thebahamasweekly.com - Bank of The Bahamas International to Open Cat Island Branch

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Bank of The Bahamas International to Open Cat Island Branch
By Ashley Henderson
May 30, 2008 - 5:42:08 AM

Bank of The Bahamas International will officially open a full-service branch in New Bight, Cat Island June 5.

It will be the award-winning institution’s 12^th full-service branch and expands its national network to seven islands, including New Providence, Grand Bahama, Exuma, Inagua, San Salvador and Andros, where it has branches in Mangrove Cay and Kemp’s Bay.

“Bank of The Bahamas is proud to be the first bank to serve the residents of Cat Island who in the past either had the government offices to rely on or flew to Nassau to do their banking,” said Paul McWeeney, Managing Director. “As a Bahamian institution, we recognise and accept our responsibility to serve as many communities as possible, even when they are remote. As a publicly-held company with shareholders to whom we are responsible, we are also keenly aware of the need to balance that responsibility with financial prudence. In the case of Cat Island, we believe that we will be able to satisfy both roles and that the presence of Bank of The Bahamas will help the island develop, serving a national as well as local goal.”

The Cat Island branch is a 3,325-square foot facility located in the Neighbourhood Shopping Centre on Queen’s Highway. The manager is veteran banker Elma Bain, who served as Assistant Manager, Thompson Boulevard Branch, prior to being named manager of the new branch. Born in Long Island, Mrs. Bain has been with Bank of The Bahamas and its predecessor, Bank of Montreal, for 27 years.

In March, the bank officially opened its Miami service centre, becoming the first Bahamian retail bank to operate a facility outside the country. Bank of The Bahamas International is the current Bahamas Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year.