The Bank became operational on July 21, 1978 with a staff of 5 in its first office located in Rawson Square on Bay Street, across from the historic House of Parliament. The Bank started with a government equity infusion of $2 million. There was so much demand in its early days of operation that the Bank had to secure additional funding from other sources like the Caribbean Development Bank ($6million), the Inter-American Bank ($3 million), the European Economic Community (EEC) ($1 million), the Central Bank of The Bahamas ($2.5 million) and the National Insurance Board ($3.5 million). Government equity in the Bank also gradually increased during its more than 35 years of operation.