Agona-Nkwanta (W/R) March 6, GNA - Mr Kwesi Biney, Ahanta West District Chief Executive, on Saturday called on rural banks to improve their customer relations and services in order to encourage the saving habit among rural dwellers.

He made the call at the launching of the 20th anniversary celebration of the Ahantaman Rural Bank Limited at Agona-Nkwanta. Mr Biney said high rate of savings in rural areas would provide rural banks with the necessary capital base with which to assist in the development of their areas.

He further urged the banks to computerise their operations so that their customers would be able to cash money at any of their branches. Mr Biney said this would make it possible for rural banks to compete favourably with the commercial banks. Launching the anniversary, Nana Ato Gyan II, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Ahantaman Rural Bank Limited, said the bank was implementing a micro-finance scheme in support of the Government's Poverty Reduction Strategy.

He said so far, two point two billion cedis had been given out as loans to groups to promote small-scale enterprises and cottage industries in the bank's catchement areas. Nana Gyan, who is the Chief of Egyambra, said the loans were given on liberal terms to enable the groups to access loans. He said the Bank was rated among the best 12 rural banks in the country and was recently rated 61st among the 100 best-run companies in the country.

Nana Gyan said the Bank had awarded scholarships to 220 students of the Nana Baidoe Bonsoe Secondary School at Agona-Nkwanta as well as scholarships to 30 tertiary students including two medical students.