The Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry Limited (GBTI) on Saturday launched its Port Mourant branch offering Berbicians a drive-in facility for large deposits and Saturday openings to coincide with market shopping.
The branch which is housed in the lower flat of a privately-owned building was transformed at a cost of some $50m. It was found that renovating and renting was a better option than spending over $200m on a new building.
It was the second to be launched in East Berbice and the 12th in the country. Earlier this year the Port Kaituma branch was launched. It also offers adequate parking and a distinctive style of banking and convenience to customers.
Customers can also access their accounts from the comfort of their homes or offices. GBTI has also upgraded its core banking software.
Delivering the feature address, Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh said GBTI is a fine example of the health and strength of the financial sector in Guyana.
The growth in the financial sector is proof that the rest of the economy is growing and prospering, he said.
Touching on the expansion plans that GBTI has been rolling out and the investment in modernizing the services they offer, he said one can reasonably conclude that the officials are responding to the growth opportunities that are emerging with the rest of the economy.
He sees the investment as GBTI’s strong response to developments in the economy and as a signal of the confidence in the future of the country.
The minister charged that the failure of the opposition to pass the amendments of the Anti-Money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) (Amendment) Bill has already resulted in “banks in other countries issuing advisories on doing business with Guyana.”
GBTI will soon introduce the switch system where customers from any bank can use their banking cards to access money from its ATM machines.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GBTI, John Tracey said the bank is “customer-centred” and is determined to provide better services. There would also be a complaints box which customers can use to highlight concerns.
In his remarks, Imran Ally, deputy Regional Executive Officer, said the regional administration was pleased to be associated with the ceremony as it signals the growth that is taking place in East Berbice.
He said the region is optimistic that the facility would improve banking and financial services in that location. It would also create a new level of competitiveness which leads to improved services.
Ally said the region wishes that the bank would maintain focus in terms of developing better services thus impacting the lives of the people in a positive way.
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Robin Stoby said that the branch would bring immense value to the people of Port Mourant and beyond.
The key factor of the bank’s strategy is to ensure that family businesses are an essential part of the branch.
Businesses would also benefit from the bank’s annual workshop that seeks to train customers in record keeping, preparation of financial statements, cash management and banking.
