The National Bank of Rwanda on Wednesday, February 8, announced that it is closely monitoring the service interruptions caused by the integrated and upgraded core banking system of BPR Bank Rwanda.

The latter was born out of the merger of former Banque Populaire du Rwanda (BPR) and KCB (Kenya Commercial Bank) Rwanda.

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For weeks, the lender’s customers decried difficulties in accessing their deposits or making transfers.

"We wish to inform the public that the system upgrade is being supervised in line with the NBR Framework governing business continuity management and operational resilience for regulated institutions,” the central bank deputy governor, Soraya Hakuziyaremye, said in a statement on Wednesday.

"We continue working closely with the concerned Institution to ensure that the post-merger and post-go-live system issues are appropriately handled to restore swift service delivery to customers and stakeholders.”

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Hakuziyaremye reassured the public that customers' deposits in BPR Bank are safeguarded and that the bank continues to operate in compliance with laws and regulations applicable to licensed banks in Rwanda.

On February 4, BPR Bank issued a statement saying that it was experiencing intermittent access to over-the-counter services and alternative channels. It indicated that the interruptions were periodic and were being addressed in real time.

The lender said that the process of integrating and upgrading its core banking system was completed and rolled out on January 23.

The bank promised to "ensure the post-deployment of the new system is adequate to meet all customer requirements.”