Ideal Finance, a non-banking financial institution, has earmarked on a GH? 50,000000.00 credit facility to support the operations of Rural and Community Banks (RCBs) in the country this year.

Dr Nii Kotei Dzani, Chief Executive Officer, said the facility is to support the training and capacity building of staff, and advised interested RCBs to access the facility.

He disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency at the climax of the 5th edition of Rural Banking Week celebration of the Association of Rural Banks.

It was on the theme: “40 years of rural banking in Ghana: achievements, challenges and prospects.”

Dr Dzani emphasised that well-trained and skillful employees in the RCBs services are needed to make the sector attractive to win the confidence of local and foreign investors.

He observed that because some RCBs employ professionally low-calibre of staff they find it difficult to go into market research and product development to meet their prospects.

He expressed concern about the general financial and banking illiteracy rate among Ghanaians and the behaviour of some politicians and political parties who mount unnecessary pressures to access credit facility from community and rural banks for their electioneering campaigns.

“Personally I have experience this before and the sad aspect of it is that many of these political parties fail to pay back the facility”, he added.

Osagyefo (Professor) Anye Amoapong Tabrako II, Paramount Chief of Wenchi suggested that the ordinary share capital base of RCBs ought to be strengthened by raising their capital base to an appreciable level.

He entreated the association to endeavour to mobilise resources for the training of staff in practical learning and skills development in areas like marketing, selling and good customer care services.

Osagyefo Tabrako II observed that if staff of the RCBs are abreast of banking ethics it would help to elevate them to a higher pedestal and make them as competitive as commercial banking staff.