New Tafo(E/R), May 21, GNA-The Adonten Community Bank at the weekend launched the celebration of its 10th Anniversary at New Tafo. Speaking at the launching ceremony, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bank, Osabarima Kena Ampaw, Adontenhene of the Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area, said during the ten years of the existence of the bank, it had been able to extend over 3.44 billion cedis of financial support to individuals and groups in its catchment area. He explained that, 62 per cent of the facilities went to individual salary workers as personal and educational loans while thirty per cent went to women groups engaged in cottage industries and farming.

Osabarima Kena Ampaw said the bank also introduced two new products , the saving and laon and susu saving loan scheme which benefited salaried workers, traders and service providers that deal with the bank.

He said in fulfillment of the social responsibility of the bank to the communities in its catchment area, the bank provided and commissioned five hand-pump wells for Kukurantumi, Old Tafo, Osiem, New Tafo District Hosipital and the Ofori-Panin Secondary School all at a total cost of 80 million cedis. Osabarima Kena Ampaw said the bank had also contributed eight million cedis to an Education Endowment Fund established at Kukuramtumi to support the education of brilliant but needy children. He assured that it was the desire of the bank to improve upon its products, step up existing services to customers and provide more attractive and efficient products and services to its customers in the years ahead.

Osabarima Kena Ampaw paid glowing tribute to the founders and promoters of the bank for their vision and dedication The Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors, Doctor Edward Owusu-Mensah urged the chiefs and people in the catchment area of the bank to help extend the good messages of the bank to the people especially those living in the rural communities. The Bank Manager, Mr. Francis Mensah appealed to the traditional authorities in the catchment area of the bank to provide the bank with a land to be able to put up its own building. Other programmes planned for the celebration include radio talk shows, fun games, community durbars and to be climaxed by this year's annual general meeting of the bank in July. 21 May 2007