Obuasi, March 2, GNA - The Obuasi Branch of the First National Bank has so far granted loans totalling 485,312 Ghana cedis to over 270 customers in the municipality, to help them expand their businesses. Mr Yahaya Allasani, Branch Manager, who announced this at the bank's first awards ceremony at Obuasi, said over a period of two years, the bank had succeeded in raising its customer base from 171 to 1,200. Two of the customers, Mrs Agnes Tweneboah and Mrs Kate Eduaful, who emerged as the best current account operator and 'susu' customer respectively, were each given a 21-inch colour television set.

Mr Allasani noted that rewarding hard working customers had become an innovation for corporate entities and other business concerns because of its benefits. "It has become the practice in the corporate world for business entities to show appreciation to their clients and other stakeholders who have and are still contributing to the success of their institutions," the branch manager stressed. He expressed satisfaction about the rate at which the bank was growing, saying, "when the Obuasi branch started operations in October 2006, little did we know that two years thereafter it would grow to such a stage."

On the repayment of loans, Mr Allasani appealed to the beneficiaries to endeavour to pay back to enable the bank to offer more of the facility to other customers. Miss Emelia Oppong, the Customer Care Manager, reiterated the bank's commitment to ensuring greater customer care practices that would promote healthy working relations between the bank and its customers. Nana Yaw Fosuhene Apenten, an Obuasi businessman who presided, commended the staff of the bank for their excellent relations and encouraged them to sustain it to facilitate the growth of the bank.