The President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants—Ghana (ICAG), Professor K.B. Omane-Antwi has charged banks in the country to move out of their comfort zone and create innovative products for the informal sector to prevent dubious microfinance institutions from misapplying funds of unsuspecting customers.
The Bank of Ghana has in recent times urged Ghanaians to avoid microfinance institutions that promise huge returns on deposits, and save with traditional banks that quote realistic returns.
Speaking with Citi Business News at the launch of the Chartered Institute of Credit Management (CICM) Ghana, Professor Omane-Antwi who is also the Chairman for the CICM stated that the central bank cannot be solely blamed for the debacle that hit the micro-finance sector since banks have not provided creative products for the informal sector.
“I always say that the easiest job to do in Ghana today is to be a banker. They sit there people bring their money and they start taking commission without thinking of strategic issues”, he said.
According to him, traders and business owners in the informal sector have a lot of funds that the banks could mobilize to lend out as credit at a low cost.
“Look at the amount of money that got misappropriated in Sunyani and all those areas, it is an indication that the informal sector has a lot of money. Those people will go to places where they are lured to gain huge returns. The banks must develop better products and educate the people to accept it”, he said.
Professor Omane-Antwi maintained that banks must intensify financial literacy in the informal sector since stakeholders in the sector are discerning and will invest in product that brings reasonable returns.
Delivering a welcome address , the Executive Secretary of the Chartered Institute of Credit Management –Ghana, Mr. Agyepong Amo explained that the institute is a professional body created in accordance with the Professional Bodies registraction Act, 1973 on July 4, 2014.
Touching on the mandate of the institute, Mr. Amo stated that the CICM provides credit management resources, education and certification to its members and is the only professional body that grants official designations to credit management professionals in Ghana.
On programmes structure, he pointed out that the institute covers areas in banking credit, trade credit, consumer credit export credit, credit insurance, credit information , and debt administration.
“We aim to provide the catalyst for development of competent and more qualified human resources that will enable financial institutions to offer efficient and competitive services to meet modern day demands”, he said.
Mr. Amo was optimistic the institute, which is relatively young, will grow and become the reference body in the credit management in Ghana.
By: Lawrence Segbefia/citibusinessnews.com/Ghana