According to the Savings Banks Association of Westphalia-Lippe (SVWL), the European Central Bank (ECB) must initiate a turnaround in interest rates as soon as possible due to the rise in inflation.
"More and more people are despairing of the rising prices and are slipping into the red with their accounts," said SVWL boss Liane Buchholz on Monday in Münster.
"The ECB must finally make it clear to the public that it sees restoring price stability as the absolute top priority for its actions," she demanded.
You urgently need to end your expansive monetary policy and raise the key interest rate.
"The current inflation figures act like a poverty booster," said Buchholz.
Rising living costs particularly affect those whose income has already been largely used up by covering daily needs.
The previous decisions of the ECB were much too timid, criticized the SVWL boss.
At its meeting in March, the central bank must now send the necessary signals.
With regard to the Sparkasse warehouse, Buchholz again spoke out in favor of consolidation – but first of all there had to be greater professionalisation.
Your Savings Banks Association sets the pace for mergers.
According to the provincial insurers, this also applies to the building societies.
LBS West and LBS Nord continued to negotiate a merger.
Should the planned merger take place, Germany's largest public building society would be created, she said.
Their total assets would then amount to more than 22 billion euros: "That would be a real heavyweight and would lead to considerable competitive advantages."
Last year, the savings banks in Westphalia and Lippe were able to keep the operating result before valuation stable despite the Corona crisis thanks to a flourishing securities business and increasing commission income.
The key figure was 1.17 (previous year: 1.18) billion euros.