Submissions will be assessed in the following categories:  

Corporate Social Responsibility

How a commercial bank exhibits company values through positive influence on surrounding communities, taking into account the following:

• Need of the community (environmental, youth and senior citizens programmes; sponsorships etc);
• Programme uniqueness; sustainability and creativity;
• Impact; and
• Bank employees’ engagement.

Corporate Governance

The extent to which a commercial bank adopts and employs best practices in corporate governance to help ensure resilience in the financial system, based on the following criteria:

• Timely release of financial statements;
• Adoption of best practices in Board recruitment and assessment;
• Convening of scheduled Board meetings;
• Mandatory regulatory reporting to the ECCB; and
• Design and implementation of programmes/policies geared towards continuous improvement in corporate governance.

Customer Service

The commercial bank’s delivery of personalised commercial and retail banking products and services to its clients, taking into account

• Clearly stated policies and best practices promoting customer service excellence;
• Customer feedback programmes;
• Customer appreciation programmes;
• Commitment to customer service excellence via the continued development of staff; and
• Improvement of facilities and services.

Financial Education and Empowerment

How a commercial bank promotes a better understanding of financial services and products, entrepreneurship, and general savings and investments issues, taking into consideration:

• Participation in Financial Information Month;
• Participation in or coordination of outreach programmes promoting entrepreneurship, savings and investments;
• Provision of small business credit and advisory services; and
• Spear-heading initiatives to educate citizens about asset management and protection.

Risk Management

The risk management practices of a commercial bank, which include: 

• Effective risk management processes, policies and systems including risk treatment plans and risk management training;
• Adoption of  risk management best practices; and
• Improvements made to the bank’s risk function over the past year.

Technological Innovation

The commercial bank’s novel delivery of initiatives or policies that enhance the bank’s products and services by providing innovative technological solutions for market needs, taking into account:

• Use of digital channels to enhance customer experience;
• FinTech initiatives; and
• Efficiency in use of technology.