Graphic Group, ARB Bank To Help Rural Poor

The Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) and the ARB Apex Bank, the association of rural banks, have agreed to collaborate to improve the lives of residents of rural communities in the country through education and dissemination of information on savings culture.

This follows discussions held at the GCGL when the newly-appointed Managing Director of the Apex Bank, Mr Eric Osei-Bonsu, paid a courtesy call on the Managing Director of the GCGL, Mr Ibrahim Awal, in his office in Accra yesterday.

Mr Osei-Bonsu, who was accompanied by the Head of Finance, Mr Kwadwo Aye Kusi, and Mrs Eunice Osei-Bonsu, the Head of Corporate Affairs, both of the bank, said the GCGL, through the dissemination of information, could educate rural people on the need to invest through savings.

He said the successful implementation of the ARB Apex banking concept in the country had attracted many countries which now want to replicate it.

He added that the bank was repositioning itself, in view of the challenges and opportunities that the banking scene presented.

The managing director of the Apex Bank said in view of that, the bank was going to undertake a re-branding exercise under a new corporate strategy that would reposition it and called for support from the GCGL to help it to achieve its corporate objectives.

He said the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) had made available $18 million to help network all rural banks and added that with the introduction of the EZWICH by the Central bank, the banking scene was going to be even more exciting.

Mr Osei-Bonsu said the courtesy call was also to introduce himself to the management of the GCGL to further deepen the already cordial relationship that existed between the two organisations.

For his part, Mr Awal, who was joined by the General Manager, Finance, Mr Baah Adade, the Editor of the Daily Graphic, Mr Ransford Tetteh, and the Public Affairs Manager, Mr Albert Sam, all of the GCGL, suggested the setting up of a joint committee between the two organisations to come up with cogent proposals to fashion out the extent of collaboration between the two organisations.

He again suggested weekly and quarterly publications in the Daily Graphic, the flagship of the company's products, to help push the new branding and corporate image of the bank.

Mr Awal recognised the immense contribution of rural and community banks in the country and said the company was ready to partner the bank in its drive to help alleviate poverty.

He commended the bank for the increase in subscription of the company's products for some of its members across the country but stated that there was still room for improvement.

Mr Tetteh said the impressive performance of rural and community banks culminated in the number of awards to some rural banks during the last Ghana Club 100 awards and assured those banks of the paper's support for their activities.

Story by Boahene Asamoah