GTB OPENS 5^th BRANCH AT SENEGAMBIA 

 17^th October, 2006

 

In line with the commitment made at its start-up in 2002 to extend ‘quality and efficient’ banking services to all the nooks and corners of The Gambia, within the shortest time possible, Guaranty Trust Bank (Gambia) Ltd on the 17^th October 2006 opens a branch in the Senegambia area of The Gambia

 

The Branch situated near the Senegambia Junction (next to Stop Step Pharmacy) bears all the hallmarks of GTB’s eye catching architectural design and aesthetic sophistication. The Branch opens at an opportune time to support businesses for the forthcoming 2006/2007-tourist season as well as being a refreshing welcome to individual retail customers in the area.

 

The Senegambia branch is the fifth branch the bank will open in The Gambia, having established its service outlets in Kairaba Avenue, Banjul, Serrekunda and Brikama. The new branch has made the bank the fastest growing commercial bank in The Gambia with an average of one new branch per year, having opened 5 branches in its 5 years of operation.

 

According to the Managing Director of the bank, Mr Lekan Sanusi, the location of the new branch was strategically chosen to achieve excellent proximity to the thriving hotel and tourism related businesses in the Senegambia area as well as the individuals living and working within this area with a view to providing them with excellent banking services for which GTB is reputed. As expected, the branch is linked ‘on line real time’ to all the existing branches of the bank. This implies that the existing customers of the bank can operate their account from this new branch as well.

 

The Group Head HR/Corporate affairs, Mrs. Amie Jallow, asserts that, in typical GTB style, the Branch is composed of young, dynamic staff committed to deliver excellent value-adding service to customers backed by the bank’s core principles of professionalism, integrity and knowledge based culture.

 

The speed in which GTB is growing is a clear indication of the confidence that the banking public has in this unique service oriented institution. We therefore agree with their one liner:

 

Wouldn’t you rather bank with us?

 

 

GUARANTY TRUST BANK (GAMBIA) LTD LAUNCHES A LOCAL MONEY TRANSFER SERVICE

 

25th August, 2006.

 

Guaranty Trust Bank (Gambia) Ltd (GTB) has added a new service to its bouquet of products and services to further improve on its determination to make the banking services available to all. The new product branded as GTB Joni Joni Cash, is a Local Money Transfer Service and is novel in the Gambian banking industry. 

 

GTB Joni Joni Cash, an initiative of the bank was approved by the Central Bank of The Gambia (CBG) on 1^st August 2006. This service would enable customers of the Bank and also non-customers to send cash or issue drafts which is receivable / collectible in another branch of the bank within the Gambia by nominated or designated recipients or beneficiaries (e.g friends, family members business associates, contractors, suppliers etc).

 

With this new product, customers and non customers of the bank who want to pay money or issue drafts to another person in another location, only need to walk into the nearest GTB branch, talk to our friendly and courteous staff, and give us the money or draft instructions with the details of the beneficiaries. The rest of the worry is left with us as we deploy our GTB Joni Joni Cash service to ensure an instant and immediate processing of the request, and the designated beneficiaries can walk into the nominated branch to collect the cash or draft.

 

The service will for instance, save customers and non customers traveling time, cost of transportation, wear and tear to owned vehicles and the risk of theft or loosing money to third parties, when the goal is just to send money, by an individual, family member or trader living or operating in Banjul to another individual or trader operating or living in Brikama or vice versa.

 

This service is available at any of the branches of the bank located in Kairaba, Banjul, Serrekunda, Brikama and Senegambia. In any of these branches, customers and non-customers, can send and receive money.

GTBank exceeds our expectations
Friday, 16 December 2005
Written by Dagain Nyan & Alieu Badara Ceesay

Mr Mousa Gibril Bala-Gaye, the Secretary of State for Finance and Economic Affairs, has expressed deep satisfaction with the performance of GT Bank, affirming that the significant strides the bank has made since its inception three years ago are worthy of commendation.
Speaking yesterday at the launch of the new logo of the bank at its head office along Kairaba Avenue, Bala-Gaye said: GTB has grown and expanded more than expected during its three years of operation. The Bank no doubt has increased the diversity of banking services in The Gambia and its wide range of services has provided multiple choices for the Gambian people.
He then enumerated some of the services that make GT Bank unique. Outstanding
achievements that have been registered in the areas of telephone banking, unique products such as Call Accounts, Young Savers Plus, and highly customized personal banking, epitomize the giant step Guaranty Trust Bank has taken in modernizing the banking sector through innovation in The Gambia.

