QFBS WAIVE TRANSACTION FEE ON SHARED ATM NETWORK - atm 5

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1 QFBS WAIVE TRANSACTION FEE ON SHARED ATM NETWORK - atm 5 4 April 2006, Singapore - In a move to provide greater convenience, the five Qualifying Full Banks (QFBs) - ABN AMRO, Citibank, HSBC, Maybank and Standard Chartered - today announced they have waived the ATM transaction fee of $0.30 levied for each successful cash withdrawal at ATMs of the QFB partner banks under the atm 5 network. With immediate effect, customers of the five QFBs can use their existing ATM card to access the shared ATM network of more than 140 ATMs island-wide for cash withdrawal free of charge. Over the last 12 months, 25 ATMs have been added to the atm 5 network. Suhail Chander, ABN AMRO s Head of Consumer Clients Segment, said: A small step as part of our endeavors to provide top of the line service to our customers, together with our Partners. We are committed to continuing the enhancement of the customer experience when they use our facilities. Jonathan Larsen, Citibank Singapore Chief Executive Officer and Country Business Manager said, In the past one year, we have significantly expanded our distribution network including 22 separate ATM locations, and over 325 AXS locations island-wide. Citibank s participation in atm 5 is a further expansion of our reach, allowing our customers easy access to over 140 ATMs throughout Singapore. The waiving of customer fees for atm 5 transactions removes one of the few remaining barriers for customers to access Citibank's range of products and services. Page 1

2 Tom Tobin, Head of Personal Financial Services, HSBC in Singapore said, HSBC is pleased to support the atm 5 transaction fee waiver to provide greater value and service to our customers. The waiver will enable HSBC to offer our customers more convenient and free access to their HSBC accounts, which they already enjoy at some 300 HSBC locations island-wide. These include HSBC s 29 ATMs in accessible locations such as Tangs, Paragon and City Hall, as well as Quick Cash at Dairy Farm outlets such as Cold Storage and Guardian. Going forward, we will also continue to upgrade and expand our distribution channels and touch points to serve the growing needs of our customers. Ms Pollie Sim, Head, Retail Financial Services of Maybank in Singapore said, "With this transaction fee waiver, we expect to see a significant increase in ATM usage. This latest initiative will further enhance the service experience of our customers. Maybank will continue to work with our partners to expand the coverage of the network." Ajay Kanwal, Head of Consumer Banking, Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore said, It has never been easier for our customers to access their accounts through our combined ATM network. The transaction fee waiver underscores our commitment to heighten the customer service experience and convenience of consumers in Singapore. We will continue to enhance our service delivery and work closely with our partner banks to deliver even more benefits to our customers. The atm 5 network is a shared ATM network combining the reach of the five Qualifying Full Banks; ABN AMRO, Citibank, HSBC, Maybank and Standard Chartered Bank. Established in April 2005 it is aimed at bringing customers greater convenience and accessibility. - End - Page 2

3 The atm 5 network Qualifying Foreign Banks Number of ATMs in Singapore ABN AMRO 15 CITIBANK 36 HSBC 29 MAYBANK 32 STANDARD CHARTERED BANK Note to Editor ABN AMRO Netherlands-based ABN AMRO is a leading international bank with total assets of EUR bln (as at 31 December 2005). It has over 3,500 branches in more than 60 countries and territories, and has a staff of about 97,000 full-time equivalents worldwide. ABN AMRO is listed on Euronext and the New York Stock Exchange. ABN AMRO has been active in Asia since 1826 when it opened its first Asian office in Jakarta. Since then, the bank has extended its presence to 17 countries in the region, including; Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, UAE and Vietnam. ABN AMRO serves a broad array of small and medium-sized enterprises and high net worth individuals throughout Asia, offering integrated consumer and commercial banking services, such as; transaction banking, risk management, investment banking, private banking and asset management. In addition, the bank has pioneered its Preferred Banking concept in Asia, offering a personalised banking service for mass affluent clients in China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Singapore, Taiwan and UAE. ABN AMRO has 114 offices and employs more than 13,000 staff in Asia. CITIBANK Citigroup (NYSE: C), the leading global financial services company has some 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 100 countries, providing consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and wealth management. Major brand names under Citigroup's trademark red umbrella include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Smith Barney and Banamex. Additional information may be found at Page 3

4 HSBC The HSBC Group's international network comprises more than 9,500 offices in 76 countries and territories operating in the Asia Pacific region, Europe, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa. Serving over 125 million customers around the world, HSBC has assets of US$1,502 billion at 31 December As one of the world's largest banking and financial services organizations, HSBC s global network and expertise are best summarised in it s branding as 'The World s Local Bank'. In Singapore, HSBC opened its first branch in Today, HSBC is a Qualifying Full Bank with 9 branches incorporating 4 Premier Centres and 29 ATMs. HSBC offers a comprehensive range of services including personal and commercial banking, investment and private banking, insurance, forfaiting and trustee services, securities and capital markets services For more information, visit MAYBANK The Maybank Group is the largest banking group in Malaysia and has been leading the banking industry for over three and a half decades. Globally, Maybank is present in 12 countries. We are in London, New York, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Bahrain, Singapore, Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Brunei, Jakarta and Papua New Guinea. In the ASEAN region, Maybank is among the top five banks with total assets of S$78 billion as at June Maybank has just been ranked fifth in an annual survey of Asia's Best Big Banks conducted by Mercer Oliver Wyman. It was also ranked number nine in the Survey on Asia's Strongest Banks, conducted by The Asian Banker Journal. The Bank's largest overseas operations is in Singapore, where it is a Qualifying Full Bank (QFB). Its prominence is underscored by the 32-storey headquarters, Maybank Tower, now a distinctive and integral part of the Singapore skyline. Its presence is also now more visually apparent due to the strategic placement of its 27 service locations, the most extensive amongst the QFBs in Singapore. Maybank's 22 Branches and 32 ATMs are located both in the business districts and the heartlands. Maybank has always been customer-centric and is continually pursuing initiatives on how the Bank can better serve our customers in anticipation of their evolving needs. Our focus is on giving our customers a one-stop interface and a total financial solution that can add value to their banking relationship with Maybank both locally and regionally. For more information, visit Page 4

5 STANDARD CHARTERED BANK leading the way in Asia, Africa and the Middle East Standard Chartered PLC is listed on both the London Stock Exchange and the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong and is ranked in the top 25 among FTSE-100 companies, by market capitalisation. Standard Chartered has a history of over 150 years in banking and is in many of the world's fastest growing markets. It has an extensive global network of over 1,200 branches (including subsidiaries, associates and joint ventures) in 56 countries in the Asia Pacific Region, South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, the United Kingdom and the Americas. As one of the world's most international banks, Standard Chartered employs over 44,000 people, representing 89 nationalities, worldwide. Serving both Consumer and Wholesale Banking customers, the Bank combines deep local knowledge with global capability to offer a wide range of innovative products and services as well as award winning solutions. Standard Chartered is committed to be the Right Partner to all our stakeholders by living its values in its approach to managing its people, exceeding expectations of its customers, making a difference in the communities that we operate in and working with its regulators. The Bank is trusted across its network for its standard of governance and corporate responsibility. For more information, visit Page 5

6 For further information, please contact: ABN AMRO Ms Lim Li Koon BU Asia Communication Tel: CITIBANK Ms Jenny Lim Corporate Affairs Tel: HSBC Goh Kong Aik Group Public Affairs Tel: MAYBANK Ms Corrinne Tan Corporate Affairs Tel: STANDARD CHARTERED BANK Ms Joanna Ong Corporate Affairs Tel: Page 6