As part of its GH¢1million commitment to the fight against the growing coronavirus pandemic, the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) has donated Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and sanitary items to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and other state institutions to facilitate their work in the fight against COVID-19.
The items, including 2,000 face masks, 7,500 pairs of gloves, 400 hair-nets, 200 Veronica buckets and 200 alcohol-based hand-sanitisers, liquid soap, paper towels and 20 thermometer guns were valued at GH¢800,000, after it presented a cash donation of GH¢200,000 to the COVID-19 National Trust Fund.
Apart from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Greater Accra Regional Hospital, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Cape Coast Teaching Hospital and some regional and district hospitals were also presented with items.
Managing Director of the bank, Dr. John Kofi Mensah, explained that GH¢200,000 was earlier paid into the COVID-19 Trust Fund in fulfilment of a promise made to the public that the bank would spend GH¢1million to fight the virus. He said the decision was taken by the bank’s board and management in response to the president’s call on institutions to support the national fight against the pandemic.
“Our major focus will be on health institutions mainly in the peri-urban and rural areas, our customers and also our hardworking farmers and traders who are vulnerable to attack due to the nature of their work,” he said.
Dr. Mensah added that the bank had also contributed to the Ghana Bankers Association’s GH¢10million package, waived all charges on its electronic banking transactions below GH¢100, and reduced the interest rate by 200 percentage points.
In addition, he said, the bank has waived all interbank transfer fees on its digital platforms and mobile wallet transaction fees for transactions below GH¢100. He disclosed that the bank will soon announce a special package for its customers to further ease the pressure on them.
“Currently, we have drastically reduced our workforce by about 52 percent in line with social distancing protocols. We have provided all our 83 branches with hand-sanitisers and PPE for their personal and customer use,” he said.
He urged Ghanaians to comply with social distancing, mask-wearing, and handwashing guidelines to slow or stop spread of the virus.
“As said by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, we are not in normal times; and therefore I call on Ghanaians to comply strictly with the health protocols of wearing nose masks, constantly washing our hands with soap under running water, practicing social distancing, exercising and, most importantly, staying home if we have nothing to do in town,” he said.
