RCBS Urged to Support Govt's Flagship Programmes

By Samuel Akapule, Sumbrungu

Rural and Community Banks (RCBs), must support government's flagship programmes to achieve the 'Ghana Beyond Aid' vision, Ms Paulina Patience Abayage, Upper East Regional Minister, has urged.

The Regional Minister who made the call during the 20th Biennial General Meeting of the Association of Rural Banks (ARB)-Ghana held in Bolgatanga last Saturday, told the management of the RCBs that one of the ways they could support the government was to partner it to implement the flagship programmes successfully.

The Regional Minister mentioned the Planting For and Jobs, the Rearing for Jobs, One District One Factory, One Village One Dam, among others, as some of the areas that would need critical support from the RCBs.

She explained that if the government was supported to implement these pogrammes, it would not only help make Ghana achieve its vision of Ghana Beyond Aid but would also help empower the rural folks who formed the bulk of the nation's population.

Whilst commending the RCBs for contributing significantly to the socio-economic advancement of Ghanaians, particularly the rural folks, the Regional Minister enjoined the banks to set a new agenda for their operations to empower the rural communities to become self-dependent and self-sustaining.

Ms Abayage who expressed worry about the spate of corruption in the banking industry, entreated the management of the banks to work towards addressing such challenges, to help protect the public purse and restore confidence in the financial institutions.

"If you are able to achieve this goal , the benefit to you and your communities will not only be enormous , but would also help tremendously to push our beloved country, Ghana, to a place of self-sustainability and self-dependence, which is in line with Ghana's transformational agenda, specifically Ghana Beyond Aid," she said.

Ms Abayage further admonished RCBs who could not meet the capital requirement of Bank of Ghana to merge, and stressed that the merger would not only lead to the creation of synergy to enhance their business performance, but would also help improve upon their purchasing and negotiation power.

The President of the Association of Rural Banks - Ghana, Dr Nana Boamah Akowuah, said currently there were 144 RCBs with over 700 branch networks, providing banking services throughout the country.

He said unlike before, RCBs were now endowed with experienced staff and board of directors; they were also computerised and were providing efficient and quality banking services to the customers.

The President, however, appealed to the government to respond swiftly to the association's petition with regards to the reduction of corporate tax, and the revision of Corporate Governance Transactional Provision issued by the Bank of Ghana.

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