The rarefaction of bank branches in our area has taken on a dramatic impact. From the city to the province, it is a real war bulletin that emerges from the Bank of Italy data processed by Fisac CGIL and, in particular, by the secretary Samuel Paganini who lucidly analyzes the numbers in the context in which they are inserted. Let’s look at some values. Let’s start by saying that the worst balance is recorded in the province of Ostellato. From 2015 to the end of last year it lost 100% of its bank branches. It is completely unprotected. Riva del Po was also dramatic, as it suffered an 80% drop in branches, going from five to one. Lagosanto and Fiscaglia are no better. We are talking about a rarefaction that reaches percentages of just under 70%. The first goes from three to one, while Fiscaglia goes from six to two. Ostellato exceeds 75% in the number of disappearances of bank branches, which went from four to one in the period analyzed by Bankitalia.
The declines bite less in the Alto Ferrara area: in Bondeno the closed branches represent 14.29% of the total, while in Cento 13.64. Jolanda maintains its presence unchanged while Masi Torello has seen its branches halved. Even in the city the situation is not much better: the capital has gone from 82 branches to 46 last year. Unfortunately, an increasingly worse trend that exceeds the threshold of 43 percentage points in absolute terms of decline compared to the starting total. A further reflection on Ferrara must be considered. In fact, the city has “obviously the highest number of closures in absolute terms: thirty-six branches have closed in the city and especially in the hamlets”. As stated in the union’s document, “the hamlets of the Municipality are essentially without a bank branch”. Furthermore, the trade unionists point out, “this figure is even more worrying as it is precisely in the provincial capital that the greatest wealth in terms of savings is concentrated and, conversely, the greatest need for credit on businesses or private individuals”. And here comes further potentially very critical news. “By the summer – we read in the Fisac document – a further closure of a bank branch in the Gad area is expected, leaving the inhabitants of that area without a nearby bank branch. Another mockery: a tourist arriving at the station in Ferrara you won’t even find an ATM available in the area.”
This, in fact, is a notable flaw. There is another aspect which, however, must be considered and which concerns the savings of the people of Ferrara. “In an economically fragile province like ours – says the CGIL category – the savings of the people of Ferrara often finance activities not present in our territory. In Ferrara we collect money that is lent elsewhere”. We are talking about huge sums. “To date – continues the note – the difference between loans and savings is 3.4 billion in the savings of the people of Ferrara which are lent by banks outside the province”. At this point, the political proposals formulated by the union arrive. “A first possible measure – says Paganini – could consist in transferring the central management processes of the large banks to our province. In this way, at least, it would be possible to partially stem the employment hemorrhage in Ferrara”.
But even more urgent in the eyes of the Fisac secretary would be the establishment of the provincial credit observatory. “A place – he explains – that can govern the phenomenon of the rarefaction of bank branches and that involves not only the world of credit institutions, but also the entrepreneurial and trade union world”. On the other hand, Paganini observes, “if there is no credit there is no business”. It follows that “there is no work and unemployment levels are rising”. However, to implement an initiative of this kind “a careful and far-sighted policy is needed – Paganini comments -. Ferrara can no longer afford further bank closures and consequent reductions in credit granted to businesses and individuals”.
