As the apex institution of the PCFs system, Co-opBank has received donation from the Association of Asian Confederation of Credit Unions (ACCU) for PCFs which were damaged by heavy floods in the central part of Vietnam in the last few months of 2020.
2020 has rather been a challenging year for financial institutions in general and the PCFs system in particular, especially those located in central Vietnam which suffered from heavy flood damages from September to November 2020. According to Co-opBank’s reports, there were 29 PCFs in the provinces of Ha Tinh, Thua Thien Hue, Quang Binh, Quang Tri, Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh which were damaged. Most of these PCFs’ suffered damages in doors, signs, document cabinets, computing facilities and electricity systems. Some PCFs were severely damaged with estimated total value of assets damaged of up to 100-200 million VND (4,000-5,000 USD).
The widespread Covid-19 pandemic in the world has caused some difficulties to Co-opBank’s international relations activities. However, as the apex of the entire system, Co-opBank has been active in sharing PCFs’ situation and especially their post- disaster challenges with ACCU. In order to show their solidarity and unity with the 29 PCFs, ACCU and its members made a donation of over 30,000 USD and through Co-opBank they wanted to support these PCFs.
Right after receiving the donation from ACCU members, Co-opBank has bought new laptops and printers for the PCFs. With PCFs under Co-opBank’s Quang Binh and Binh Dinh branches, Co-opBank’s leaders personally came to the PCFs and gave the equipments to 26 PCFs. In Ha Tinh, the equipments were handed to 3 PCFs’ leaders during an end-of-year review meeting with the presence of leaders of State Bank of Vietnam, Co-operatives Alliance, People’s Committee and all 32 PCFs in Ha Tinh province. All PCFs’ leaders expressed their appreciation for ACCU and its’ members’ support and generosity.
On behalf of 29 PCFs, Co-opBank thanked ACCU and its members for their donation. This is the first time in history, PCFs have received donation from an international organization to help them recovering from natural disasters. Co-opBank has been an ACCU’s regular member since 2003. Over the last 20 years, through ACCU, Co-opBank has met, discussed and exchanged with many other members which are the federation of credit union and savings and credit co-operatives system in Japan, Korea, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia and etc. Many delegates from these countries have come to visit Co-opBank and PCFs in Vietnam.
As “one family” (as the name of ACCU’s official song suggests), ACCU is always in solidarity and unity with its members. In its modest way, ACCU has done its best to demonstrate support whenever its members are facing unprecedented challenges brought by natural calamities. In keeping that spirituality, Co-opBank has shared with other federations and credit unions in other countries when they faced challenges during difficult times, historical earth quakes in Nepal in 2015 for instance. ACCU and its members will always be good friends, brothers and sisters to Co-opBank and the Vietnam PCFs’ system.
Some pictures at the ceremony:
Internaltional relations and Project management department
