Media Release
Mangaluru, Nov 20: The Mangalorean Catholic Cooperative Bank, popularly known as MCC Bank Ltd, celebrating post centenary decennial year on November 27, is a living example of the remarkable growth and all-round development of an institution, if youth leaders with progressive vision and community concern get an opportunity to lead the institution.
The present chairman of the MCC Bank, Anil Lobo, who hails from Fermai, formerly a part of Omzoor parish in the diocese of Mangalore is known as grass root leader with a vision. His leadership qualities were nurtured from the Omzoor ICYM unit, grown at Fermai, Valencia in various parish-level organizations like Catholic Sabha, and parish council, and community organizations like Rachana.
Once the present chairman Anil Lobo took over the mantle of MCC Bank Ltd, in the year 2018 with a clear majority, branches and the administrative office transformed into customer-friendly service zones. Customers can feel the vibrancy in the smiles of the staff in each and every bank.
Soon after assuming the charge as the chairman of the bank, Anil Lobo’s first task was improvisation in customer service. For the past 4 years, the bank has trained its staff in various professional and soft skills. As a result customers of the bank rate services of the MCC Bank in par excellence with other nationalized banks. Apart from the friendly customer service, customers of the MCC Bank are of the opinion that interest rates on deposits and other products are most competitive compared to other banks.
Anil Lobo says, “MCC Bank Ltd is a limited bank. It is not a credit cooperative or souharda society. The state cooperative department looks after the registration and other statutory requirements. All remaining banking transactions come directly under the Reserve Bank of India, just like any other commercial or nationalized bank. The bank needs to comply with the guidelines and directions issued by the RBI from time to time. Just like any other nationalized or commercial bank, MCC Bank customers are protected under DICGC (Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation) cover up to Rs five lac for their deposits. There is a misunderstanding among a few that MCC Bank has no provision to operate trust (12A) accounts. This is totally false and baseless. Churches, schools, and any other trusts and organizations can operate accounts in MCC Bank without any hindrance. The bank has posted expert opinions from statutory and financial experts on our websites.”
Regarding the renovation, and relocation of the branches in the past years, Anil Lobo, says, “MCC Bank is just like a family. Every customer is just like a family member and he deserves to be treated like that. As and when a customer enters the branch they should get a homely feeling. The infrastructure of the branch and the service of the staff instill a feeling of security and trust in the customer. The entire banking industry today runs on trust and the location of the bank, infrastructure, and customer-friendly service are essential to gain and retain customers’ trust. In the fast four years from cyber security to GST, the bank has trained its staff in all areas, from the best experts available in respective areas. Now if you visit any of our branches, our staff is fully equipped with all the basic and advanced information related to banking. If we look at other banks, they have staff training colleges to train their staff. MCC Bank is completing 110 years of existence with 16 branches spread over twin districts. We were lacking a state-of-the-art staff training center to train our staff. So we decided to have a full-fledged staff training center at the administrative office.”
Regarding the stability and sustainable growth of the bank, Anil Lobo says, “Banking industry always grows on the trust of its customers. Having said that, mere air-conditioned branches and service with a smile are not enough to gain and retain customers' trust. The financial health of the bank should be stable. For example, if we go to a physician for a health check, the first thing the physician will do is check the blood pressure. If the blood pressure is normal, one can say the health is fine. I always say NPA (Non-performing Assets) is like the blood pressure of the bank. If NPA is under control, in banking, most things are under control. Next comes profit, capital, and other things, which are expert areas.”
“In the year 2020, the NPA of the bank was 7.17%. This year, as of 31.03.2022, it is 1.60%. In spite of pandemic adverse situations, we have done it. And in the history of 110 years of the bank, this is the lowest one. The net profit of the bank has grown from 3.66 crores to 8.27 crores from 2018 to 2022. These indicators are more than enough to state that MCC Bank is stable in growth and economically healthy,” he says.
Responding to the query, what is the basis to believe these figures, Anil Lobo says, “All the above figures were derived after not one but four stringent audits, that too under the supervision of RBI. Reserve bank audit means it is just like an acid test. There is no scope for any laxity. Unaware of these formalities some comment that figures are fabricated. Forget about fabrication, there is no scope for 0.001 variations in figures. Apart from reserve bank audits, there are other audits like internal audits, statutory audits, and concurrent audits. The figures appearing on the final balance sheet as on March 31, 2022 are derived after passing through all these mandatory audits. If the same health example can be elaborated further, apart from blood pressure, sometimes physicians conduct MRI, Echo, CT Scan, and other advanced tests just to reassure the health of an individual. The bank too cleared all advanced tests and its health of the bank is excellent.”
