Investing in products, human resource key to success: Chairman

Business

INVESTMENTS in products and human resource is a recipe for success, according to Bank South Pacific chairman Sir Kostas Constantinou.
The bank employs about 4000 workers in the Pacific.
“I must say every one of them is extremely committed,” he said.
“What we try to instil is culture. If people are happy, we are happy and making returns (making money) which is part of the game.
“We send our staff all over the world for training. We care for our staff and we invest into the right products and improving it. The big thing is about culture.”
Providing an update on assets BSP acquired from Westpac in Polynesia and Melanesian nations in recent years, Sir Kostas said: “We are progressing extremely well with nationals of those countries running those organisations in Samoa, Vanuatu, Fiji.
“Our drive is to have nationals of those countries running the businesses just like in PNG.”
He said there were not too many expats at BSP in PNG.
He also said the bank had plans to enter the Laos market which was a Southeast Asian country traversed by the Mekong River and known for its mountainous terrain, French colonial architecture, hill tribe settlements and Buddhist monasteries.
“Potential there is great – four billion US tourist go in there every year,” Sir Kostas said.
“We have the knowledge to work in environments that grow. So far, Cambodia is good, we expect Lao and in fullness of time we go into Myanmar.”
Domestically, Sir Kostas pointed out that the bank has a community obligation to provide service in remote areas “even where it does not make money”.