KINGSTOWN, St Vincent – A consortium of banks in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union Tuesday announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the branches and banking operations of CIBC FirstCaribbean in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica, Grenada, and St Kitts and Nevis.
The four members of the consortium – The Bank of St Vincent and the Grenadines Ltd., The National Bank of Dominica Limited; Grenada Co-operative Bank Limited; and, St Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla National Bank Limited, said that the agreement is subjected to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions.
“This acquisition by the consortium represents a significant development in the evolution of the Banking System of the ECCU. Once approved by the regulators, we are very confident that it will lay the basis for further enhanced value creation in these economies and greater prosperity for our society,” said the managing director of The Bank of St Vincent and the Grenadines Ltd., Derry Williams said:
CIBC FirstCaribbean’s chief executive officer, Colette Delaney said the four indigenous banks are an excellent fit for the bank’s St Vincent, Grenada, Dominica, and St Kitts business, “given their knowledge of the local markets match with our base and a strong market positioning.
“They bring a depth of local knowledge to the market and the needs of our clients there… ”
The acquisition expands the consortium’s loan base by more than EC$600 million (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) net, the deposit portfolio by EC$1.5 billion, and provides the additional scale to better service the consortium’s respective communities and contribute to the region’s economic and social advancement, according to a statement issued here.
It said that the consortium looks forward to working with CIBC FirstCaribbean to finalise the transaction over the coming months with both working diligently to ensure the transition is seamless for all stakeholders.
Until regulatory approvals are obtained and the transaction closes, operations at all institutions will continue as they currently do.
“The consortium members are committed to recruiting staff of CIBCFirstCaribbean, as required, to maintain and even improve the level and quality of service that CIBCFirstCaribbean customers are accustomed to.”
According to the statement, the consortium members “are market leaders in their respective territories, which offer the full spectrum of commercial banking services and electronic channels.
“As at June 30, 2021, the consortium members held an aggregate deposit base of $6.4 billion representing a 53 per cent market share in their combined markets.
“Collectively, they have been serving the peoples of the ECCU for a combined period of over 200 years. The Consortium’s customer base includes consumers, small and middle-market businesses, large corporations, statutory bodies and Central Governments; and remain committed in helping their customer succeed.” (CMC)
