Providence confidence
Editorial
Guyana Chronicle
March 16, 2007
PROVIDENCE on the East Bank Demerara is fast becoming one of the better known household words in Guyana, stealing the long era of cricket fame from the internationally-acclaimed Bourda sward in Georgetown.
But it’s not just Cricket World Cup that Providence is becoming synonymous with and it’s cause for a lot of confidence being exuded in the country today.
The Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI), the largest Guyanese-owned financial institution, yesterday opened its eighth branch, in the lobby of the recently-opened Buddy’s International Hotel, at Providence.
According to bank CEO, Mr. Radhakrishna Sharma, the GBTI Providence Branch follows closely the opening of the Lethem branch in August 2006 and represents yet another step by the institution in “the systematic fulfilment of our mission to take banking services to communities across Guyana.”
GBTI, he said at the opening, is confident about what the future holds for Guyana and is happy to take the bold step to provide vital banking services, stimulate small business and support new investment, economic growth and job creation for the more than 50,000 residents and businesses of the East Bank corridor, he said.
The GBTI Providence branch will offer full banking services presently offered in the city, to householders on the corridors of the East Bank, guests who stay at the hotel for Cricket World Cup (CWC) and beyond.
It’s a bold step by GBTI, a fact not lost to Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh who lauded the bank, its Board of Directors and management for their insight in bringing state of the art banking literally to the doorsteps of the thousands who live and the hundreds of businesses that operate on the East Bank Demerara.
The East Bank corridor is in an established strategic role as a route connecting the Cheddi Jagan International Airport to the city, along with other important road linkages, the West Demerara, the mining town of Linden through which there is connection to the interior and Brazil, and too, its close proximity to the Demerara River, the minister noted.
As the Finance Minister noted, GBTI’s establishment of the new branch makes “an extremely valuable decision and most commendable contribution to the economic and financial landscape of the East Bank of Demerara.”
And bank Chairman, Mr. Robin Stoby, pointing to “GBTI the Action Bank”, said that action is what the bank promised and action is what it has delivered.
He said yesterday’s ceremony may have been regarded as a bold step to take in an area not traditionally viewed as a banking location, but it is the belief of the bank that it is necessary to identify new areas of opportunities to keep up its momentum of providing quality services to the Guyanese public.
According to him, the advent of new housing schemes has created a form of suburban development whereby people no longer throng traditional housing areas but reside on the outskirts of the major cities.
Clearly, the bank has recognised and tapped into the potential coming to the fore from Providence and looks set to do well in reposing such confidence in Providence.