The total amount of issue of payment cards of "Aval" bank has exceeded 1,5 billion, reported the Bank press service with reference to the deputy of the department for retail business of the JSPPB "Aval" Eugeniy PLOTITSA.

According to his information, from the beginning of this year the number of cards issued by "Aval" bank has increased by 600 thousand cards.

The greatest number of cards this year was issued by "Aval" bank in Kiev and Kiev oblast, Dnepropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zhitomir, Lvov, Kherson, Chernigov, etc.

At that, as E.PLOTITSA informed, cards Maestro were of the greatest demand among Ukrainian consumers.

At that, according to him, volumes of issue and circulation on accounts on all types of cards have considerably increased recently that is connected with forthcoming New Year and Christmas holidays. "Every year at the end of December on all cards circulation is increased sharply, about 1,8-2 times, — people prepare for holidays, buy gifts, go to trips", — stressed E.PLOTITSA.

After holidays circulations under accounts will decrease, however the account balances will increase in comparison with this year. Also, as E.Plotitsa considers, growth of balances on card accounts can be expected because of the new order of taxation of natural persons incomes and the new rate of income tax which will make 13 percents and will come into force since January, 1 2004.