Que Do Bank was renamed the Saigon Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SCB) on April 8, 2003. After five years, from being a bank on the verge of bankruptcy, SCB has emerged as one of best-performing lenders in Vietnam. SCB’s chartered capital and funds are above VND2,000 billion (US$125 million).
After obtaining approval from the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) and the State Securities Commission of Vietnam (SSC) in December 2007, SCB issued convertible bonds at total par value of VND1,399,999,500,000. Accordingly, SCB’s chartered capital will exceed VND3,000 billion in early 2009. As of the end of the first quarter of 2008, SCB’s total assets were VND28,725 billion, ranking fifth among commercial joint stock banks in Ho Chi Minh City. Its deposits valued VND25,151 billion, outstanding loans were VND21,481 billion and pre-tax profit was VND136 billion. SCB operated 58 transaction points across the country at that point. The success comes from the dynamic and creative executives and the devotion and solidarity of all staff.
For the past five years, the lives of SCB staff have been significantly improved. In the past three years, average employee income doubled. Collective unions such as party, women and trade unions are encouraged to improve their functions at the bank. They encourage the staff to devote more to the bank and advise executives to apply staff-oriented policies. Apart from high salary and treatments in accordance with the Labour Code, SCB also provided other welfares such as life insurance, accident insurance and accumulative savings. With a majority female staff, SCB’s leaders always take care of women’s days such as International Women’s Day and Vietnamese Women’s Day. Many transaction offices only have female staff.
In addition, SCB also takes care of their family members. Annually, the bank organises family festivals, in which its leaders usually grant meaningful awards to children bearing excellent student titles. Eastern people traditionally treasure men more than women, but this is not the case in SCB. The bank has three female deputy general directors. All staff, especially female, are well-trained to meet the development demand of the banking sector. Well-qualified and devoted employees are promoted to keep key positions in the bank. Arguably, the care for the staff is the strength of SCB, in which all members joined efforts to develop the “SCB Family”.
Besides, SCB also pays attention to social development activities. In 2007 alone, SCB donated over VND30 billion to social development programmes. SCB takes seriously its corporate responsibility to the community. It actively donated funds to flood victims in central Vietnam, victims of the Can Tho Bridge collapse, poor patients, old people and disabled people. To date, SCB is known as the “bank for community.” Most recently, SCB was awarded the certificate of merit from the Ho Chi Minh City authority for its contributions to the “For the poor” programme in 2007 and the “For the development of the community” cup from the Vietnam Fatherland Front. SCB’s executives determined that the 18th “Global Summit of Women” is an important political event in Vietnam. This summit will spread the image of Vietnamese land and people, especially Vietnamese women, in the eyes of international friends. Thus, SCB decided to sponsor the summit, becoming the gold sponsor.
Vu Thi Kim Cuc, Deputy General Director of SCB, said: “Vietnamese history names many female heroes. Ba Trieu, Ba Trung, Nguyen Thi Dinh, Vo Thi Sau, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Vo Thi Thang and others create the image of Vietnamese women: heroic, indomitable, faithful and hard-working. Vietnam also has many female heroes in the industrialisation and modernisation process. SCB wants to make contributions to highlight the image of Vietnamese women in the renovation process. This is also a chance for Vietnamese women to meet international friends and seek cooperation.
Quang Dai
Vietnamese
