As part of government's responsibility to make vulnerable Ghanaians, especially women, to live decent lives, the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) has disbursed GH¢380,500 to 38 women groups in the Brong Ahafo Region.

MASLOC also organised financial literacy training for market women in the beneficiary communities of Kintampo North and South, Techiman North and South, Nkoranza North and South and Wenchi.

Speaking to the beneficiary groups, Mrs Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, the Chief Executive Officer of MASLOC, attributed the availability of the loan facility to the instrumentality of the First Lady Lordina Dramani Mahama.

She educated the women on the group and individual loans MASLOC offered to customers and advised them to form trustworthy groups not less than 10 and not more than 25 people who would open an account at a bank with three persons as leaders and signatories.

Mrs Tamakloe Attionu said the interest on MASLOC loan was two per cent adding that beneficiaries would be contributing monthly for the period of six months and the loans were not given on partisan basis.

According to her, the disbursement of the loan facility to women in the various regions formed part of MASLOC’s social intervention to empower Ghanaian women to be self-reliant.

She entreated beneficiaries not to divert the facility for other purposes including buying of funeral or party cloths, but to trade with it to expand their businesses and repay back on schedule for others to also benefit.

Mrs Tamakloe Attionu gave the assurance that MASLOC was prepared to assist women who would apply for tricycles to enable them to carry their produce to the market.

In another development, Mrs Sedina Tamakloe Attionu interacted with queenmothers in charge of the various products at Techiman Market and explained to them the terms and conditions of their facility.

She promised to disburse the loan facilities to about 500 market women for a start and urged them to organise their members and groups in order to benefit from it.

Among the MASLOC officials who accompanied the CEO to the Brong Ahafo Region included Mr Daniel Axim, MASLOC Head of Operations, Alhaji Aminu Mohammed, in charge of the Northern sector and Isaa Abdulai, the Brong Ahafo Regional Manager.

MASLOC is a microfinance apex body responsible for implementing the Government’s microfinance programmes targeted at reducing poverty and creating jobs and wealth.

Over the years MASLOC has modestly established itself not only as a microfinance institution that disburses micro and small loans to the identified poor in the various sectors of the Ghanaian economy, but also provided business advisory services, training and capacity building for small and medium scale enterprises.

It has also collaborated with institutions to provide them with the required skills and knowledge in managing their businesses efficiently and effectively.