Wealth & Finance International - March 2017

Wealth & Finance International 4 Great Expectations Ahead irst of all, I must say that it is a moment of tremendous pride and honour for me on behalf of Azizi Bank, Afghanistan (the largest bank in the country), to win this prestigious Finest in Finance - Best Bank in Afghanistan award from the team at Wealth & Finance International. These sentiments were expressed sin- cerely by my colleagues Samrat Dutta and Mohammad Osman Nowrozi when they visited the offices of the esteemed Wealth & Finance Interna- tional magazine on 29th March to collect their trophy for this prestigious award. They greatly enjoyed their visit to the UK, enjoying the stunning countryside viewed from the train and the City of London equally. This award means a lot for me Azizi Bank, which I believe is the place to do banking in Afghanistan, with our superior customer service approach, state-of-the-art technology in line with banks from other countries. We are currently in a growing phase, and we have great ex- pectations for the future, indeed we dream of becoming the best quality bank in Afghanistan, providing nothing but world class services. We need such international recognition to build upon our brand and sustain its strong image. I am once again gratified to your esteemed organisation in recognising a bank from the Islamic Republic of Af- ghanistan for this prestigious award. I believe that Afghanistan should be viewed in a positive way, and be supported by bigger banks in other countries. In terms of my own background, I have been associated with the bank since its inception. I started my career as a teller - and I then moved into various positions which included credit and finance - before becoming the President and CEO in August 2016. I have also served as the Azizi Bank’s Deputy CEO for 5 years. I have been widely responsi- ble in developing local human resources and personally founded the capacity building programme at the bank. In addition - I have a doctorate in Financial Management from one of the leading Indian University - plus an MBA with specialisation in Bank- ing, Risk Management and Finance. Azizi Bank and its role in the banking sector Azizi Bank is a commercial bank in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan set up in 2006. It has been the vision of Mr. ‘Mirwais Azizi of the distin- guished Azizi Hotak Group and their family, to set up an establishment in the country that provides banking services to all sectors of the popu- lation. This came at a time when banking services in the country were having challenges of their own, after the time of the Taliban regime. The bank was initially set up with a capital of $5 million and 25 employ- ees. Today - we have statutory paid up capital of more than $80 million with the central bank - and employ more than 1500 members of staff. The bank remains the largest banking group in Afghanistan today, with more than 145 branches spread across the country. Presently, Azizi Bank is the market leader in the country in terms of absolute business, percentage share and network. Azizi Bank banking products Azizi Bank is currently offering all types of banking products as per the customer needs and requirements. We offer current and savings ac- counts in four currencies – AFN, US Dollars, Euro & GBP. The following are the other products and services currently being offered by Azizi Bank, apart from the vanilla CASA: • Fixed deposits with attractive rates in AFN and US Dollars; • Salary savings & current accounts for corporates and institutions; • Trade finance products which includes – bank guarantees, letter of credit and term loans; • Business loans; • Treasury products; • Domestic and international remittances; • Master credit and debit cards, ATM cards; • Master pre-paid cards and; • Western Union and SWIFT. The bank, by the second quarter of 2017, will increase its CASA variants by introducing products targeting children, students, women, senior citizens and high net-worth corporate individuals. The bank also offers the following services: • Internet and mobile banking; • 24-hour call centre facility; • Instant account opening at all branches; • Biometric finger print recognition at branches for enhanced securi- ty; • Green channel at branches for fast and efficient cash dealings; • Dedicated priority counters and lounges for VIP customers; • Dedicated relationship manager for VIP and high net worth custom- ers; • ATMs, cash dispensers and video kiosks (the latter is coming soon); • Branch less banking through POS devices and; • Extended branch business hours. We are evaluating further digitalisation process to enhance the level of service for customers, by introducing more innovative features and services in line with the best practices at the other international banks, thereby creating an impetus in the individual and national growth of the country. To celebrate the success of Azizi Bank winning the Finest in Finance - Best Bank in Afghanistan award, Mohammad Salem Omaid, President and CEO writes about this bank’s amazing array of services, plus their emphasis on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities, as well as women’s emancipation in the workplace. F 1703WF39