Another preeminent feature of the bank, according to him, is its premier quality of corporate governance. This has over the years heightens customer confidence, thus making the Bank reliable and dependable, he said.

This view was then reinforced by Mr Ayo Richards, the Managing Director of the bank, who said with glee that Guaranty Trust Bank is always innovative, always first.

According to him, GT Bank is awake to the changing needs of society. We now operate in an age when customers are more sophisticated and discerning and our ambition is to become the leading bank in the sub-region of West Africa and to take on the global market, he said.

It is this drive to make their customers happy at all times that led to the change of logo.
The Secretary of State for Finance and Economic Affairs put the new logo in context. He said: The new logo, we are just about to unveil, comes along with a keen sense of purpose, and reorientation, focused on customer satisfaction and introduction of new products.

Mr Richards then developed the theme of reorientation mooted by the SoS. In creating the new brand, we are mindful that we did not discard our old identity or re-invent our Bank. The new Logo was created to enhance our brand identity and public perception. It is vibrant, bold and evolved from our old logo. The new logo encapsulates who we are as a bank - symbolizing equality, solidness, simplicity and flexibility, he said.

He added: Our identity will attract new customers and reassure the existing customers of our usual excellent services. We will live our new brand, and therefore the heart of our brand will be built through everything we do, every customer we serve and every product we develop and provide. We will continue to attract, recruit, train and retrain the best available hands to work for the bank. We will continue to develop customized services and products to meet the varying needs of our customers using the platform of the latest technology.
 

Guaranty Trust Bank-sponsored course rounds off
Thursday, 24 November 2005
Written by Alieu Badara Ceesay

The 9th edition of the annual journalists forum held at the Cresta Royale Hotel ended in Ghana on Sunday. The forum, which was organised by the Guaranty Trust Bank(Gambia) Limited in collaboration with the Guaranty Trust Bank PLC Nigeria, brought together financial reporters from Nigeria, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Ghana.
According to the organisers, the forum was meant to draw awareness to the Guaranty Trust Banks vision, performance and role in the socio-economic development in the West Africa sub region.

One of the highlights of the forum was a course on financial reporting held at the Banking College of Ghana. Speaking on the vision and mission of the Guaranty Trust Bank, Dolapo Ogundimu, the managing director of the GTB in Sierra Leone, said: Guaranty Trust Bank has succeeded in revolutionalising banking in Nigeria, and our offices in Gambia and Sierra Leone have registered huge successes. We always try to find answers to the problems of our customers - we never tell our customers it is not possible. The GTB is changing; we are now a regional bank and have opened up to the populace. The new log of the bank which will be launched soon in The Gambia is a symbol everybody can understand.

According to him, the bank has since inception been publishing its accounts twice a year, an initiative hailed by their clients as it means that they give statements of accounts to their clients every six months.

He added: At the Guaranty Trust Bank we are sensitive to our corporate social responsibility, looking at education, health and children welfare.

Another lecturer, Philip Vabeng, the director of research at the Banking College of Ghana, spoke on the role of banks in the West African Monetary Union.

According to him, the banks played a pivotal role in the setting up of the regional monetary union. He noted that money and banking are inseparable.

At a dinner hosted for the journalists by the bank at the La Palm Beach, Ogundimu said the bank regards the media as a vital partner with the bank will work closely.

Dele Momodou, publisher of the Ovation magazine, during a session with journalists, called on them to give pride of place to financial reporting as the continent has lots of potentialities for the investors to tap.

The journalists then visited various media houses, the Ghana Investment and Promotion Council, the stock exchange.
 

