are less than 350 working days to E-
Day, if all goes according to current plans for a 1 January 1999
launch. 'From surveys, it appears that the general public, both as
personal consumer customers and as corporate clients, have great
expectations of the information and concrete assistance they
want to receive from their bank. In fact, they expect more from
us than from government.' While recognizing that recent events,
such as the French elections and the German gold reserve issue,
could lead to the conclusion that EMU rnay be postponed, he
said: 'It seems less than conceivable that a project like this which
would be the jewel in the crown of a half century of economie
integration would be cancelled because one of the core players
had a deficit of a few percentage points.'
For more on the Euro, see page 4
More than 400 corporates attended the Euro workshop organized as
a customer service. 'You are not our primary bank,' said one cliënt,
'hut you 're the first to invite us to talk about the Euro - that earns
you points with us.
in brief "*)-
contents
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
When is a Rabobank not a
«tank? When it is Rabo
fading, according to our
people in Chile. When our rep
office was launched a couple
of years ago, it was staffed by
a representative and a
secretary. At the end of last
year, our office team numbered
17. On 1 June 1997, it was
back to Ronald Blok and his
secretary. So what happened to
the rest of our colleages in
Santiago and why is the
Chilean team gleeful about the
lack of rep office personnel -
see page 3 to find out...
HONG KONG
HANDOVER
Rabobank Hong Kong is ready
^or the 'handover'of Hong
^Kong to mainland China. On
the night of June 30 there will
be fireworks and parties all
over the city. 'Not the least of
which at the bank, where all
staff and their partners are
The food and agri-research
department's latest study.this
time on the fresh-fruit trade, is
available now.This is the first of
the 'new-style'studies in that the
published version which is on
sale to the general public is an
abridged version of the full
research available to our clients.
In addition, it also comprises
clear,detailed future scenarios.
Don't miss this new approach to
knowledge sharing.Copies are
available from Wil van derTuuk
of Marketing, telephone:+31 30
2162804; telefax:+31 30
2161976.
expected - in Chinese national
dress. Everywhere in Hong
Kong good luck charms, the
white dolphin emblem for
reunion and the flower which
is Hong Kong's city emblem
emphasize the growing belief
in commercial continuity,'
Jennifer Chan, manager of
Hong Kong Rabobank's Dutch
desk told us.
TURKEY DEVELOPMENT
R1 is to apply to the Turkish
authorities for a full branch
licence, according to Henk
Adams, who is already based
in Istanbul and is pursusing
development of our activities
in this interesting market.
Adams says it will be around
six months before the new
operation is organized, but he
will keep us up to speed on the
situation.
THIS MONTH THE
EURO AND
DEVELOPMENTS IN
PARIS KEPT WNS
MOSTLY IN EUROPE.
READ ALL ABOUT IT!
Trading Places - Rl Chile
becomes Rabotrading Chile 3
E-Day Countdown - Transition
to the Euro for bank and
business 4
Paris Special - Rabo Paris is
getting a grip on France's large
but small scale F&A market
where networking is all 7-10
Talking heads - Willy Van den
Houdt, an entrepreneur in
Antwerp 16