Agona-Nkwanta (W/R), March 08, GNA-Mr Kwesi Biney, Ahanta West District Chief Executive, on Saturday called on rural banks to improve their customer relations and services in order to encourage the saving habit among rural people.

He made the call at the launch of the 20th anniversary celebration of the Ahantaman Rural Bank at Agona-Nkwanta. Mr Biney said high rate of savings in rural banks would provide the banks with the capital base with which to assist in the development in their areas.

He urged rural banks to computerise their operations so that their customers would be able to cash money at any of their branches. Launching the anniversary, Nana Ato Gyan II, the Chairman of the Board of Directors the bank, said the bank is implementing a micro credit scheme in support of the government's Poverty Reduction Strategy. He said so far, 2.2 billion cedis had been given out as loans to groups to promote small-scale enterprises and cottage industries in the bank's catchments areas.

Nana Gyan said the loans are given on liberal terms to enable the groups to assess it.

Nana Gyan said the bank is rated among the best 12 rural banks in the country and the bank was recently rated 61st among the 100 best-run companies in the country.

He said the bank has so far awarded scholarships to 220 students of the Nana Baidoe Bonsoe Senior Secondary School at Agona-Nkwanta as well as scholarships to 30 tertiary students including two medical students. Nana Gyan said the bank has also supported educational and health projects in communities in its catchments area.