BANK of South Pacific received a pat on its back for being a bank that was moving in the right direction from the President, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, himself.
While opening the newly refurbished Suva Central branch, BSP Premium and BSP First, Ratu Epeli reminded guests that it was only a few years ago when BSP entered Fiji as a small operator with a niche market in December 2006.
"Now it has certainly expanded to be the bank with the most number of banking sites in Fiji with 98 ATMs, 287 EFTPOS merchants, 822 EFTPOS terminals and 20 branches.
"BSP has also expanded in terms of its deposit base which increased to more than 196,000 deposit accounts at the end of December 2011 valued at more than $620 million.
"With the pace of development and technology that we now experience, I have noted that with improved awareness and education over the years, Fijians now demand better banking services that are commensurate with banking fees levied to them. BSP is trying to strike that balance between profitability and the delivery of good banking services," Ratu Epeli said.
Among those witnessing the opening were BSP board members who were in the country for a board meeting.
"BSP's initiatives to improve its market share of Fiji's banking industry are notable.
"The bank continues to strengthen its compliance with prescribed requirements for lending to the agriculture and renewable energy sectors, in line with government's objectives of increasing sustainable growth."