By NDUMBE BELL G ASTON
A new white collar S.C.B. Cameroun branch baptised during its inaugural ceremony as S.C.B. Platinum, flung its doors open last Thursday, July 11 in Douala. Platinum is said to be what is called a Private bank, which, S.C.B. Cameroun, a subsidiary of the Attijariwafa Group, says it is not to be patronised by just anybody, but it is exclusively created to serve high-profile or heavy weight accounts from say, individuals having inheritance and corporate entities, in what they describe as ‘in a more serene and conducive atmosphere, in a more personalized way’.
S.C.B. Cameroun is optimistic and very enthusiastic that the V.I.P. branch, the first of its kind among the 55 other agencies with 17 alone in Douala, has been created to respond to very sophisticated problems of these high profile customers by proposing equitable solutions to satisfy the highest expectations of the heavy weights.
According to their newsletter, “Platinum will offer sophisticated products and financial solutions to those who show evidence of optimal financial buoyancy”. SCB Cameroun stipulates that this new creation is within the framework of their three year development plan.
Some key services are expected to include consultancy services during negotiation sessions, placements and securities. In synergy with Attijari securities Central Africa, they will also offer services to fund real estate projects. Another key service is the offering of a product in social insurance savings with another subsidiary known as Wafa Life Insurance Cameroun.
While the representative of the Governor of the Littoral Region called for professionalism as a guide, the General Manager of S.C.B. Cameroun, Mohamed Mejbar stated that “we have brought this in Cameroun as it is already in existence where Group Attijariwafa is operational. The concept is to respond to the unique needs of each and every client. Every client has a product that corresponds to his or her needs. For example, we can peg inheritance with insurance savings in this branch. It is a personalised approach for a personalised problem. This private bank will not serve everyone. For instance the problem of a civil servant is not the same like that of a businessman. So, it is for high-profile customers”.
S.C.B. Cameroun now has 210.000 customers, 107 Automatic Teller machines, 600 workforce, two services operational in Bafousam and Garoua for SMEs and SMIs and more.