Guaranty Trust Bank-Gambia's Service Bank
Daily Observer, January 2 2003
By Francis Pabai

The name Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) represents a seal on quality service in modern banking, a new chapter in The Gambia banking industry and an eye-opener to pan-African monetary transactions. With a concept of indigenousness and a policy of nothing but the best, Guaranty Trust Bank is spreading like wild fire on the continent with branch in Nigeria, Sierra Leone and also in Ghana.

Though only nine months old in The Gambia, GTB has been able to put together highly experienced, productive and disciplined staff which makes it a pacesetter in service delivery in the industry.

The advent of GTB has raised customers expectations and changed the tide from traditional armchair banking to a revolutionalised system of bringing banking services right up to the doorstep of the customer  meaning the customer, not the banker, is now king.

According to the Head Corporate Affairs, Mr. Salieu Taal, the bank from its inception has a focus  i.e. giving the utmost in customer service, instill a service culture in the staff and provided them with the right technology to drive the business.

GTB is a fast moving bank. From its inception to date and being one of the only four banks licensed to operate foreign currency accounts. The bank has introduced a telephone banking service the first in The Gambia- a young savers account designed to instill a saving culture in children, target savings, triple A (Assets Acquisition Account), and statement by e-mail on daily, weekly or monthly basis. The bank is poised to play a major role in improving the local investment climate and also improving the socio-economic life of Gambians, Mr. Taal explained.

Asked why Guaranty Trust Bank has made so much impact on Gambian banking industry within only nine months of its operation, Mr. Taal said banking at GTB, situated at the heart of the commercial centre, is like a pleasant shopping spree.

To indicate how locally focused GTB is, Mr. Taal said the current staff 61 has only two Nigerians expatriate i.e. the Managing Director and another senior management staff.

The bank has fared well considering it only started business in March 2002. The customer base is increasing, the bank boasts a good number of the major corporate players and the number of ordinary walk-in continues to rise.

Guaranty Trust Bank focuses on supporting the manufacturer, agriculture, tourism and trade sectors of the economy. GTB is well connected and is ready collaborating with international financial organisations to arrange large foreign currency denominated credit facilities on a medium to long term basis. There are also plans to create a niche in international finance and payment systems supported by real time online technology links with its correspondent banks ANZ and Citibank.

In their banking hall, well decorated for the festive season, customer help themselves to as assortment of sweets and chocolates at the teller points.

Speaking to a happy customer of GTB, he says the bank doesn't cease to amaze him with the level of services he receives. They sent me a card on my birthday and even sent me fruits in Ramadan, I never knew banking could be like this rewarding he said. The bank has surely woken up the other banks who can longer take customer service for granted.

Responding to the question of other banks copying or trying to emulate their unique style of banking, Mr. Taal said he is not worried about that.

Competition certainly brings out the best in everyone and ensures that customers will be spoilt for choices.

On GTB’s future plans, he says the bank will continue to introduce value added products that will make banking easier, simpler and more convenient.

A branch in Banjul is expected to open soon. It is no coincidence that the bank's popular slogan is Guaranty Trust Bank, another name for service.

Guaranty Trust Bank has certainly redefined that the service culture in the banking industry.

LEVERAGING ON INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Guaranty Trust is setting the stage for the ultimate best practice in customer service by deploying real-time online technology banking services for its customers. We are continually working to deliver the highest level of secure and flexible banking service.


Statement by e-mail Service
December 2002

Guaranty Trust Bank is proud to announce the launching of a new electronic product, Statement Emailer service. The statement by email service is yet another value adding facility that the bank offers its customers. This product is designed to diversify our service delivery channel and further optimize customer satisfaction. Account holders who apply for this service would receive their statement of account through the e-mail at a frequency of your choice i.e. daily, weekly, or monthly.


Telephone Banking
March 2002

From day one of our operations on March 5, 2002, Guaranty Trust Bank (Gambia) Ltd launched the Telephone Banking service to allow customers 24-hours access to their account information. The system is carefully designed with the customers in mind. Its facilities are tailored to suit customer needs. According to Management, this is just a tip of the iceberg in providing value adding benefits to its banking services.