Banks asked to deepen use of ICT

Accra, Feb 8, GNA - Banks have been asked to deepen the use of Information and Communication Technology, to improve service delivery and introduce innovative products to attract more people to the banking sector.

Mr Alhassan Andani, Managing Director of Stanbic Bank, who made the call, said the development of targeted pro-poor innovative products, was aimed at meeting special needs of the people without bank accounts.

He explained that the initiative could be a bait to attract the public to avail themselves of banking services instead of keeping their monies at home.

Mr Andani appealed to banks to deploy appropriate technologies and skills to enable them to serve the public across the country.

It is estimated that just about six per cent of the Ghanaian population own and operate bank accounts.

Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the Euromoney Conference in Accra on Wednesday, Mr Andani said the large number of people without banking services was a source of potential expansion drive for the banking industry.

He said the banks could “tap into the big jump in mobile phone penetration in all parts of the country to reach out to people who do not solicit the services of banks.

Mr Adani also said the use of automated teller machines could also be a potent tool to reach the people, mostly in the rural communities.

He said some prospective customers were finding it difficult to produce receipts of utility bills for the opening of a bank accounts and suggested that pastors or imams or other opinion leaders could guarantee for people to open bank accounts.

On the establishment of the Credit Reference Bureaus, Mr Adani said the bureaus would help the banks to share information on the credit worthiness to customers.

Mr Andani lauded the regulatory oversight of the Bank of Ghana and said it was alive to its duties, and ensuring that products and services of banks meet the needs of customers.

He said the banking sector had been fairly robust, and the banks would continue to consistently do well in the years to come.

GNA