Taipei Fubon Commercial Bank’s (台北富邦銀行) board of directors yesterday approved a proposal to increase investment in the Web-only Line Bank Taiwan Ltd (連線商業銀行) by NT$2.195 billion (US$73.88 million), which is expected to raise its stake in the virtual bank from 25.1 percent to 27.18 percent.
Taipei Fubon would remain the second-largest shareholder in Line Bank after Line Financial Taiwan Corp (台灣連線金融科技), which holds a 49.9 percent stake.
Taipei Fubon’s decision came as Line Bank seeks to increase its paid-in capital by NT$7.5 billion after its accumulated pretax losses approached one-third of its paid-in capital of NT$10 billion.
Line Bank plans to first reduce
Line Bank eyes mid-March pilot run
By Kao Shih-ching / Staff reporter
The Web-only Line Bank Taiwan Ltd (連線商業銀行), granted an operating license by the Financial Supervisory Commission on Thursday, aims to conduct a pilot run in six weeks.
Line Bank is the second virtual bank to gain a license from the regulator after Rakuten International Commercial Bank (樂天國際商銀) received one on Dec. 8 last year.
Prior to its pilot run, Line Bank must connect its information system to the central bank and the Central Deposit Insurance Corp (中央存保), and sign a contract with Visa Taiwan Co (台灣威士卡), Banking Bureau Deputy Director-General Lin Chih-chi (林志吉) said.
Line Bank Taiwan Ltd general manager Morris Huang poses at a Line booth in an undated photograph. The Web-only bank was granted an operating license by the Financial Supervisory Commission on Thursday, and it plans to conduct a pilot run in six weeks.