The indigenous banks in Antigua are choking on the remains of the Canadian banks, and even though the have rehired many of the courteous staff of the two banks which made Antigua a normal banking space for business investment, the local banking systems suck(sic.).
The capacity to divorce the culture of contempt for persons with whom one disagrees politically and otherwise, in banking, is not an easy Antiguan achievement. Coupled with the U.S. induced restrictive roles in the financial controls, Antiguan businesses are being embarrassed and delayed in ways which real banking seeks to prevent.
The key here is banking systems which are expected to improve the banking service are not being monitored by trained personnel in ways which help the customers.
Even the speedy EFT which is supposed to move money quickly between internal and external accounts, takes days to drop thereby holding up business transactions and causing cheques to be returned without reference to either party.
Further the failure to do the courteous thing by telephoning businesses to query concerns is not a part of indigenous banking, so the uncouth local attitude to business people with issues, is the only option for those who are not expatriate.
The recent fracas between those in high places and the Chairman of ECAB is truly biased and unwarranted unless referring to the entire banking fraternity.
And, it is not going to get any better as the government seeks to control ALL banking establishments, or by placing their own minions in the hierarchy of the banking structure.
The favoritism being showered on ACB is as undeserving as the constant character assignation of the ECAB Chairman, as both banks are seriously in trouble, where political interference is creating arrogant supporters of the government in power, to the detriment of good local businesses
Finally, a story of one bank which can be said of all. A business which is unknown for ‘bounced cheques’ had nine (9) cheques returned without comment from the bank, only finding out about one because it was an employee.
Calling the bank days later to find out the cause, as an internal deposit was expected, was advised that there were nine, photocopies were sent, which included communications cheques.
Seeking to correct the issue calls were made to the establishments to immediately correct the issue, but the establishments refused to accept payment because they had no advice of returned cheques.
Meanwhile the internal deposit finally hit the account, to no avail because the cheques were returned, without advice to the issuer or the receiver.
When further queried the banker failed to apologize and replied that their daily pages of returned cheques precluded their calling the businesses on the lists! So why do businesses pay banks interest and charges for services? And that bank was not ECAB!