Naara Rural Bank Adjudged Best in key banking areas.

Navrongo, Dec. 21, GNA - Managing Director Of ARB Apex Bank Mr Eric Osei=96Bonsu, has congratulated the Naara Rural Bank for being the most satisfactory and the best Rural Bank for maintaining its cost-income ratio. The Bank reached a cost-income ratio of 77.4 per cent in 2009 in spite of the challenges that accompanied the fall in the rates of treasury bills in the country.

The rating was done by ARB APEX bank's Efficiency Monitoring Unit wh= ich considered Naara Rural Bank's total assets, total deposits, loans and advances, net worth and paid up capital. Mr Osei=96Bonsu made this commendation in a speech read on his behalf during the Annual General Meeting of the Naara Rural Bank held in Navrongo at the weekend.

"The financial performance of the Bank for the 2009 has shown remarkable improvement in all areas, notably among these is the attainment of the Minimum Capital requirement, profit, Investments, loan and advances, total assets and customer deposits are areas the bank performed satisfactorily" he added.

Mr Osei=96Bonsu asked the Bank to consolidate the gains made by continu= ing to render quality services to its customers, guard against fraud, introduce innovative products, and above all comply with all Bank of Ghana and ARB APEX Bank directives.

He commended the bank for making training and human resource development its priority, saying all rural banks would be computerized by 2011 urging all to update their Information Technology (IT) skills for successful implementation of the programme. Mr David Samari, Board Chairman of the bank, said in view of the leverage position of the bank, stakeholders were not seeking increase in remuneration. He said the bank intended to construct an office for the Navrongo Agency, relocate its Bolgatanga agency to a more strategic location and to open a mobilisation centre at University for Development Studies (UDS) campus.

Mr Samari said as part of its social responsibility to the society, th= e bank made various donations to the tune of GH¢1,880.00 in respect of education, sports, health and culture.

He said the bank was going to extend its micro credit with education t= o cover Sirigu, Kandiga, Chiana, Biu, Nangalikinia, Gononia, Namolo and Nogsenia as a result of the 100 per cent recovery achieved when it was piloted in Wuru and Gia, Korania and Bonia communities in 2007. He appealed to parents and guardians in the district to patronize the Child Trust Account for their children in the payment of fees. The District Chief Executive for Kassena-Nankana East, Mr Emmanuel Andema, called on sons and daughters of the area to develop interest in supporting the bank to grow to continue to render good services to the people in the district.