I'll establish Women's Development Bank in each district - John Mahama

The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has said his next government will establish a bank dedicated to women engaged in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

According to him, the bank, which will be referred to as "Women's Development Bank," will have branches in all districts in the country.

He said the establishment of the bank is to boost the SME sector and enhance women's conditions.

"Women do small enterprises to be able to take care of their families; it is the women who sell the foods; it is the women who run the chop bars; it is the women who buy the tomatoes and take them to Aflao to go and sell them when you go to the market; it is the women who are selling the small peppers, salt, and other things in the market. And sometimes they need just 500 cedis as capital; some of them need 1,000 cedis as capital, and they can't get it," he said.

"We've got to target women so that we can give them credit so that they can develop their small and medium enterprises. And so we are coming with the Women's Development Bank; it is going to be a bank that targets industries and small enterprises in which women are involved, and so we'll have branches of the bank in every district," he added.

The former president said this at a community durbar held in Kpetoe in the Agortime-Ziope district of the Volta Region on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, as part of his campaign tour of the region.

He said the bank would give loans to the traders at low interest rates.

"The little savings you have, you'll put it into the Women's Development Bank, and anytime you need a loan, GH₵500 or GH₵1,000, you go to your Women's Development Bank, they'll give it to you, the interest will be very low, and you'll pay little by little until you finish paying," he said.

Hundreds of party members and sympathizers who attended the durbar applauded the former president for coming up with such an initiative.