The Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry Limited (GBTI) yesterday launched a five-year programme to guide its community and environmental work, with Chairman Suresh Beharry saying the institution also intends to give those considerations greater weight in lending, procurement and risk management.
The bank introduced GBTI CARE at a media luncheon at its recreational centre on Kaieteur Road, Bel Air, as it marked 190 years of banking through GBTI and its predecessor institutions. Chief Executive Officer Shawn Gurcharran used the occasion to outline changes in the bank’s services, including digital banking and financing that gives businesses access to cash tied up in unpaid invoices.
Senior Marketing Manager Melinda Telesford said the luncheon was held to recognise the media’s role in covering the bank’s work across Guyana as it marked its 190th anniversary. She said GBTI used the occasion to introduce CARE, which brings its community development, environmental and other social responsibility initiatives under one programme.
Beharry said the CARE programme would run from 2026 to 2030 and cover community development, financial literacy, responsible banking and environmental stewardship. He said it would build on the bank’s support for educational, charitable, cultural and community initiatives by setting clearer priorities and tracking what the projects achieved.
The community development component will focus on improving access to opportunities for people with limited resources. Through its financial literacy work, the bank intends to help people, particularly young people, learn how to manage their money, make informed decisions and plan for the future.
Beharry said responsible banking would involve greater attention to accountability, governance and sustainability in the bank’s decisions. The environmental component would support public awareness and encourage sustainable practices.
He said Guyana’s economic growth had opened up opportunities on a scale that would have been difficult to imagine a generation ago. Broadening the benefits of that growth, he said, would require investment in people and communities and attention to the protection of the environment.
From the board’s perspective, Beharry said, the programme would also influence how the bank conducts its own business. He said GBTI intended to bring environmental, social and governance considerations more fully into lending, procurement, risk management and daily operations over time.
“The real measure of success will be the difference we make,” Beharry said. He said the bank would look at whether its efforts strengthened communities, helped young people manage their finances, encouraged businesses to adopt responsible practices and supported environmental protection. He said those results would depend in part on the participation of employees, partner organisations and the communities the bank serves.
Gurcharran said the bank had grown across several areas in recent years, expanding its services, improving its financial performance and investing in its staff and technology. He said customers increasingly expected banking services they could use conveniently and that the bank was adapting its products to meet those expectations.
He cited GO Banking as an example, saying digital services had changed how many customers dealt with the bank by allowing them to manage their finances remotely. He also pointed to invoice financing, which allows businesses to obtain working capital against invoices while they wait for customers to pay.
Gurcharran said GBTI continued to support businesses and participate in major development projects. He said the bank saw a role for itself in financing projects that could contribute to economic growth and job creation, as well as in serving homeowners, entrepreneurs and investors as the economy expanded.
The CEO also thanked members of the media for their coverage of the bank over the years. He said eligible invitees at the luncheon would have the opportunity to receive a pre-approved GBTI credit card, subject to the bank’s standard verification requirements.
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