By Indrawattie Natram

– bank lauds Region Two sterling support

THE Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry (GBTI) Essequibo branch continues to yield astonishing profits in the 20 years it has been doing business in the Pomeroon-Supenaam region.

That’s according to Branch Manager Dev Persaud on Friday evening during a reception to mark the occasion.

The reception, which was held on the bank’s premises, saw among those in attendance Executive Director Richard Isava; Senior Finance Manager Mr. Shawn Gurucharran; Business Development Manager Mario Farinha; Foreign Trade Officer Christina D’Agrealla; and Assistant Manager of the Water Street branch, Juanita Persaud.
During his presentation, Mr Isava not only seized the opportunity to urge the Essequibo business community to invest wisely in the oil-and-gas sector, but to also laud the “tremendous” performance of the economy in the last five years.
Having said that, he used the opportunity as well to urge the government to reinvest some of the anticipated oil revenues in the agriculture sector, particularly the rice industry, since it is the mainstay of many in Region Two.
Said he: “By 2020, Guyana will be earning more revenues as a country, and as such, businesses need to revamp in an effort to match international standards.”

‘PROGRESS’
Giving a progress report on the performance of the Essequibo branch in its two decades of existence, Dev Persaud said he was happy to say he has seen it evolve into an efficient and reliable financial institution, due to its prudent fiscal management and services.
The same optimism could be applied to the performance of the rice industry in the region as well, as when compared to last year, he has seen a marked improvement in the way business is being done these days, to the extent that rice farmers are now rushing to pay off their installments.

And this is all because the industry has been seen to have picked up somewhat, with better prices being offered farmers, which, in turn, has had a positive impact on GBTI Anna Regina, the branch manager said.
Persaud said that with rice farmers being their biggest customers, the bank has designed a special “Crop loans” package to suit their needs.
And in light of the friendly relationship they’ve enjoyed with rice farmers over the years, he said, the bank tends to reach out in a positive way whenever the industry is facing a challenge.

“Even when the rice industry is not doing so well, we at the bank would display patience with rice farmers; we understand that we are partners,” Persaud said.
Serving under the motto, “GBTI your bank, your friend”, the bank has special services to suit every sector, he said.
Since opening its doors in the Cinderella County on July 13, 1998, Persaud said the bank has been engaged in several charitable drives in the region, as well as its annual Diwali programme, and used the opportunity to thank the dedicated staff and the residents of Region Two for their sterling support over the years.