...THE CREDIT POLICY The credit policy of Ghana Commercial Bank Ltd is aimed at maintaining acceptable credit standards by holding reasonable risk limits, evaluating new business opportunities, complying with regulatory requirements and providing adequate liquidity for the effective running of the bank. This aim is achieved through the following objectives: 1. Attract and maintain a High Quality Portfolio of Assets 2. Efficiently manage its assets to ensure liquidity 3. Finance the needs of Corporate, medium and small scale as well as individual clients. 4. Join syndicates with other banks and financial institutions. The importance of these objectives is to ensure that clients who borrow from the bank have the ability to repay the funds they borrow on schedule and with interest. Businesses that borrow from the bank should demonstrate an ability to repay from their current and future net cash flows of the business. Individual client's repayments depend also on their personal cash inflows basically being their salaries. Another importance is the need to avoid bad debt as much as possible by not giving credit to clients who are likely to be unable to repay due to their peculiar circumstances. Also the bank must ensure that at all times it is able to meet its obligations to depositors since its stock in trade is money. This it does by diversifying loans it has given (assets) to have a wide array of maturity profiles. Also it ensures that its assets are properly matched...
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...their own bank accounts nor are they able to take out loans, transfer money or insure their families against risks such as illness, accident or death. In most cases, access to these financial services that are so central to sustainable development are either denied or made very difficult. Consequently, people frequently have no choice but to resort to local moneylenders who charge usurious rates of interest or use informal and, therefore, insecure ways of performing transactions such as payments and money transfer. The above is reflected in the quotation by the past Secretary-General of the United Nations: ‘‘The stark reality is that most people in the world still lack access to sustainable financial services, whether it is savings, credit or insurance. The great challenge before us is to address the constraints that exclude people from full participation in the financial sector. Together, we can and must build inclusive financial sectors that help people improve their lives (United Nations, 1997).’’ With almost thirty per cent of the country's population living in poverty, the Government of Ghana clearly faces an enormous challenge to reduce poverty especially in the three northern savannah regions where there is the greatest concentration of poor people. To achieve rapid and sustainable reduction in poverty, it is necessary to have an integrated policy with the various elements of the strategy reinforcing each other. The World Development Report for 1990 (World Bank, 1990) found...
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...LONDON SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND FINANCE CREDIT RISK MANAGEMENT OF NON-BANKING FINANCIAL INSTITTUTION IN GHANA (A CASE STUDY OF TF FINANCIAL SERVICES) BY STEPHEN KWADWO NTIRI A Thesis Submitted to the London School of Business and Finance in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirement for the MBA Degree in Financial Services MARCH 2010 DECLARATION I Stephen Kwadwo Ntiri hereby declare that except for references to other people’s work, which have duly been acknowledged, the work presented here was carried out by me, MBA student of Financial Servies at the London School of Business and Finance (LSBF), under the supervision of Randolph Metz-Johnson. I also declare that this work has never been submitted partially or wholly to any other institution for the award of a certificate. …………………………………………… ……………... Stephen Kwadwo Ntiri Date (Student) ………………………………………… …………… Randolph Metz-Johnson Date (Supervisor) Dedication This research project is dedicated to Almighty God for His abundant blessings and protection given me throughout this study, and also to my family for the support I received from them. Acknowledgement I am most grateful to Almighty God who through His infinite mercy and love guided me throughout the duration of the programme. I wish to acknowledge the help and encouragement I got from the entire staff of TF Financial Services, especially Mr. Benjamin Turkson, which has enabled me to complete this work. I also want to thank my wife, Esther Yamoaba...
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...CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background Banking reached colonial Africa through the activities of colonial merchants, and the first bank in West Africa was established in 1894, that is the British Bank for West Africa (BBWA), which extended its operations to Ghana soon after in 1896. In Ghana, the Bank of Ghana is responsible for the banking sector. The Bank of Ghana was established in 1957 to oversee the health of the nation’s financial sector. Presently the Bank of Ghana is empowered by the banking act of 2004, Act 673 (amended in 2007) and the Bank of Ghana Act 2002, Act 612 to regulate banks in Ghana. The mission of the central bank is “to pursue sound monetary and financial policies aimed at price stability and create an enabling environment for sustainable economic growth.” In maintaining a stable banking industry, the Bank of Ghana ensures that banks playing a part in the pursuit of its goals are well leveraged to withstand any unforeseen circumstances. One way the central bank does this is to ensure that banks have capital adequacy to a certain level through the regulation of the minimum capital requirement. The issue of the minimum capital requirement, its increases and implications has always been an issue of hot debates amongst economists, and even politicians. The minimum capital requirement is the minimum level of security below which the amount of financial resources should not fall (European Parliament legislative resolution of 22 April...
