Banking protocol too onerous

THE EDITOR, Sir:

I AM concerned about the protocol of certain commercial banks here in Jamaica. They seem to be lagging so far behind the world.

I don’t expect them to be on par with, say, the banks in the USA, but I am sure they can do better than what they are currently doing.

On top of that, their policies seem to be counter-productive and are not customer-friendly. I have grouses with two banks, namely, the Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS) and CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank.

I cannot understand why BNS will not, as a matter of policy, issue a debit card to a customer who is blind. Their excuse is that they don’t have any visually impaired-friendly ATMs. Is it that they believe that a blind person cannot have a trusted family member to help them conduct their business. I wonder if that blind person should appoint a person with the power of attorney to conduct their business, if they would also deny that person the right to do so?

A family member who is selfemployed recently went to CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank to open an account. Naturally, the family member would not have a pay advice that is a requirement to open such an account with them, and so was not able to do so?

Is it that CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank believes that only persons working with an organisation that furnishes a pay advice can join their banking system? I see this as discriminatory and disenfranchising many from freely choosing the bank that they wish to do business with.

C. FRANCIS

Greater Portmore