Guaranty Trust Bank (Gambia) Ltd. continues to expand its unparalleled quality banking services across The Gambia as it opens a new branch in Latrikunda Sabiji. The new branch, situated at the Latrikunda Sabiji Cow Junction along the Tabokoto Highway, marks yet another stride in the bank’s drive as a bank for the people and getting closer to the customers.

The branch, which bears typical hallmarks of a highly architectural design and aesthetic work suitable for ideal banking transactions, will provide first class services to the teeming informal sector in one of the most populous areas in The Gambia.The branch has a spacious banking hall staffed with experienced personnel ready to add value to the businesses within Latrikunda Sabiji and its surroundings.

Within a short period of six years of operations in The Gambia, GTBank has rapidly grown to an eight-branch bank with five more branches set to open soon. With its head office along Kairaba Avenue, GTBank has seven other branches located in Banjul, Serekunda, Senegambia, Brikama, Bamboo, Kanifing and now in Latrikunda Sabiji.

Commenting on this development, the Managing Director and CEO of GTBank (Gambia) Ltd., Mr. Lekan Sanusi, said “the opening ofLatrikunda Sabiji is part GTBank’s ongoing expansion program aimed at establishing branches in all major townsacross The Gambia. Our mission is to be a national bank and to expand services to non-traditional market segments”, he posited. In a delighted mood, Mr. Lekan said “GTBank will open one more branch in Brusubi before the end of this year while Bundung, Farafenni, Old Jeshwang and Basse branches in early 2009”.

The bank offers a wide range of innovative and tailor- made products and services that suit the banking needs of the Gambian populace.

These products and services include GT Orange savings Account (No minimum opening balance, no operating balance), Smart Kids Save, (a product designed to nurture the savings habit among children), GTB Bankers Acceptance, Internet Banking and Max Advance (a salary based credit facility). The bank has also installed four ATM machines at its Kairaba Avenue Head Office, Senegambia branch, Serekunda branch and Africell Building along Kairaba Avenue.

As the bank continues to set benchmark initiatives, GTBank has also introduced Point Of Sales Terminal (POS). With GTBank Cashplus Card, our customers would be able to have access to cash 24 hours and do their daily shopping through our ATM machines and POS. In addition, the bank introduced three services to its wide array of services which include Slip-free Banking,

GTBank Electronic Notification Service (GeNS) and GTBank Swiftmailer. Many households, both in the urban and rural Gambian villages, people are very remote from traditional banking structures.

This trend largely reflects the fact that most banks were strapped in their ‘comfort zones’ and did little to offer low-cost accounts that would meet the needs of every Gambian.Secondly, as the informal sector activity increasingly continues to take a central role in the economy this inevitably requires banks to expand services to non-traditional market segments.