Bank of SVG welcomes public to new home

Staff members and officials of the recently rebranded Bank of St. Vincent and the Grenadines have officially welcomed the general public into their new home on Halifax Street.{{more}}

The doors swung open on Sunday, November 13, heralding what one speaker at the official ceremony regarded as a milestone in the history of the Bank, which, up until less than six months ago, was called the National Commercial Bank.

The new headquarters, which is located in the just finished Reigate building, is home to the bank’s credit department, card services and central services, which, according to Chairman of the Bank’s Board of Directors Errol Allen, will allow for more efficient service for customers.

Also located at the new home are the Finance, Human Resources, Information and Technology and Night Deposit departments, and an additional ATM service.

The ATM service at the lower Halifax Street branch, which is now closed, will still be operational.

Allen informed the persons who gathered at the front of the building for Sunday’s opening, that changes will also be made to the Bedford Street branch, the previous headquarters, to make it a more comfortable environment, with improved customer service delivery and reallocation of space.

The new headquarters building, purchased by the Bank from government owned National Proberties Ltd, has been described as a masterpiece by Managing Director Derry Williams.

The building also temporarily houses the offices of Invest SVG and the Central Planning Department of the Ministry of Finance, which were left homeless following a fire at the financial complex on Bay Street, on October 15, this year.

Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, along with Governor of the East Caribbean Central Bank Dwight Venner, who both spoke at the opening, joined senior officials of East Caribbean Financial Holdings, the institution’s new majority shareholders, and members of the public who were on hand as Helen Soleyn, the bank’s longest serving employee, with 32 year’s of service, cut the ribbon to officially open the building.

The building was blessed by The Very Reverend Patrick McIntosh, Dean of St. George’s Cathedral.

Sunday’s opening ceremony marks another milestone in the Bank’s physical and financial transformation, since it opened its doors in 1977.

In late 2010, it was announced that the St. Lucia-based company East Caribbean Financial Holdings had agreed to purchase majority shares in the Bank, at a cost of 42 million dollars. The bank officially changed its name to Bank of St. Vincent and the Grenadines in May this year. (JJ)