Odotobri Rural Bank inaugurates Santasi branch

Odotobri Rural Bank Limited has opened its 12th branch at Santasi, a suburb of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly in the Ashanti Region.

The new branch is to serve small businesses at the enclave that is made up of commercial drivers, ‘chop bar’ operators, auto mechanics, car dealers, spare parts dealers, among other petty traders.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr Bernard Asamoah Boateng, said at the opening ceremony that the branch was to bring convenience to customers of the bank around the area.

“With customers’ loyalty to our bank, they could not trust any bank to offer the kind of service we offer and so their request to open a branch purposely to give them the services they require became very necessary,” he said.

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Mr Boateng also advised customers to continue to have confidence in the bank because it has a very solid financial backbone.

He said the bank had even exceeded the regulator’s minimum share capital by 200 per cent.

He added that the board of directors of the bank was also committed to formulating human centred policies and has the interest of all major stakeholders at heart, with good management, as well as committed staff.

The Kumasi Branch Manager of ARB Apex Bank, Mr George Annor, advised the staff to be mindful of the culture of maintenance and take proper care of the branch office.

He also advised them to work with professional ethics to maintain and improve the enviable corporate image that the bank was currently enjoying.

He stressed the need for the bank to mobilise deposits from customers while urging them to show interest in assisting them to grow their businesses by offering them reasonable credit facilities at flexible interest rates that will bring development.

The Ashanti Chapter President of the Association of Rural Banks,Mr Patrick Owusu, said the association was satisfied with the progress rural and community banks were making in the country.  

He disclosed that the industry had currently employed approximately 4,000 people in the over 700 branches nationwide.

He also commended rural banks for their keen interest in corporate social responsibility initiatives, leading to increased investment in infrastructure in their areas of production.

Mr Owusu advised prospective customers to have confidence in every rural bank since they were tried and tested.