Closure of some RBTT branches complete

The Port Antonio Branch, branch of the RBTT Bank in Portland closed its doors for the final time at 2 o'clock, Tuesday afternoon.

This comes four months after RBTT first announced the closure of three of its 20 branches islandwide.

Branches in Fairfield, St. James, and Southdale in St Elizabeth, were also closed on Tuesday.

According to Clive Grayson, Manager of the RBTT Port Antonio branch, the closure of accounts and relocation of others proceeded in an orderly manner over the past four months, with a particularly busy period on Monday and Tuesday.

The closure has had serious repercussions for the Port Antonio business community with a large number of schools, hotels and small businesses bearing the brunt of the transition.

According to Vincent Holgate, hotelier, businessman and President of the Portland Chamber of Commerce, the closure has been devastating for the business community, particularly for person holding loans since the closest RBTT branches are in Ocho Rios, St. Ann and Kingston, and many persons do not have the facilities for on line banking.

Meanwhile, an undisclosed number of port Antonio based RBTT employees, who have given outstanding customer service through the banks transition from Citizens Bank to Union Bank and then to RBTT, are expected to join the ranks of Portland's unemployed.