‘LENDING RATES SHOULD MATCH ECONOMIC GAINS’ – PRESSURE GROUP URGES BANKS

Eric Kwame Afenyo

Oneghana Network, a Ho-based pressure group has called on banks to let the visible gains in the economy reflect in their lending policies.

It said the banks should go beyond the current marginal reduction in the rates with special dispensations for Small-Scale Enterprises (SMEs) which represented a vital ingredient in rural development.

The Network noted that the private sector should play key roles so as to achieve accelerated growth for the country.

These were disclosed at a press briefing organized by the network and addressed by its Convenor and Secretary, Eric Kwame Afenyo in Ho on Wednesday.

Touching on the implementation of the single spine salary structure, the network said workers are better off economically with the new salary structure but noted that, the agitations that characterized the implementation were due to the circulation of ‘huge figures’ by some unscrupulous individuals that raise the expectations of workers. The network thus called on the information ministry to control these expectations at all times.

The Network also noted with relief the extent of infrastructural development in the Volta Region especially on school projects and that the University of Allied Sciences was on course.

The Network lauded the audit forays of the Mutual Health Insurance Schemes in the region which led to the retrieval of 17 million Ghana Cedis from Service Providers.

It said the health insurance scheme as an important social intervention policy needed the help of all the citizenry to succeed.

The Network praised President Mills' stand on the Alfred Woyome saga for a full-scale enquiry and called for a thorough investigation into the cocaine turned sodium bicarbonate case.

The network also commended the regional Security Council being chaired by the regional minister and the various security agencies for maintaining the security of the region especially during the festivities saying ‘men in uniform were visible in all part of the region, which is ‘unprecedented’.

The Oneghana Network which is politically neutral with focus on the Volta region said it would soon come out with monitoring reports about the districts including quality and rate of work on the many contracts in the region.

Present at the press conference were George Tasiame, President of the network and two of the Network's district representatives, Light Tornyi, Adaklu Anyigbe and Jones Fritzmaclean of Keta.