In the context of the rapid digital transformation and the increasing capital demands for economic development, People’s Credit Funds (PCFs) require not only financial capacity to expand operations but also support in technology, products and services, and governance capacity to strengthen competitiveness. As a bank of the PCF network, the Co-operative Bank of Vietnam (Co-opBank) Bac Giang Branch has promoted its role as the bridge, supporting local PCFs in both capital and digital transformation, thereby enhancing operational capacity and making modern financial services more accessible to the people.
According to the report on the performance of the first six months of 2026, the Co-opBank Branch launched various solutions to ensure capital for PCFs, promptly meeting liquidity balancing needs and serving lending activities for members. In the first half of the year, the branch adjusted interest rates 28 times, helping PCFs maintain stable operations amid significant fluctuations of general interest rates.
Beyond capital intermediation, the Branch has also launched various forms of credit support in line with the demands of PCFs. The total lending volume of credit expansion and loans secured by deposits reached VND 264 billion. Especially, the Branch has provided 13 syndicated loans with 4 PCFs, valued at VND 18.458 billion, allowing the funds to afford large-value loans beyond the financial capacity of individual units.
According to Mr. Nguyen Xuan Duc – Director of Co-opBank Bac Giang Branch, the lending demands in the area are currently focusing on production and business activities, and farming and ranching economic development, with many loans worth several billion dong. Meanwhile, the lending limit of each PCF depends on the scale of its regulatory capital. Coordination between Co-opBank and PCFs in appraisal, funding, and disbursement has enabled members to continue accessing funding directly through their local PCFs, while creating favorable conditions for PCFs to retain customers and expand credit operations.
If capital serves as a foundation helping PCFs strengthen their service capacity, then digital transformation is becoming an important driving force for PCFs to innovate their operations and enhance the member experience. Recognizing this, Co-opBank Bac Giang Branch has actively supported PCFs in launching technology platforms and modern banking services.
So far, 100% of PCFs in the area (19 out of 19 PCFs) have participated in the CF-eBank money transaction system. In the first 6 months of 2026, the system conducted 7,051 outgoing transfer orders, with the total value of nearly VND 2,035 billion, and received 27,581 incoming transfer orders, with the total value of over VND 1,696 billion. This result contributed to enhancing the efficiency of payment services and connecting seamlessly between PCFs and the Vietnamese banking system.
Alongside technology infrastructure improvement, the Branch also coordinated with professional units to provide training and guidance to PCF officers implementing new solutions such as Payment Hub, payment agent and digital banking services. This serves as an important platform enabling PCFs to gradually expand their product portfolios, enhance service quality, and better meet the increasingly diverse needs of members.
The effectiveness of digital transformation is demonstrated through the growth in modern banking services. From the start of the year to 30 June 2026, the Branch opened 1,822 new payment accounts, of which 557 accounts were introduced by PCFs; while supporting customers in using the Co-opBank Mobile Banking app, with more than 30% of customers from the PCF network. These figures illustrate the tighter and tighter collaboration between Co-opBank and the PCFs in making digital products and services closer to people in rural areas.
Notably, the digital transformation journey of Co-opBank Bac Giang Branch not only aims at technology adoption but is also closely tied to leveraging the advantages of the cooperative financial model. In addition to supporting the implementation of digital banking services, the Branch also coordinates with PCFs to provide non-cash payment services of pensions and social insurance subsidies, and guide local people in opening accounts and using the Mobile Banking app as well as other digital payment utilities in their localities. This approach allows people, especially the elderly in rural areas, to gradually accustom to modern financial services, but still be able to receive in-person support from PCF officers.
According to Mr. Nguyen Xuan Duc, digital transformation does not change the fundamental nature of PCFs’ operations, but instead it helps the funds serve their member more effectively. The greatest advantage of the network still remain its proximity to local communities, its understanding of local conditions, and commitment to supporting people in their economic development. Technology serves as a tool to improve service quality and expand access to financial services.
From providing capital intermediation and launching credit programs to promoting digital transformation and developing modern banking services, Co-opBank Bac Giang Branch is taking steps by steps to reaffirm its role as the connecting center of the local PCF network. Not just enabling PCFs to strengthen their operational capacity and increase their competitiveness against the new backdrop, this comprehensive support also contributes to bringing capital flows and modern financial services closer to the people, making a positive contribution to the socio-economic development and building a safer and more comfortable cooperative financial system.
Reporter
