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Asantehene urges financial
institutions to make operations attractive
Kumasi, Feb. 4, GNA – Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene, has
urged financial institutions to make their operations more
attractive to entice people to the banks to save part of
their earnings.
He said it was the good works of the private sector,
including the banks that could help the Ghanaian economy to
grow.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu was speaking when the management of the
UniBank led by Dr Kwabena Duffuor, Chairman of the Board of
Directors, called on him at the Manhyia Palace at the
weekend to inform him about the opening of a branch of the
bank in Kumasi.
The Asantehene said: “Whilst it is the duty of the
government to lay down the financial policies, it is
financial institutions that can help implement them
efficiently to enable the country to achieve high economic
growth”.
“You should find strategies that can help traders at the
Central Market and the mechanics at the Suame Magazine to
save at the UniBank and educate them on how they can be
granted loans to expand their businesses to employ more
people”, he added.
Otumfuo Osei Tutu advised them to respond to the Bank of
Ghana’s call on financial institutions to lower their
interest rates on loans that they granted to their customers
so that they could utilise them to start new business.
He said there were still some farmers who continued to keep
their monies in their homes and these were the people they
should target to save in the banks, adding that: “The youth
can be encouraged to save through the ‘Susu’ system”.
Dr Duffuor said UniBank was a wholly owned Ghanaian bank and
its primary focus was to provide a comprehensive range of
financial services to customers and Small and Medium
Enterprises (SMEs).
He disclosed that the bank had carved a niche for itself
winning within five years of operation a number of enviable
and prestigious awards in the face of intense competition
from other banks.
The awards include Best Bank of Customer Care, Short-term
Lending, Advisory Service, Growing Bank and Competitive
Pricing.
Mr Joe Tetteh, Managing Director, said the opening of the
Kumasi branch would be the seventh and it would commence
business on February 12.
Dr Duffuor on behalf of the bank, presented a cheque of 20
million cedis to the Otumfuo Education Fund.
GNA
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