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...Rural Banking concept was introduced in the mid-1970s. The motives were to mobilize savings from the rural areas and in turn make institutional credit available to the Rural Economy. The need for improved financial intermediation in the rural economy became paramount because of the non-availability of formal institutions and the fact that most rural dwellers are engaged in agriculture. Agriculture is the mainstay of the Ghanaian economy and until recently the largest contributor to GDP. (Yahiya, research Dept. of BOG, 2013) Despite the potential resources existing in the rural areas, farmers and small entrepreneurs lack the required institutional credit to play the expected meaningful role in the Economy. The peasant farmer had to rely on informal operators such as Mobile Bankers locally known as Susu Collectors, and self-help groups and money lenders for his credit needs. These creditors charge exorbitant interest rates which, in most cases, aggravates the poverty state of the borrowers. The bank of Ghana, in a bid to take care of the credit and other financial needs of the rural people, therefore encouraged Commercial Banks to expand their rural networks. The Agricultural Development Bank, for example, which was originally a unit of the Bank of Ghana, was established in 1965 with the aim of reaching the small-scale farmer(s).These Banks were however unable to satisfy the financial...
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...one with a maximum of 10 employees. The National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) which is the regulatory body for SMEs in Ghana defines SMEs in terms of both fixed asset and number of employees. It defines an SME as an enterprise with turnover greater than US$200,000 and not more than US$5 million equivalent (NBSSI) The SME market constitutes the vast majority of businesses in Ghana and over the years has evolved to become the key supplier and service provider to large corporations, including multinational and transnational corporations. Principally, SME’s has contributed to: Expanding output; Providing value-added activities in the manufacturing sector; Creating employment opportunities especially in the services sector; Contributing to broadening Ghana‟s export base; Increased competition; Innovation; SMEs are important to almost all economies in the world, especially to those in developing countries. They contribute to productivity and job creation; they serve as a nursery for larger firms constituting the next step for micro enterprises (Palma and Gabriel, 2005). In addition, SMEs tend to be the primary driver for job creation as they are labor intensive and employ more labor per unit capita than larger enterprises thereby creating more jobs in the economy. This is also evident in developing countries like Ghana, as it is estimated that the sector employs about 35% of labor (Mensah and Rolland, 2004). Again according to Sowa et al (1992), even...
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...……………………………………………………………………..5 Research Problems ………………………………………………………………………….5 Significance of the Study …………………………………………………………………...5 Literature Review …………………………………………………………………………..6 Methodology …………………………………………………………………………………. Scope and Limitations ……………………………………………………………………...7 Chapter Outline …………………………………………………………………………….8 References…... DEFINITION What Is Microfinance? Microfinance, according to Otero (1999, p.8) is “the provision of financial services to low-income poor and very poor self-employed people”. These financial services according to Ledgerwood (1999) generally include savings and credit but can also include other financial services such as insurance and payment services. Schreiner and Colombet (2001, p.339) define microfinance as “the attempt to improve access to small deposits and small loans for poor households neglected by banks.” Therefore, microfinance involves the provision of financial services such as savings, loans and insurance to poor people living in both urban and rural settings who are unable to obtain such services from the formal financial sector. Microfinance encompasses the provision of financial services and the Management of small amounts of money through a range of products and a system of intermediary functions that are targeted at low income clients. “Microfinance refers to provision of small loans and other facilities like savings, insurance, transfer services to poor low-income...
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...Adoption of Mobile Payment Systems in Ghana Winfred Ofoe Larkotey#1, Prince Yaw Amoako*2, Ebenezer Afotey Laryea#3 , Ernest Dey#4 # Institute of Computer Science, Valley View University Box AF 595, Ghana 1 winfred.larkotey@gmail.com 3 afotey@gmail.com * Valley View University Institute of Computer Science, Ghana 2 4 papaprince@vvu.edu.gh ernest.dey@gmail.com Abstract— It may be said that no technology has increasingly broadened faster around the globe reminiscent of the mobile payment systems. Mobile payment systems are being embraced in many countries but its growth remains slow in most African countries. According to [9], this is mainly due to the lack of legal frameworks, inefficient banking and telecommunication systems, absence of security instruments and high illiteracy levels. Mobile payment systems level the playing field, presenting the opportunity for developing countries to compete equally with developed countries [5]. Hence, there exists a potential impact on socio-economic development if developing countries can harness this technology. However, there is a scarcity of research on the factors that influence mobile phones adoption and usage among micro-enterprises. This research seeks to address this gap by investigating the factors that influence mobile payment systems adoption and usage among in the Ghanaian society. The theoretical model based on the technology acceptance model is used to analyse survey of the adoption and the use of these...
