Agona Swedru, Nov 21, GNA - Mrs Rose Newman, National President of the Association of Rural Banks on Wednesday inaugurated the newly refurbished office of the Gomoa Ajumako Rural Bank at Agona Swedru. She said the bank has disbursed a total of 200,000 Ghana Cedis since inception of micro finance programme from 2004 to 2008 to women groups and individuals to expand their businesses.

Mrs Newman stated that the micro finance programme introduction had changed the lifestyle of women in the rural and urban areas. She noted that the bank had given substantial amounts to the women because, it was meant to help them to cater for their children's education, health and others, since most of them were single parent. Mrs Newman who is also the Chair Person of the Board of Directors of the Gomoa Ajumako Rural Bank said the bank has designed many programmes to assist women engaged in small scale businesses. There were programmes for salaried workers and big time business men and women too, she said. She said that the new office at Agona Swedru Chapel Square has access routes for Persons with Disabilities (PWD) to easily transact business with the bank.

The National President commended the women groups at Agona Swedru for their prompt payment of credit facilities given them by the bank and urged other groups to pay it early for those on the waiting list to benefit. Mrs Newman appealed to the people of Agona Swedru to patronise the bank, adding that, the bank was prepared to offer quality and quicker services to the cherished customers in the area. Mr Robert Job Arkoh, General Manager of the bank said more products had been designed to assist customers improve and expand their businesses.

He said the bank would soon embark on a mobilization drive in the towns where offices were situated to increase the deposit and also increase the share capital, saying that the management and the staff had formed a "think tank" to promote the operations of the bank. Mr Arkoh stated that the bank has designed special product for farmers and fishermen to enable them increase food production and fishing activities in the catchment area. He noted that more women groups had been groomed and sensitized about book keeping, health education and others in order not to misapply the loan facilities given to them, to reduce poverty among them. The Manager therefore assured both old and new customers of the bank that quality services would be rendered to them and expressed the hope that they would take advantage of the new products launched to improve their businesses.