NTB to better their performance

Sanjeevi JAYASURIYA

The prevailing conducive business climate will help the local banks and Nations Trust Bank (NTB) to move on to the next level with focus on mass affluent segment and the SME sector countrywide.

The bank while expanding their branch network to reach 50 at the end of this year, will expect to better their performance in terms of balance, innovation and sustainability, NTB Director and Chief Executive Officer Saliya Rajakaruna said at the NTB Investor Forum in Colombo, yesterday.

"The country is on a higher economic trajectory and this provides impetus for bank to grow. The bank will have a different approach and there is an adequate room to be different," he said.

The banking industry is set to reach four trillion dollar asset base and the country to record $ 100 million GDP with a per capita income of $ 4,000. In this back drop, customer centric unique selling proposition to capture the growing SME sector would generate more business volumes.

The bank's prime focus is an aggressive service oriented business model to meet working capital and trade financing requirements.

The way forward for the bank would be to have an islandwide network, scaling up core business, SME focus, regional risk management while continuing skill development and enhancing productivity through unit cost concept that will be the key driving factor.

Being the only bank to have 24 hours call centre for all customers, the NTB will further widen their credit card business to maintain its number two position with steps to strengthen its risk management and regulatory compliance, as well.