Branching Out

Mar 30, 2009 (LBO) - Sri Lanka's Nations Trust Bank (NTB), a unit of John Keells Holdings, is growing its personal banking small business segments to maintain above industry average growth rates during the next four years, an official said. Last year, the bank went through a behind-the-scenes transformation introducing a number of products as part of its new five year strategy to tap retail and small business markets.

That transformation, to position it on par with the large foreign banks operating here, is almost complete and early results are encouraging, NTB says.

Retail Focus

High end NTB customers - those depositing over five million rupees - bank at their exclusive branch on Colombo's Independence Avenue where there are no queues or counters.

Smart ladies whisk them in to one of four meeting rooms to consult the executive managing their money.

"I didn’t get this service at other banks. So I thought lets give this a try and see," says Sushena DeSimon, Nations Trust 'Private Banking' customer, who works as a consultant.

Colombo stock exchange listed NTB' elite accounts compete with HSBC’s 'Premier' where a qualifying deposit is 7.5 million rupees.

Wealthy customers are costlier to ma