About the implementation of digital platforms in the banking system, the Anil Lobo says, “A few years ago, even the passbook printing facility was not available in the bank. The staff were struggling to update entries in the passbook manually. The banks established after MCC Bank grew into scheduled banks and they even introduced core banking and installed ATMs in their branches. Nowadays, technology is growing very fast. Within a very short period of time, 3G technology became outdated and now we are already in 5G technology. Keeping pace with fast-changing technology is not easy. But in our bank, we have a dedicated IT Team for this task. The bank has the latest version of core banking software, we have our own ATM, Out of 16 branches, 14 branches have already upgraded to fully air-conditioned environments. The remaining 2 will be upgraded soon. We have an easy to a user-friendly mobile banking app, where customers can pay electricity, telephone, and other utility bills and recharge mobiles. The IMPS facility is completely free on the mobile banking app. Before March 2023 the bank will start UPI and all other facilities for digital platforms. Soon customers will be able to do major banking transactions from home.”
Elaborating further on the post-centenary decennial celebrations of the bank, Anil Lobo says, “MCC Bank is a community bank. Long 110 years of community banking means a lot to the community which contributed to the growth of trade and commerce in the region. This year the bank has already declared and credited a 10% dividend to the shareholders. As stated earlier, credit cooperatives or souhrada societies can pay more dividends to their shareholders as they are not supposed to pay income tax. But as a bank, MCC Bank has to pay income tax. Though the bank is not in a position to pay a higher dividend, a community bank always extends support to the community's needs. To commemorate post centenary decennial year special deposit scheme is announced for a limited period at the interest rate of 7.60%.
“The bank pays 5% interest on student saving bank accounts and lends education loans to the students for higher studies @8.75% Bank encourages Konkani language activities by providing the newly built PFX Saldanha Auditorium to Konkani literary activities and programs free of cost. Apart from this on the occasion of the post-centenary decennial celebration, the bank is distributing financial aid towards education, treatment, house repairs, and marriage cost of daughters for the needy of the community ranging from Rs 10 to 15 lac. As a community bank, the bank responds well to the community needs and tries its level best to discharge community responsibilities.”
Speaking about the major achievement of his team and tenure, Anil Lobo says, “Customer satisfaction is a major achievement of our tenure. First time in the 110 years history of the bank we were successful in pulling down the NPA of the bank to 1.60%. This is remarkable. While speaking about the NPA, we only speak about bad debts or unrecovered loans. But to me every inch of space is NPA. There was no lift and ramp in our administrative office. Senior citizens and specially-abled abled persons visiting the head office find it difficult to climb the stairs. So we built the ramp and installed the lift. There was no proper parking area in the administrative office. A piece of land was lying idle behind the bank. The bank converted the space into a parking zone. On the second floor of the administrative office, an auditorium in memory of our founder PFX Saldanha, State of an art staff training center, and two restrooms for the resource persons were built. Not only the administrative office, most of the branches either upgraded or shifted to the premises with parking, ramp, and lift facility. Customers are the backbone of the bank and their satisfaction is the greatest achievement of our tenure.”
Those who know Anil Lobo, personally know his persona. He is the most grass root level worker grown into the most practical community leader in society. Besides community service, he is involved in various social activities which promote brotherhood. He is the youngest elected chairman in the 110 years history of the MCC Bank Ltd.
In his concluding remarks, he says, “We are living in a very competitive world. Not alone banking, all sectors face tough challenges, sometimes challenges of survival. Bearing this in mind the bank administrative office exteriors upgraded to a corporate look. Continuing the legacy of our ancestors should be our responsibility, and developing it should be our duty.”
Post-Centenary Decennial Celebrations
To commemorate the post-centenary decennial celebrations of the bank a grand event has been organized on Sunday November 27 at Milagres College Grounds, Hampankatta at 5.45 pm.
The celebration will start with a thanksgiving Eucharistic Mass at 3.45 pm at Our Lady Of Miracles Church, Milagres. Dr Peter Paul Saldanha, bishop, diocese of Mangalore will inaugurate the stage programme. Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo, bishop, diocese of Udupi will bless the celebrations. Vedavyasa Kamath, MLA, Mangalore south, and Dr Ronald Colaco, NRI entrepreneur and philanthropist, UAE will be the chief guests.
Anil Lobo has requested the members and customers of the bank to kindly grace and enhance the joy of celebration.
Vehicle parking is available at Milagres Church, Milagres Hall, and the ground opposite Hotel Motimahal. The celebration will conclude with the dinner and the stage programme will be followed by a cultural programme by renowned artistes.