The Abeka Branch Manager of Pan African Savings and Loans, Kwame Frimpong Opoku has assured customers of the security of their deposits in a bid to win the trust of people in the operations of non-bank financial institutions.
The comment comes on the back of the seemingly lack of confidence in the financial sector by businesses in the informal economy as a result of various scandals that have hit the microfinance sector.
Many depositors lost their livelihoods last year owing to some microfinance institutions’ failure to pay back their monies with accrued interest. Notably among them was DKM Ltd which invested clients’ deposits into Ponzi schemes.
He told the B&FT: “We want to appeal to the general public that if they decide to work with us, they should not think that since the micro finance terrain is shaky, we are going to run away with their money like others do. We have the backing of Ecobank which has been in the system for over 25 years, and is one of the leading banks.”
“We plan to be among the top three savings and loans institutions. We are not going to become a Bank so customers do not need to be afraid.”
“Better services and products will come as we grow and we look forward to see our clients as partners than just customers; understand what their needs are and be able to satisfy them,” he further ensured.
Mr. Frimpong Opoku made these remarks in an interview at a free health screening exercise held as part of the company’s Customers Appreciation Week in Accra.
As part of the health screening exercise, a team from the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital checked the Body Mass Index (BMI) of patrons, blood pressure and individuals with serious health issues were referred to a medical facility.
The bank’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Research and Customer Experience for the Abeka Branch, Linda Naykene said the exercise were planned for seven of the company’s 16 branches nationwide.
She stated: “The screening is part of our social responsibility. We believe that it is not about only taking or receiving money. We also take the welfare of our clients into consideration and we look at how we can make impact in their lives.”
The five-day activities included visits to clients and shops by senior managers, free gifts and souvenirs and the medical screening at Mamobi, Mc Carthy Hill, Madina, AbekaLapaz, Ashtown (Kumasi), Kenyase and Goaso.
EB-Accion which has been rebranded as the Pan African Savings and Loans is a member of the Ecobank Microfinance unit which has about five branches in Africa- Ghana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon,Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
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