Business News of Friday, 10 August 2007

Source: GNA

Bankers advised to go the extra mile

Accra, Aug. 10, GNA - Mr. Owusu-Hemeng, President of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (Ghana), on Friday asked bankers to go the extra mile to make a difference that would improve work in the industry.

He said in the banking sector products were always associated with services hence the need to render good services not only to attract customers but also to maintain them.

"When you are serving a customer and you frown your face the customer sees it and thus associate the service provided with the frown or anger. You may lose customers if you do that," he said. Mr. Owusu-Hemeng, who is also a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers, was addressing the first internship training programme organized by the Institute to enhance skills and knowledge of qualified trainees in their filed.

The internship programme is designed for students of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (Ghana) recent graduates and young professionals who have already chosen their career and required additional training in their field for up to three months.

He said in the era where all banks were practicing universal banking there was the urgent need for bankers to make a difference wherever they found themselves working. He explained that the internship-training programme, which focused on work and business ethics was aimed at helping participants gain a thorough insight in their career field. Mr Owusu-Hemeng urged the trainees to be committed to their chosen career while demonstrating their readiness to learn even as they were being sent out to enable them deepen the training they have had at the institute.

Ms. Mary Buako, Chief Executive of the Institute, noted that the interns were the first batch of students from the Institute on an internship programme in the banking and finance industry. She therefore urged them to work hard, show commitment to duty and be punctual.