UPDATE: Opening ceremony for NBVI new location still a few weeks off- NBVI
And while the official launch of the brand and opening ceremony is still a few weeks off, NBVI encourages its current and prospective customers to come in, visit, look around, and open an account, a press release from the bank stated.
“Opening our doors in our new location today is the first step to the changes we have in store for you! Some of you may remember the Development Bank opening their doors in 1974 and their first relocation to the Joshua Smith building. Look at us today,” exclaimed Ms. Stephanie George, Chief Financial Officer, NBVI.
Having obtained its commercial licence, NBVI has begun a gradual shift towards more commercialised service offerings," the press release also stated.
Confirmation that the bank had begun its move to its new home at the weekend was made by Chairman of the National Bank Board, Clearance Faulkner, who spoke exclusively to this news site.
The building is located next to the BVI Tourist Board Office in Road Town, the capital city on the main Island of Tortola.
Mr. Faulkner confirmed that “the bank will be open for business at its new location come Monday.” The Chairman declined to give further information and said his management team will be rolling out a series of information in due course.
Meanwhile, it’s this news site’s understanding that no new manager has yet been named as recruitment is still ongoing.
See previous story posted on similar subject:
UPDATE: Still no Managing Director named at NBVI
- Relocation of bank to take place by year end!
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – Since the retirement of long time bank manager Mrs Doris Smith-Scatliffe in July of this year, three months later no new Managing Director of the National Bank of the Virgin Islands has been named.
Her retirement took effect from the end of July 2012, as was first reported by this news site.
According to a Virgin Islands News Online’s sources close to the situation, the recruitment efforts and interviews are ongoing.
There were speculations earlier this year that Head of Credit and former National Democratic Party (NDP) Minister for Education and Culture and eighth district representative Lloyd K. Black would have gotten the post, however, a source told this news site that, “I doubt very much that will happen”.
Ms Stephanie George, a Virgin Islander who is the Chief Financial Officer of the bank, is also reported to be seen as a point person in the absence of a Managing Director.
Ms George’s duties include managing the regulatory and financial requirements of the bank among other things.
Doris Smith-Scatliffe legacy
Mrs Smith-Scatliffe, a Virgin Islander who has spent some three decades in the banking industry, has been credited with moving the National Bank of the Virgin Islands (NBVI) to one of the banking leaders in the local industry.
She had served as Managing Director since October 2009.
Mrs Smith-Scatliffe has also been very instrumental in assisting with polices that made it easier for Virgin Islanders to obtain soft loans from the bank and has lead an aggressive advertising campaign to promote the bank’s range of services.
The Minister for Finance Dr. the Honourable D. Orlando Smith also had high praises for the former Managing Director when he said in a Government statement that “the bank also became more responsive to its customers’ needs by extending its hours of operation to 3 P.M” under Smith-Scatliffe’s tenure.
Dr. the Honourable Smith admitted that over the years the bank, under Smith-Scatliffe’s leadership, had built a solid reputation among VIslanders as an institution, working in partnership with Government, to facilitate funding for scholarships for our youth, first time home owners and the development of micro industries.
“Mrs Scatliffe would have played a pivotal role in all of these areas and as a result many of the dreams and realities of persons in our community have been realised,” the Premier explained.
Was she forced out?
There are mixed feedback on the matter of Mrs Smith-Scatliffe abrupt retirement. Some in the community are asking whether the long time banker who has done so much for the bank was forced to retire. There were conflicting reports on her retirement date with one source claiming that she had indicated to the bank board a retirement date, however, that date was brought forward to get her out sooner rather than later.
New Location for the bank!
Meanwhile, the bank is expected to move before year end to a new location in a newly constructed building location between the Creque Insurance and BVI Tourist Board buildings in Road Town. This will be the bank’s third move since the bank opened its doors to the public.
The former Managing Director Smith-Scatliffe was also the driving force behind finding a new location for the bank, which is expected to be more spacious and equipped with cash machine facility, according to a bank source.
Sources close to the negotiation told this news site that it’s a done deal as all the final matters have been ironed out for the move. The bank is currently located in the Joshua Smith Social Security Building in Road Town, the Virgin Islands Capital City. Before that, it was located in the Palm Grove Shopping Centre.
The National Bank of the Virgin Islands is an associated agency of Government, under the Ministry of Finance, and promotes agricultural, industrial and economic development in the Territory by facilitating the ownership and management of investments by VIslanders, as well as providing a range of banking services.
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56 Responses to “UPDATE: Opening ceremony for NBVI new location still a few weeks off- NBVI”
Lloyd or Stephanie will do a better job of moving the Bank forward.
Observer you sound like a donkey behind, that woman had over 30years and she is more competent than half those wannabees at the fsc. Step......is a child and cant do nothing without her sister law say so, that bajan man then have in there don't even have a degree, Lloyd is a pep put him in charge let IMF fatf etc come and shut down the whole jurisdiction. God don't like ugly they will all pay for what they did and I hope the public sees that tolians are no longer getting help from the bank, you go in there nothing can be done ....
and Movement you an idiot too the young people making the country and that bank into a muck they know nothing, experience is the key and they have none. Even if you let people retire in dignity she was going or can you not read the vino article?
folks go to banco or scotia much better there.... i wont let these losers mess with my money when Ms. Scatliffe was there I know my money was safe, now I aint sure. the ndp and fsc will get their judgement. Fire!
I had the opportunity to be around all three, Mrs Scatliffe, Mr Black and Ms George and I stand by my comments. Mrs Scatliffe IS NOT what she is cracked up to be and the best she did by the bank was the radio advertisements and the uniforms. Again, she must be thanked for her years of service but thank god she is gone so that the bank can move forward.
Let us not miss the forest for the trees. Much of this can be reduced to a few sentences. Mrs. Scatliffe carried the Bank forward in a complimentary way for the time she served. A decision was taken by Government to take the Bank to a new level which required a more qualified person. To do this, Mrs. Scatliffe was retired after much agony. What is required here is to seek out and find a suitably qualified person to replace her. For reasons which should be clear to all, such a person cannot be found within the four walls of the Bank. What is there can only keep the doors open until such a person can be found. Since FSC will have to be satisfied, they should play an active rool in sourcing such a person. Let not politics be afforded an opportunity to mess this up. It is my view that the young lady at the bank would gain much from working for a given period with such a person.