| Fizah HAB |
BANKING major HSBC’s move to wind down its operations in Brunei Darussalam has prompted several customers to raise questions regarding their saving accounts and loans with the bank.
A customer of HSBC Gadong shared his concern for people who are using HSBC loan services primarily to pay for their car, home or personal loans. The bank should provide a solid solution to manage the customers who still pay their debts through loans as most of them are unable to pay in cash, he said, hoping that HSBC Brunei will inform the customers about how they are going to manage the issue and at the same time provide good options to them.
Another customer said he has already transferred his saving account to another bank to avoid future complications. “Thanks to HSBC’s early announcement of the decision on its website and their helpful advices provided via the hotline, I was able to transfer my saving account without much trouble.”
Some customers have decided to opt for the wait-and-see option, especially those who are using HSBC loan services. A government worker, who uses HSBC as medium for her car loan, commented that the bank’s decision is unlikely to affect her account in HSBC.
“HSBC has assured that only new accounts and applications for loans will be affected by the decision. Current accounts and facilities especially for loans are unaffected for the time being. They also suggested looking for alternative solutions including transferring accounts to other banks,” she said.
A representative from the bank said that current and saving accounts and loan facilities are still being maintained and the recent announcement only pertains to opening of new accounts, facilities or businesses. He added that that HSBC Brunei will update the customers over the coming months of any future changes and will provide them with details and requirements relating to the services and accounts with the bank.
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