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COTE D’IVOIRE / BANKS REOPEN

Cote d'Ivoire's banks began reopening across the country on Thursday after a ten-week shutdown. Thousands lined up to retrieve money and receive back-pay on salaries. ONUCI
U110429e
Video Length
00:02:13
Production Date
Asset Language
Geographic Subject
MAMS Id
U110429e
Description

STORY: COTE D’IVOIRE / BANKS REOPEN
TRT: 2:13
SOURCE: ONUCI
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGAUGES: FRENCH / NATS

DATELINE: 28 APRIL 2011, ABIDJAN, COTE D’IVOIRE

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Shotlist

1. Wide shot, exterior national Banque de l'habitat de Côte d'Ivoire (BHCI)
2. Med shot, customer in front of the gate (portal) of the bank
3. VOXPOP (French) Customer, Banque de l'habitat de Côte d'Ivoire:
“Everybody appeared at the same time. Thus banks have difficulty in managing us. We have all the difficulties to enter banks and be able to take our assets, our money.”
4. Med shot, customer in front of a national bank
5. Wide shot, customers under a cover in course of a bank
6. Med shot, exterior Banque Internationale pour l'Afrique Occidentale Cote d'Ivoire (BIAO-CI)
7. Med shot, customers
8. VOXPOP (French) Customer, Banque Internationale pour l'Afrique Occidentale Cote d'Ivoire:
“I arrived since 7 a.m. I was not able to get even five francs. I was not able to get. Automatic teller machines are closed. I have a magnetic card, automatic teller machines are closed; chequebooks also, the others have checks, when they go inside bank they don’t get their money.”
9. VOXPOP (French) Customer:
“Really we are not satisfied. Are not satisfied us. We have to say to us the truth. The agents of banks do not speak to us.”
10. VOXPOP (French) Customer:
“We do not have means of transportation anymore.”
11. Wide shot, customers in front of the BIAO-CI
12. Wide shot, customers in front of the BIAO-CI
13. Pan right, BIAO-CI to La Société Générale de Banques en Côte d’Ivoire (SGBCI)
14. Wide shot, customers in front of bank SGBCI
15. SOUNDBITE (French) Customer, Banque Internationale pour l'Afrique Occidentale Cote d'Ivoire:
“Sincerely, there is a bad organization at the level of banks because since 5 am in the morning, we are there, no piece of information. We do not know if there is money or it has not. Nobody comes to say to us what takes place, it is pitiful. Nevertheless yesterday, they said to us that it have some money. If they have money they have to say to us something, because it was patients among us, because we have to be tired.”
16. Med shot, guards closing bank gate
17. SOUNDBITE (French) Customer, Banque de l'habitat de Côte d'Ivoire:
“Banks close at 2 p.m. Thus from 2 p.m. if you are not brought in, it is finished, kept silent go back tomorrow. If we cannot pay the transport to go to its workplace, maintaining that we shall have the salary, we shall resume back the service in front of the new authorities.
18. Wide shot, exterior BHCI

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Storyline

Cote d’Ivoire’s banks began reopening across the country on Thursday (28 Apr) after a ten-week shutdown. Thousands lined up to retrieve money and receive back-pay on salaries.

The banks were not able to service the overwhelming number of people who had turned up. Customers expressed disappointment over shortages of cash and banks had to station armed soldiers outside for security.

VOXPOP (French) Customer, Banque de l'habitat de Côte d'Ivoire:
“Everybody appeared at the same time. Thus banks have difficulty in managing us. We have all the difficulties to enter banks and be able to take our assets, our money.”

VOXPOP (French) Customer, Banque Internationale pour l'Afrique Occidentale Cote d'Ivoire:
“I arrived since 7 a.m. I was not able to get even five francs. I was not able to get. Automatic teller machines are closed. I have a magnetic card, automatic teller machines are closed; chequebooks also, the others have checks, when they go inside bank they don’t get their money.”

The Government reported that public sector workers had not been paid for two months and promised almost $4 million (USD) to be available to pay salary arrears.

Ivorians were reportedly given little warning when banks closed in February, leaving many with no salaries and money to feed their families.

The reopening of the banks comes after months of violence and political strife since the presidential election last year. The banks closed after the West African central bank, which administers the currency unions of the region, closed its offices in the country during the crisis.

Throughout the day, frustrated customers of various national banks including Banque de l'habitat de Côte d'Ivoire (BHCI), Banque Internationale pour l'Afrique Occidentale Cote d'Ivoire (BIAO-CI) and La Société Générale de Banques en Côte d’Ivoire (SGBCI) waited from as early as 5 a.m. to collect their money.

SOUNDBITE (French) Customer, Banque Internationale pour l'Afrique Occidentale Cote d'Ivoire:
“Sincerely, there is a bad organization at the level of banks because since 5 am in the morning, we are there, no piece of information. We do not know if there is money or it has not. Nobody comes to say to us what takes place, it is pitiful. Nevertheless yesterday, they said to us that it have some money. If they have money they have to say to us something, because it was patients among us, because we have to be tired.”

SOUNDBITE (French) Customer, Banque de l'habitat de Côte d'Ivoire:
“Banks close at 2 p.m. Thus from 2 p.m. if you are not brought in, it is finished, kept silent go back tomorrow. If we cannot pay the transport to go to its workplace, maintaining that we shall have the salary, we shall resume back the service in front of the new authorities.

The banks reported that some branches were looted during post-election violence adding further delay to restoring full operations across the country.

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