Li Minghai: build the most respectable financial enterprises
( chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-12-13

On November 18, ICBC Xingtai Branch Governor Li Minghai came to “Learn New Knowledge, Transform the Growth Model and Promote Development” Program of Xingtai Television Station to be interviewed by Xingtai Daily. During the interview, Governor Li explained in detail the practice of ICBC Xingtai Branch introducing the company’s practices of learning-oriented team building, their approach to transformation and development, focus on people’s livelihood and support for local economic development.

Xingtai Television Station: In which aspects has the bank carried out the “Learn New Knowledge” program of Xingtai Municipal Party Committee and Government?

Li Minghai: We have energetically carried out the “Learn New Knowledge” program and made the effort to build a learning-oriented bank. We have integrated the “Learn New Knowledge” program of Xingtai Municipal Party Committee and Government with the thematic educational activities of ICBC, with the promotion of corporate culture and with the study of new businesses and products, all of which has produced very positive effects. We have mainly organized this learning around the following five aspects: firstly, to consolidate the learning of the central group of the party committee, firmly fostering a more scientific outlook on development and raising the ability of the leading group in scientific development. Secondly, to centralize the training of the managerial personnel, giving them the opportunity to visit branches and sub-branches in developed areas, and so raising the overall competence and management level of grass-roots managers. Thirdly we aim to implement a “concentrated learning on learning days” system, improving the competence of employees through DVD training and lectures by experts, allowing them to learn about new businesses and accumulate new knowledge. The fourth is to assign trainers to sub-branches and directly administered outlets to train the employees face to face. The fifth is to carry out “general discussion, general standard compliance and general action”, offer advice and suggestions for the “the ICBC develops me, I develop ICBC” program, “focus on the key points, reflect on highlights and overcome difficulties”, increase efficiency of the “three centers” within the head office, accelerate ideological integration and concept renewal and promote the transformation and development of the bank. By the end of October, the bank increased RMB3.35 billion of loans and RMB3.52 billion of deposits, realized RMB200 million of intermediate income and had ascended to the top position within the industry in terms of market share. The bank has also taken the industrial lead in 25 key business indicators.

Xingtai Television Station: How does your bank support the local economic transformation and development of our city?

Li Minghai: We have quickened the development of characteristic competitive products and made an all out effort to support local economic transformation and development. ICBC Xingtai Branch has always regarded promoting the transformation of the current economic development path and economic restructuring as part of the bank’s social responsibility, and this forms the foundation of its sustainable development. Facing the complex economic and financial situation this year and an increasingly tightened monetary policy, the bank has adapted to the situation. It has seized opportunities, and pushed for the upgrading of local industries and the optimization of the economic structure by means of accelerating transformation of credit businesses and increasing issuance of credit. From January to October, the bank increased RMB3.35 billion of loans, accounting for 45.3% of total loans granted, topping the list of the four state-owned commercial banks in Xingtai. Firstly, the bank did its best to support the construction of major projects, had specific leaders be responsible for them, set up a marketing team for major projects, assigned full-time customer managers and heightened marketing efforts. From January to October, RMB900 million of loans were issued to the various projects. Secondly, the bank increased credit support to key enterprises. We carefully analyzed new features and changes to financing demand from the key industries and pillar enterprises in Xingtai and provided timely financial support in multiple dimensions. We issued RMB2.1 billion of working capital loans for key enterprises. We actively looked for the connecting points between credit transformation and regional economic development and handled RMB630 million of credit business for real economy and processing enterprises. Thirdly, we rendered more support to SMEs. We actively promoted the development of corporate credit business and building up a network of branch offices throughout the urban area and counties. From January to October, RMB860 million of loans were issued to small enterprises. Meanwhile, in order to support the quick development of the small enterprises in industrial clusters, the bank made innovations in guarantee methods, established “joint guarantee bodies” of enterprises, launching the brand “Cable Mutual Aid”, cumulatively issuing RMB135 million worth of more loans for 26 small cable enterprises. Fourthly, the bank quickened its personal business loan service in response to demand from the industrial clusters, specialized markets, and street-front shops in the downtown area. From January to October, it accumulatively issued RMB400 million of personal business loans, an increase of RMB280 million leaving it with a market share ranked first in the industry.

Xingtai Television Station: In which aspects has your bank taken action to assume social responsibility in a better manner?

Li Minghai: We have paid close attention to the people’s livelihood, assumed social responsibility and strived to build the most respectable financial enterprise. While quickening transformation and development, ICBC Xingtai Branch provided active services and made contributions to the society. This year, in order to solve the problem of of arrears in the payment of rural migrant workers’ wages, the bank made an active effort to establish a management service platform and researched and developed a construction labor service real name system “One-Card” program under the cooperation of the construction authority of Xingtai. This program drew a great deal of attention from the leaders of the State Council. Premier Wen Jiabao and vice premiers Hui Liangyu and Zhang Dejiang gave important comments on this. During November 3 to 5, the survey group of the State Council came to Xingtai to conduct a field survey and affirmed the practice of our bank. The full name of the “One-Card” program is “Construction Worker Money-link Card”. It is a personal general account of which the service provider is the ICBC Peony Money-link Card. It has both financial functions like issuance of wages on a commission basis and acts like Money-link Card, and has management functions like information acquisition, query, statistics, attendance and wages. “One-Card” may more effectively solve the problems relating to construction rural migrant workers’ management and service, crack the hard nut of arrears in rural migrant workers’ wages and help build harmonious labor relations. In this March, the program was officially launched. During implementation, the headquarters and the provincial branch of ICBC attached much importance and gave great support to it. Xingtai Branch has set up a special project team and formulated a sound implementation plan. By now, the program has invested nearly RMB4 million and been used in 18 construction sites of 13 municipal enterprises and 3 county enterprises, winning the unanimous praise of rural migrant workers. In the future, the bank will quicken its development of compound chip cards with various industrial functions and financial functions, introduce the functions in health insurance, social insurance, pensions, commercial insurance and other sectors, realizing the “One-Card” in a real sense and providing more comprehensive and more advanced general financial services for the society and customers.