Foreign news: Greece re-opens banks, Japan Post finance to float, Indian bank mergers continue, BNP 02 July 2015 3:52PM Banking Day staff Foreign news, Greece's finance ministry said 1,000 bank branches have re-opened until the end of the week to cater for pensioners who do not use cash cards for ATMs. Reuters reports banks will remain closed for other purposes until July 6. Despite ATMS being re-opened on Monday afternoon, many older people who do not use debit or credit cards were unable to collect their pensions. Pensioners will each be able to withdraw up to €120 (A$174) this week. Japan Post Holdings and its two subsidiaries Japan Post Bank and Japan Post Insurance have filed for stock listings with the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Japan Post reports that the Japanese government, which fully owns Japan Post Holdings, will maintain a stake of over one-third after its listing. Japan Post plans to sell its holdings in the two financial units in stages until its stakes fall to around 50 per cent each. The three companies are expected to debut on the TSE in October, with the sale proceeds used to fund reconstruction in the wake of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. A proposal to merge the newly created Bharatiya Mahila Bank with State Bank of India is reportedly under consideration by the Indian finance ministry. The Times of India reports that SBI, which is the country's largest lender, has a track record of local bank mergers, taking on the State Bank of Saurashtra and State Bank of Indore in 2008 and 2010, respectively. Among India's public sector banks, BMB is the only unlisted entity, and was set up by a previous state government as a "specialised financial vehicle for economic empowerment of women." BNP Paribas Cardif, a joint venture partner with SBI Life Insurance, has approached the Indian bank to raise its 26 per cent stake to 36 per cent, The Financial Express reports. It seems likely BNP will achieve its goal as, in a regulatory filing, the bank reportedly said, "the Executive Committee of the Central Board on March 30 had approved divestment of SBI's stake in SBI Life Insurance by up to ten per cent."