BoB brushes up services
4 May, 2009 – A Thimphu businessman getting stranded in Wangduephodrang can withdraw cash, without much hassle, from the Bank of Bhutan’s branch office in the dzongkhag from tomorrow.
This will be made possible through the bank’s new system called Core Banking System (CBS), which the country’s oldest bank is initiating to enhance banking facilities and provide quick service to its clients.
However, the transaction will only be available at BoB branches in Thimphu, Phuentsholing and Wangduephodrang at the moment. BoB’s chief executive officer, Kinga Tshering, said that all 26 branches of the bank will be connected to the core-banking system within 15 months from tomorrow.
CBS will ensure the bank full control over its customers’ information management, product processes and operations across the country through a single data centre. The system will also enable banks to further reduce operational costs and revenue leakage, while improving productivity of branches and introducing new and innovative products and visibility of business.
Kinga Tshering said that it is the bank’s social obligation to provide world-class services to all dzongkhags, although profit from remote areas was minimal. “The bank is investing Nu 200 million and, at the same time, plans to reduce bank charges,” he said.
BoB, excluding its head office in Phuentsholing, has a total of 26 branches in 20 dzongkhags, with about 150,000 customers. Some remote offices currently are operated manually.
Meanwhile, the BoB branch office in the capital will resume operations tomorrow after being closed for four days. New account numbers and about 5,000 automatic teller machine (ATM) cards issued earlier are being replaced meanwhile. “After May 10, customers will be issued ATM cards within two days after they put in an application,” said Kinga Tshering. “SMS and internet banking too will soon be introduced.”
Source: Kuenselonline