Heritage to Assume Control of FCIB Buildings Countrywide

Steven Duncan

So what will become of FCIB’s infrastructures in the various districts.  According to Duncan, a majority of those buildings will be used to expand Heritage’s operations where necessary, including the downtown location once home to FCIB’s flagship office.

Steven Duncan, Managing Director, Heritage Bank

“First Caribbean owned three of the branches they have and the other two are rented, leased.  So, if we were to take them one at a time, if we start with their southernmost branch which is Dangriga, both First Caribbean and Heritage own the properties in Dangriga.  We just built ours about a year ago so we took a decision that we will stay in the more recent building and that’s the one on Ecumenical Drive so the office of First Caribbean that is opposite the police station will not be opened from Monday onwards.  So the customers of First Caribbean would need to use the Heritage Bank branch on Ecumenical Drive.  In the case of Belmopan, Heritage Bank is leasing property there but First Caribbean owns the property there.  So we took a decision to move into the property that is owned by First Caribbean because it will now become ours.  That transition will also take place this weekend where we will relocate our staff and our equipment and everything to the First Caribbean premises.  So the customers of First Caribbean will be on familiar territory there and the customers of Heritage Bank would need to start to use the office of First Caribbean.  In Orange Walk, both banks are leasing but Heritage Bank recently purchased and we are constructing the building now.  That office building is expected to be ready between June and July.  So a decision was taken for Heritage Bank’s office to be relocated to the First Caribbean’s office in Orange Walk because we feel that the First Caribbean’s office is more central and so we’ve relocated and we will be there for the next six months or so until our own office is ready and then we move into that.  In the case of Belize City, First Caribbean has two offices in Belize City.  There’s one downtown Albert Street and there is one by the Save-U Plaza, the BelCan Bridge area there.  Because of our location here on Princess Margaret Drive which is about three hundred yards from there, from BelCan, we will not keep the BelCan office open.  So from Monday that is closed.  That will be closed on Monday.  However, Heritage Bank does not have an office downtown and we plan to now keep the Albert Street office open and so now we are setting up a branch on Albert Street and that will continue under the Heritage brand.”