‘Global Finance’ names CTBC ‘Best Bank in Taiwan’

The famous international financial magazine Global Finance organized an online ceremony on Tuesday to announce the winners of the “Best Global Bank Awards 2021”. CTBC Bank Co (中國 信託 銀行) was named “Best Bank in Taiwan” for its excellent business performance in terms of revenue, profit and asset scale, despite the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Global Finance also credited CTBC for its digital innovation and team effort to help clients apply for government relief loans during the pandemic.

The organizer of the awards said CTBC has continuously made inroads into overseas markets despite intense competition in the market. This year, the bank increased its stake in LH Financial Group PCL to 46.6%, making it the largest shareholder in the Thai group and further expanding its cross-border financial services.

In the Asia-Pacific region, CTBC also continues to maintain its leadership in M&A financing and renewable energy project financing, the organizer said. It has been mandated on several occasions by leading companies and international private equity funds to act as lead bank in the coordination of transactions.

CTBC said that due to the rise of digital banking services and the effect of COVID-19, the number of visitors to its branches has declined by 12% over the past two years, while the number of customers of mobile banking services grew by 47% during the period. .

This indicates that customers are ready to use digital financial services, CTBC said.

Corporate customers have also shifted their transactions from physical to digital channels, with the number of transactions through mobile apps increasing 144% last year.

During the pandemic, CTBC actively built contactless services and introduced digital banking services in worker relief loans. This year, around 99% of workers’ relief loans were applied for online, and 97% of their applications were completed through the bank’s fully automated intelligent processing system, CTBC said.

In addition, CTBC processed more than 360,000 relief loan applications for the second year in a row, surpassing other private banks, he said.

CTBC has also taken the lead in adopting Apple Inc’s Business Chat financial service, which is directly integrated with Apple’s Messages app, with the goal of developing a unique financial ecosystem and better serving its customers.

The app turns customers’ iPhones into an ATM and office, while helping customers pay the fees, the bank said. The service plans to add features to help customers find nearby merchants participating in CTBC’s reward program, and further boost the development of local businesses, he said.

During the pandemic, CTBC won “Most Useful Banks in Asia-Pacific During COVID-19” and “Most Useful Transaction Bank During COVID-19 in Taiwan” from The Asian Banker magazine.

This year, the bank was recognized by three world-renowned magazines: Global Finance, Asiamoney and FinanceAsia.