Rural banks urged to institute measures to control "susu" scheme

The Bank of Ghana (BOG) has expressed concern about the operation of the "susu" schemes by rural/community banks without recourse to basic internal control measures for the desired results to be realised.

Such susu scheme has impacted adversely on many rural banks and are therefore, urged to adopt measures to streamline them for the desired objective to be achieved.

The concern was expressed by Mr Joseph Boye Clottey, head of the banking supervision department of the BOG in a speech read for him at the commissioning of a branch of the rural bank at Tema Manhean, a fishing community near Tema on Friday.

The commissioning brings to five, the number of the rural banks opened in the Dangme West District and Tema municipality. They are the Old Ningo, Ashaiman, Kpone, and Tema Manhean with the head office at Prampram.

The opening of the rural bank at Tema Manhean has relieved the people, who cannot afford to transact business with the other banks due to the huge interest rates, from travelling all the way to Prampram.

Mr Clottey appealed to the directors, management and staff of the bank to work as a team to enable them achieve the institutional targets set for the bank for progress and to continue as a shining example for others.

He entreated management of the banks to be mindful of the human resource capacity, which is an important key factor for the growth of every institution, and see the need to subject their staff to constant training to promote efficiency for improved productivity.

"It is unhealthy for some rural banks to put up huge bank premises but neglect to invest in human capacity, considered as the goose that lays the golden eggs."

Mr Clottey said some rural banks often to do not sponsor staff training programmes organised by the Association of Rural Banks, National Banking College and other agencies and asked them to plan adequately to meet the training needs of their staff.

In order to forestall any fraudulent actions or practices likely to undermine the stability of the bank and adversely affect its programmes, the head of the banking institution urged the management of the Dangme Rural Bank to institute effective internal control measures.

To the various banks, Mr Clottey asked that they develop financial strategies and programmes that would activate the enormous productive potentials of the economy.

These would stimulate job creation to generate wealth for an enhanced standard of living and urged the agencies to mobilise for funds to beef up the bank's deposit base, which would expand lending and other operational activities to the people in various economic activities.

Mr Samuel Evans Ashong Narh, Tema Municipal Chief Executive advised the people to make the fullest use of the bank by opening accounts with it in order to have access to loans to start and expand their businesses since the unorthodox saving practices in the rooms is unsafe.

He noted that it was only when they patronised the bank that it can grow to enable them to have access to loan facilities to improve their income levels.

In a welcoming address, Nii Abotsi Dottey, Chairman of the Interim Management Committee of the Dangme Rural Bank Limited gave the assurance that another branch would be opened at Asutsuare.