BARCLAYS GROUP CHIEF EXECUTIVE VISITS TANZANIA AND OFFICIATES THE FIRST PAPERLESS BANKING INITIATIVE IN TANZANIA

Barclays Chief Executive Antony Jenkins has visited Tanzania where he has met with regulators, customers, employees and other local stakeholders. In the meetings with stakeholders, Mr. Jenkins has been reiterating the bank's strategy in Africa and its commitment to continue playing a key role in deepening the region's financial services sector.

Mr Jenkins said: "Africa continues to record strong economic growth and presents one of the world's major investment opportunities today. The continent needs the support of institutions which can consistently provide the requisite support and investment that allows for sustainable growth."

He added: "The creation of Barclays Africa Group Limited last year positions Barclays well to support development in Africa and deepen the continent's financial markets. Our wide geographical footprint, our long history and unique capabilities across Africa give us a great opportunity to help facilitate economic growth across the continent"

Barclays Bank Tanzania Managing Director, Kihara Maina said: 'The visit by our Chief Executive demonstrates the Group's commitment to continue driving the Africa strategy across our markets, which includes Tanzania. This demonstrates Barclays continuing commitment to Africa. Our Africa strategy highlights implementation of technology that makes our customers lives much easier while introducing efficiencies that drive costs lower for the bank and therefore our customers.

He added: "The visit by Antony comes at a time when we are making tremendous improvements in customer excellence, with the recent launch of Paperless Banking, customers can now enjoy a seamless experience whenever they visit any Barclays branch nationwide. This is a fantastic innovation and a milestone to be proud of, customers can now complete their teller banking transactions in less than three minutes with no fill in slips required for cash and cheque deposits, cash withdrawals and cash encashment This initiative has tremendously cut down the cost to serve but also reduced turnaround time to transact for customers. Paperless banking sets the stage as a key enabler for cheque scanning and eventually further supporting cheque truncation required by the Central Bank. This makes us the only bank ready for Bank of Tanzania's automated Clearing House initiative which includes cheque truncation in Tanzania."

Barclays Group Chief Executive, Antony Jenkins (left), listening as Barclays Bank Tanzania Chief Operating Officer, Sabiha Gulam (right), illustrates how paperless banking works. 

Barclays Bank Tanzania Managing Director, Kihara Maina (right), with Board Audit Chairman, Simon Mponji (centre) and Barclays Group Chief Executive, Antony Jenkins (left), at the Barclays Premier Centre at Ohio Street.

A Barclays Bank customer, doing transactions via the new paperless banking.

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