WESTMORELAND, Jamaica — National Commercial Bank (NCB) Financial Group Chairman, Michael Lee-Chin said plans are currently in place to expand the bank’s Automated Teller Machine (ATM) network across the island in a move to enhance customer access to banking services.

“You know, the plan is, we need to ensure that all Jamaicans have access to financial services. So, we are not just going to be replacing. We want to make sure that we are blanketing the country with ATMs,” Lee-Chin said.

In recent times, ATMs across the inland have been vandalised or stolen by criminals and in other cases, locations have been closed by banks.

However, speaking to journalists in Westmoreland last Thursday, the Jamaican-born billionaire noted that the objective of NCB is to ensure that all have access to financial services. While not giving details, Lee-Chin said some hurdles must be overcome before it becomes a reality.

“There are some challenges that we have to work through which we are now working through,” stated Lee-Chin.

In March, it was reported by Loop News that NCB had plans to roll out at least 50 more ABMs in places where they are most needed economically.

NCB, which is the largest bank on the island, has approximately 300 of the 824 ATMs or 36 per cent of the total machines island-wide — the largest network. Scotia, the second largest bank currently has 35 per cent of ATMs followed by the third largest bank, Jamaica National at 18 per cent.

— Anthony Lewis