ADB expands Saturday banking countrywide

Forty-two more branches of the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) will from July 2, 2016 provide Saturday banking services in all 10 regions of the country.

According to the management of the bank, the measure was part of the bank’s efforts to provide expedient, accessible and comfortable banking services to its customers.
“Already, 13 branches of the bank provide the service and the inclusion of the 43 brings the total to 56   branches engaged in Saturday banking business,” a statement issued by the bank in Accra said.
Besides the Saturday Banking, the ADB has further extended its weekday (Monday-Friday) working hours from 8:00a.m. to 5:00p.m., with effect from July 4 this year.
 
Areas affected
The statement named the selected branches in Greater Accra as the ADB House, Makola, Tema Main and Meridian branches; Achimota, Ridge, Spintex , Kokordze, Mankoadze, Osu, Ashaiman, Teshie and  Accra New Town.
There are two branches in the Northern and Eastern regions, three each in the Western and Upper East regions. There would also be four branches each in the Brong Ahafo, Central and Upper West regions.
While there will be five branches to open on Saturdays in the Volta Region, the Ashanti Region will have six of the branches there open on Saturdays.
The statement said the branches would open from 9:00 a.m to 2:00 p.m except for the first Saturdays of the month, which had been designated as National Sanitation Day. For those Saturdays, the bank would open from 11:00a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
 
Responding to opportunities
The Managing Director of ADB, Mr Daniel Asiedu, said the expansion of the bank’s Saturday banking was in response to “new business opportunities and the wish of management to satisfy the bank’s customers across the country”.
The bank is bracing itself to face the competitive banking environment having fallen from its height as the second largest bank in the country some 10 years ago.
It recorded a loss of GH¢100 million last year, as against a profit of GH¢47.86 million in 2014, which was in itself about 59 per cent lower than the GH¢80.63 million recorded in 2013.
Although the bank still has a good balance sheet and does real agricultural financing more than any other bank in the country, it is recently facing challenges. A couple of weeks ago, ADB renounced to accept bids for its shares in an initial public offer (IPO), with a promise to relaunch the IPO.
Mr Asiedu added, “We want to ensure that both our existing and prospective customers enjoy the best banking services at all times hence our decision to increase the number from the present 13 to 56.”