Sunyani, Nov 26, GNA - Mr Kwadwo Nyamekye Marfo, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, has urged the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB), to as part of its social responsibility assist farmers, small and medium scale businesses, to add value to their produce.

Speaking at the opening of GCB's Nana Bosoma Market Branch in Sunyani, the Regional Minister said if the bank offered more credit facilities, more jobs would be created and poverty amongst farmers would be greatly reduced. "The informal sector generates 60 per cent of the country's labour force and I suggest that the GCB supports them to help reduce poverty and create employment as well as increase production," he said. Mr. Marfo noted that the opening of the branch, the second in Sunyani and the 19th in the Region, was "long overdue" in view of the intense congestion, characterized by the long queues of workers and other customers at the banking hall on pay-days.

He commended the management of the Bank for opening the Market Branch, which he said was a big relief to customers, especially market women and other traders who would be saved from attacks from armed robbers and other miscreants.

The Regional Minister implored staff of the Bank to work with honesty and humility, and to be courteous to customers, cautioning that contrary habits would erode the enviable reputation that the bank had built over the years.

Mr. Marfo lauded the bank's contribution towards the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the founding of Brong Ahafo, and expressed the hope that it would continue to serve the people with diligence and quality service.

Ms Joyce Atta-Krah, General Manager, Retail Banking Division, reiterated that the new branch was aimed at making the bank more accessible to the people and businesses around the market area, and would help to take care of the excessive demands on the main branch. She appealed to the general public and customers to bear with "some breaks in our service delivery" due to the transformation going on in the bank, and gave the assurance that every means was being employed to ensure fluent services.

Ms Atta-Krah urged customers to patronize GCB's Commernet services, an internet -based product that enables people to view their accounts anywhere at anytime. Mr. John Agyeman-Budu, Sunyani Area Manager of the Bank, said the opening of the branch was another milestone that the Bank had chalked "in its spreading out programme of bringing banking services closer to every Ghanaian".

He stated that it was the desire of the bank since 1953 to inculcate in Ghanaians, especially market women, artisans and traders the habit of savings "and also to open our doors to them to enable them to access the wide range of financial products and services that we provide".

The Area Manager reiterated that the opening of the second branch in Sunyani was in the right direction, as it would cater for the ever-growing population and businesses in the municipality.

Mr. Agyeman-Budu advised the market women and artisans to take advantage of the bank's re-packaged Kudi Nkosuo product, which he said encouraged customers to save regularly on daily basis.

"Also available are the KIDISTAR account product for children below 18 years and MASTERCard, which allowed the holder to perform transactions on the bank's ATM and any mastercard point of sale terminal both in Ghana and abroad," he added.