His Excellency,  President Dr Alhaji Yahya Jammeh received a delegation from Trust Bank Ltd, led by Dodou Nyang, the marketing manager, at his home in Kanilai, yesterday. The group came to inform the president about SMS banking that Trust Bank was introducing into The Gambia.

"SMS Banking will change forever the way you relate to your bank. Through your mobile phone, you will be able to view your account balance, receive details of your last five transactions, transfer funds from account to account, view up to date foreign exchange rates, and the exciting bit, you will be able to top up your mobile phone credit using money in your bank account from your mobile phone!

Soon, in a month or so, you will also be able to pay your utility bills. And even  be able to top-up your NAWEC CashPower from your mobile phone. "We are proud of The Gambia and we are proud of our President", said Mr. Nyang.

An equally proud President Jammeh dilated on the ten-year history of the Trust Bank and said that the success of the Trust bank is one of the unheralded success stories of his government.

"Trust Bank made it possible for us to do what we did. The partnership is here to stay. It is a matter of trust between The Gambia government and Trust Bank. We saved Trust Bank and we preserved the branch in The Gambia. Today, it is a household name.

Majority shareholders are Gambian. We are proud of you," concluded the president.

Further questioned by the Daily Observer, Mr Nyang said that "Security and confidentiality was paramount in the whole project from day one.

We guarantee security totally for our clients. Every account holder will be given a four digit pin number that is specific to their personal phone number, specific to their account and specific to their mobile phone operator. The customer is free to change the 4-digit number as and when they wish."

The meeting was punctuated by jollity as President Jammeh and Mr. Dodou Nyang were at Gambia Senior School at the same time.