The Bono Regional Minister, Madam Justina Owusu Banahene, has urged major banks and financial institutions in the country to set up cash outlets in deprived communities to serve the rural population in the region.
According to Madam Owusu-Banahene, that would further increase the interest of the rural population to save money. At a meeting with the heads of the various financial institutions in the region in Sunyani, the regional minister highlighted the need for the financial institutions to reach out to the rural communities and sell banking products to them.
She said it is unfortunate many farmers and petty traders in rural communities still keep their monies in homes because they cannot access the services of banks and financial institutions in their communities.
“We can’t continue to deny this our rural population banking services and allow them to risk keeping their monies in homes”, Madam Owusu-Banahene said and called on the banks to intensify public education on the need for saving money in the rural communities.
She said about 60 percent of the regional population are farmers, hence the need for the financial institutions to build and strength relationship with the rural communities for mutual benefit.
Madam Owusu-Banahene appealed to the financial institutions to contribute to the development of the region by ensuring that they execute their corporate social responsibility programmes, especially in education and health infrastructure in the region.
She also called on the financial institutions to collaborate to strengthen security in the banks.
Heads of the financial institutions called on the government to restrict the activities of the black marketers which are putting pressure on the Ghana cedi.
