Koforidua, Nov. 22, GNA - The Upper Manya Kro Rural Bank on Monday, opened a new Agency at Asokore, a suburb of Koforidua, in the New Juaben Municipality.

The opening of the agency, which coincided with the inauguration of an ultra-modern building, brings to four the number of agencies of the bank with its head quarters at Asesewa in the Upper Manya Krobo District. The ultra-modern facility will enhance the services of the bank's custom= ers in and around the Asokore catchment's area. The building, which cost GHC 350, 000, took two years to complete. The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bank, Mr James Otieku, sai= d the decision by the board to put up the building was to bring a "world class" service to the doorstep of the people in the area. Mr Otieku said they were determined to bring excellent banking services very close to the people, who needed it most- the rural community, who fo= rm the bedrock of the Ghanaian economy. He said the bank was focused on developing a state-of the art banking facility, supported by highly trained and customer centred human resource= , to deliver excellent banking services to the rural communities at competitive prices.

The board chairman said they were beginning a new phase in the life of t= he bank and therefore choosing Asokore as the first destination of their expansion was in the right direction. Mr Otieku said the bank had ran a successful mobilization centre at Asok= ore for a number of years and when they approached the chiefs of Asokore to facilitate their desire to upgrade it to an agency status they received support from them. He said since the bank was established 28 years ago it had achieved a lo= t of success in terms of investments, granting of loans, assets and payment= s of dividend. Mr Otieku said the bank recorded an after tax profit of GHC 604,656 in 2= 009 as against GHC 375,188 for 2008, representing 61.2 percent increase. The board chairman attributed the success of the bank over the years to prudent management strategies that ultimately slowed down the increase in=

operational expenses. He said the bank was once again admitted into the "prestigious Ghana clu= b 100, and this time around at number 23 from the previous 45th position". The General Manger of the bank, Mr Daniel Ransford Agyemang, in an interview, hinted that the Bank of Ghana had given approval for the openi= ng of a new agency at Suhum early next year. Mr Agyemang said currently the bank offers services such as Savings Account, Current Account, Fixed Deposit Account, Susu Savings and Loans, Apex Link Transfer and Project Loans and Micro- finance. He assured that the bank would continue to offer quality services to its=

customers and appealed to people in and around Asokore to do business wit= h them. The chief of Asokore, Nana Antwi Panin II, expressed his joy at the open= ing of the bank and commended the board for choosing Asokore, among the lot, to bring their services to the doorstep of his people.