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CHARLESTOWN, NEVIS, August 6, 2020 (DBSKN) — After operating from rented facilities for the last 39 years, the Nevis branch of the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis on Wednesday August 5 started serving its clients from a new location on Chapel Street in Charlestown’s Central Business District.

“The environment is light years ahead of where we were and I hope that the service that we provide to our clients would similarly be that way,” said Development Bank’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Lenworth Harris, at a ceremony held at the new location to bless the building. “This brings us into the heart of the financial centre of Nevis and so we should be as easily accessible as anyone else.”

The new office is located in the building formerly occupied by the St. Christopher and Nevis Social Security Board on Chapel Street in Charlestown which has since been purchased by the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis.

The ceremony was chaired by Development Bank’s Manager for Human Resources Ms Danienne Brin, and the blessing was conducted by Pastor Euclid Lawrence of Crossroad Community Church in Brown Pasture. In attendance were the two Nevis-based directors of the bank, Mr Floyd Harris and Mr Stephen Jones.

“We have claimed to be the most important financial institution in the Federation, and as we are here now in the heart of Charlestown, because we indeed are – we must demonstrate it in every way,” Mr Harris advised the staff. He was accompanied by Mr Laurinston Matthew, Manager, Management Information Systems, Ms Derecia Walters, Executive Assistant, and Ms Vernitha Evelyn, Marketing Officer from the head office in St. Kitts.

The Chief Executive Officer added: “I hope that this building – this nice ambience and fresh surrounding would really provide with the impetus for us as members of staff and management and the Board to input more effort and more energy into the delivering and fulfilment of our mandate to the people of Nevis.”

He thanked the Branch Manager, Ms Hyacinth Pemberton, and the members of staff, singling out Mr Clyde Williams, the Bank’s Technical Officer, and Mr Jefferson Merchant, the Bank’s Executive Support Officer who is based in St. Kitts, all who he complimented and commended for their hard work.

“Today is indeed a special day for us at the Nevis Branch of the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis, because after 39 years of existence, the branch has finally found its permanent home,” said Branch Manager Ms Pemberton. “The journey was long, but successful and to all who made this opening today a reality, we are truly grateful. From the Board of Directors, to Management and staff, contactors and anyone else who assisted in any way, we are truly grateful.”

Pastor Euclid Lawrence, who is a longstanding client of the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis, in quoting from Psalm 127 advised that it is God who gave them the ability to accomplish what had been achieved at the branch office that morning and told them to give thanks to God.

“Let’s keep in mind as we move forward that without God nothing can be achieved and I know this is a season when it seems as though, particularly among our young, we want to push God out of the equation,” observed Pastor Lawrence. “God would have spoken a whole lot about banking – money is mentioned in the Bible more times than anything else. So He wants us then as you have done, to continue to invest so that you cannot only make a profit, rather as well to invest in people of this particular Federation.”

Opening of the new branch on Wednesday morning was delayed to accommodate the blessing ceremony. A number of customers came before the announced delayed opening time of 11:00 am and waited outside. The first to get in and get served was Mrs Jeannette Robinson.    

“This new branch of Development Bank is very convenient because it is right there in town – you just make your rounds like a one stop shop, right in town,” said Mrs Robinson. “The new branch is delivering wonderful service, and I am very satisfied and very impressed with this new location.”