The Barbados Public Workers Cooperative Credit Union Limited (BPWCCUL) will soon be rolling out a mobile unit to help meet the needs of their members.
That’s the word from President of the largest credit union on the island, Raphael Holder. Speaking to the media following the recent opening of its newest branch in Mile And A Quarter, St. Peter, Holder indicated that they are currently testing the unit, which he said is intended to broaden their reach.
“The mobile unit is about outreach, it is about getting us out there. There are other parishes on the island St. John, St. Joseph, St. Lucy that we would like to get out to, although we have a branch here, but it gives us flexibility. Maybe events, there are large events like [during] Crop Over and so forth, we can go there and set up a unit and offer our services, go to schools and try to sensitise the public as to what we are doing,” he said.
This unit, Holder said was introduced at the annual general meeting in June this year, and they expect to soon be at the point of putting into operation. In fact, the BPWCCUL’s President stated that it is hoped that by the end of the year it will be fully up and running. His comments came as said that the mobile option would bring the credit unit’s total number of facilities to five, and he said that there is no intention to introduce any more at this time.
“We are assessing the economy and looking at how we spend our dollars in terms of our capital expenditure. We have pretty much covered the island now with the opening of this branch, and with our mobile unit that should pretty much cover where we want to go, or give us the adequate coverage we need. We also have convenience services and wherever possible we would look for a location where we can put an ATM which offers the same type of services,” he said.
Holder further added also that with persons changing in respect of the way they are doing business, being more inclined to engage in online banking, there may be not be a “full need to come into a branch” as more emphasis will be placed on technology. As such, he said that while they like to maintain that personal, face to face interaction with customers, the credit unit may focus even more on technology going forward.
“The future with the youth coming on board is going to be a little different, people are more into technology as you know and you are going to have to kind of adjust to suit,” the credit unionist maintained. (JRT)