International investor confidence in Garanti, as one of the leading financial institutions in Turkey, has once again been manifested with the renewal, at a lower cost, and extension of the syndicated loan with 35 banks signed in 2012.
Several products launched by Garanti have been given awards during the year. Garanti’s subsidy search tool, which provides assistance and information to SMEs on subsidies available, received the “Best Customer Focus” prize at the British Best Business Awards. In addition, “Esparacard”, Garanti’s contactless payment card, was awarded with the “Best use of contactless/NFC technology” prize in the “Transportation and Ticketing” category at the Contactless and Mobile Awards 2013 sponsored by VISA and held in London.
In the area of corporate responsibility, Garanti’s policy has been focused on two issues: the role of women in the business world, and providing improved accessibility for the disabled. In 2013, more than 240 women graduated from the “Women Entrepreneur Executive School”, which will be extended to new cities in 2014. In addition, Garanti has adapted over 100 ATMs and 30 branches to provide improved access for the disabled. In education, and in partnership with Unicef, conditions have been improved at 4 schools in Istanbul and Ankara to reach international primary education standards.