Rural Banks urged to joint fight to improve living standards

Brakwa (C/R), Aug. 17, GNA - Rural banks have been urged to increase outreach and improve sustainability in order to achieve the objective of alleviating poverty to improve the living standards of rural dwellers.

This was contained in an address read by Mr Kwadwo Aye Kusi, Head of Finance ARB Apex Bank Limited, on behalf of the Managing Director of the Association of Rural Banks on the occasion of the 20th annual general meeting of Brakwa Breman Rural Bank Limited at Brakwa. The Managing Director said while the profit motive of the banks was of paramount importance to ensure survival, it was equally important to fulfil social obligations within the communities in which they operated. He said it was in this direction that rural banks were being encouraged to use part of their profits to address the developmental needs of the people within their catchment areas.

The Director said the ARB Apex Bank had been established to support the rural banks to realise their full potentials and especially to enable them to contribute significantly to the socio-economic development of their catchment areas.

In this regard, not only would the ARB Apex Bank concern itself with the training of rural banks personnel on computer and operational issues, but also train their staff to build capacity in handling vocations, which were practised in rural communities.