Bongo (U/E) July 31, GNA - Citizens of Bongo District living in the Diaspora have been urged to show interest in the Bongo Community Rural Bank by buying shares to enable it start operation by October 2006. The Bongo District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Francis Akurugu Asampana made the call in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Bongo in the Upper East Region at the weekend. He said the Bank needed a start up capital of about 250 million cedis to meet the Bank of Ghana's requirement before it could start business.

Mr Asampana said the Assembly had put up the Bank premises and also constructed two bungalows to be used by the Bank Manager and the Accountant. He, however, expressed dismay about the low patronage of the Bank shares and called on all citizens of Bongo and the entire country to patronise the shares of the Bank to enable it take off smoothly. Mr Sampana said a share was being sold at 500,000 cedis and one could buy as much as one wanted. He expressed optimism that when the Bank opened, it would relieve workers and businessmen in the District from travelling to the Bolgatanga, the regional capital to transact their financial businesses. He said it would also serve the financial needs of the District by granting loans and credit facilities to farmers to go into all-year-round farming.

On the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in the District, the DCE said the Scheme had started operating and called on all to embrace it because it had come to stay. He criticised how some people were politicising the Scheme and called on them to stop such acts since sickness had no political linage. On the Ghana Feeding School Programme, the DCE said it had taken off in the District and expressed the hope that it would go a long way to help to maintain high enrolment in schools.