Golden Pride opens branch in Sunyani

A branch of Golden Pride Savings and Loans Limited (GPSLL), a non-banking financial institution, was opened in Sunyani on Wednesday.

The financial company, owned by Ghana Mine Workers Union (GMWU), started operations in May 2013 with the parent branch and headquarters at Obuasi in the Ashanti Region but now has five branches and one agency in the country.

They are Obuasi Main and Central, Tarkwa, Tudu and Diamond House in Accra.

Mr Prince William Ankrah, Board Chair of the Company and General Secretary of GMWU, said the institution was established to promote the interest of micro-businesses and industries because economic development of a nation depended on small-medium scale businesses.

This, Mr Ankrah said, was because the engine of a nation’s economic growth largely relied on the private sector that comprised the bulk of small and medium scale enterprises and industry operators.

He, therefore, assured clients and customers of GPSLL nation-wide that “we are in the system to invest with your monies for better and secured returns for you,” since beside the savings and loans business, GMWU had invested in other industries including insurance and real estate development.

“Golden Pride does not exist just for profit making alone but is also executing its corporate social responsibility for the general good of Ghanaians”.

He said recently the company devoted more than GH¢10,000.00 towards educational campaign programmes against the Ebola and Hepatitis ‘B’ diseases in the Obuasi Municipality and had also offered scholarship packages to a number of medical students as its contribution to quality health care service delivery in the country.

Mr Kwaku Gyakari, National Chairman of GMWU, said within the relatively short period of its existence the GPSLL had employed more than 100 Ghanaians spread across all its branches and agencies.

Mr Gyakari urged the staff to exhibit professionalism in their services to attract and maintain more customers and, therefore, challenged them to work with zeal, dedication and commitment for the company to attain its vision of becoming a fully-fledged commercial bank in the next five years.

Mr Johnson Boadi Asamoah, Managing Director of the Company, said within 18 months of operation the company had assisted a lot of businesses, institutions and individuals, including loan disbursements, investment schemes, financial advisory services and savings.

“We have mobilised over 23 million Ghana cedis with over 10,520 customers and have also disbursed over 5 million Ghana cedis as loans to customers,” Mr Asamoah said.

He said the company had a dedicated and well-trained workforce who delivered with passion, expertise, integrity and in record-time and that the Kumasi branch would soon be opened to extend its product portfolio to include ATM services, SMS and Internet banking.