The Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has during a courtesy call on him by the Managing Director of FBNBank Ghana and his team intimated that the Traditional Council is facilitating the perfection of leases, to enable businesses and property owners access credit from banks at one-third the usual cost.
During the visit, the Asantehene welcomed the FBNBank team led by Managing Director Mr. Victor Yaw Asante to Manhyia, and congratulated him on his appointment. The Asantehene reposed confidence in Mr. Asante’s abilities to deliver success in his role, and encouraged the staff of FBNBank to support him in achieving goals of the bank.
Related to the issue of credit for businesses, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II advised FBNBank to collaborate with insurance companies in order to finance mortgages in the country by using insurance endowments. He also advised the Managing Director and his team to come up with innovative ways of engendering trust among the populace, in order to attract companies and individuals who have shied away from using the services of banks as a result of the situation that led to the recent financial sector clean-up.
The Asantehene also urged FBNBank to support businesses to thrive in order to help provide a solution for the current unemployment situation in the country. In his view, when businesses grow there will be a corresponding growth in employment opportunities; and banks have a role to play in engendering the growth of businesses, particularly small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
In his response, Mr. Asante thanked the Asantehene for his advice and congratulated him for leading socio-economic development initiatives – in Asanteman in particular and Ghana as a whole. He also congratulated Otumfuo Osei Tutu II on the occasion of his 71st birthday and wished him God’s blessings and a successful reign.
The FBNBank Ghana MD was accompanied on the visit by the Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer, Semiu Lamidi; Group Head-Business Development, Azubike Obi; Treasurer, Mrs. Grace Isaac-Aryee; Country Team Lead-Marketing and Corporate Communications, Enoch Vanderpuye; Head-Public Sector, Hayford Danso; Area Head-Northern Ghana, Philip Afari; and Manager-Suame Branch, Charity Kissi.
Commenting on the visit, Mr. Asante said: “We consider the Ashanti Region as a critical market for our activities as a bank, and we are keen to maintain a high level of stakeholder interaction and relationship building in that region. A few weeks ago, we engaged our customers in the same region and listened to their issues with the aim of delivering better support to their business activities. Today, we have engaged the Asantehene and we appreciate every bit of our interaction with His Majesty, particularly his advice. For us at FBNBank, this is what we mean when we say we put you first. Our brand promise enjoins us to place our stakeholders first and at the heart of what we do. That is what we have achieved with this visit”.