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...Commercial Bank Commercial bank: Commercial bank mostly deals with deposits and loans from corporations or large businesses. Famous Commercial Banks of Pakistan are Muslim Commercial Bank(MCB),United Bank,Habib Bank. Functions of Commercial Banks: The functions of a commercial banks are divided into two categories: - Primary functions - Secondary functions including agency functions. - Primary functions: The primary functions of a commercial bank include: - accepting deposits; and - granting loans and advances The role of commercial banks Commercial banks engage in the following activities: * processing of payments by way of telegraphic transfer, EFTPOS, internet banking, or other means * issuing bank drafts and bank cheques * accepting money on term deposit * lending money by overdraft, installment loan, or other means * providing documentary and standby letter of credit, guarantees, performance bonds, securities underwriting commitments and other forms of off balance sheet exposures * safekeeping of documents and other items in safe deposit boxes * sale, distribution or brokerage, with or without advice, of insurance, unit trusts and similar financial products as a “financial supermarket” * cash management and treasury services * merchant banking and private equity financing * traditionally, large commercial banks also underwrite bonds, and make markets in currency, interest rates, and credit-related...
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...environment for banks compared to other parts of the world. The low default risk for banks has however not translated to lower interest rates for customers despite the credit referencing system taking effect. The credit risk is measured in terms of gross non-performing advances as a percentage of the total gross advances. A survey by audit firm RSM Ashvir, based on banks 2012 financial reports showed only 4.6 per cent of loans by banks in 2011 ended up as non-performing advances. The banking industry disbursed Sh1, 335 billion, out of which only Sh61.4 million was defaulted. The risk has consistently decreased from 7.9 per cent in 2009 to 6.3 per cent in 2010. With the increase in interest rates and inflation rate, non-performing advances were expected to go higher, but it is not the case. This shows that the risk in the Kenyan market is low Interest rates spiked in December 2011 after the Central bank increased its key lending rate to a high of 18 per cent to curb the inflation rate which had peaked at 19.72 per cent in November that year. Though both the Central Bank Rate and inflation rate have dropped to 9.5 per cent and 4.11 per cent, banks are still lending at an average of 17.84 per cent. Microfinance institutions in Kenya have suffered significant loan repayment default resulting into subsequently decreased employment levels and cash flow problems in microfinance institutions this can partly be attributed to the high interest rates of government borrowing. Commercial banks...
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...General Background on Global Microfinance Trends 0 Contents 1.0 OVER VIEW OF MICROFINANCE IN GHANA...................................................... 3 1.1 DEFINITION .....................................................................................................................3 1.2 EVOLUTION OF MICROFINANCE IN GHANA ..............................................................3 1.3 THE NEED FOR MICROFINANCE IN GHANA................................................................4 1.4 MICROFINANCE CLIENTS IN GHANA...........................................................................5 2.0 PROFILES OF MICROFINANCE APEX BODIES IN GHANA................................... 5 2.1 Ghana Co-operative Credit Unions Association (GCCUA).....................................5 2.1.1 Some Current Performance of GCCUA.............................................................. 6 2.1.2 Outstanding Challenges and Future Resource Requirements of CUA ........ 6 2.1.3 Summary of Credit Unions Annual Performance ............................................. 6 2.2 GHANA CO-OPERATIVE SUSU COLLECTORS’ ASSOCIATION (GCSCA)..................7 2.2.1 Some Current Performance of GCSCA .............................................................. 7 2.2.2 Outstanding Challenges and Future Resource Requirements for GCSCA .. 7 2.2.3 PERFORMANCE COMPARISON OF GCSCA TO CUA AS AT OCTOBER 2007.. 8 2.3 ASSOCIATION OF FINANCIAL NGOs (ASSFIN) .....................................................
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...FINANCING SMALL SCALE BUSINESSES IN TAMALE TERMINOLOGIES 1. CAPITAL: Wealth owned by a Company in the form of money, stock or funds which is to be used for the creation of additional wealth. 2. DISCOUNT: A reduction made in the cost of buying items in bulk or for prompt payment. 3. EMPLOYEE: A person or someone who is paid regularly to work for a person or Organization 4. ENTERPRENEUR: A person who on his own account and initiative, makes the policy of a business and undertakes the financial risk. 5. INTEREST RATE: The specific sum of money which has to be paid for money borrowed. 6. NET ASSETS: The value of the resources of a company after deducting all liabilities 7. SHAREHOLDERS’ WORTH: The total assets of a business that belong to shareholders. It thus includes the value of all assets minus all liabilities. 8. PLOUGHED BACK PROFIT: To re-invest earnings in the business in order to develop or expand it. Table of Contents Page Declaration i Certification ii Dedication iii Acknowledgement iv Abstract v Terminologies vi Table of Contents vii CHAPTER ONE 1.1 Background of study 1 1.2 Statement of the Problem 5 1.3 Objective of the study 5 1.4 Significance of the study 6 1.5 Scope of the study 6 1.6 Methodology 6 1.7 Limitation 7 1.8 Chapter organization 7 CHAPTER TWO 2.1 Introduction...
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...PROJECT TOPIC THE IMPACT OF GHANA RURAL BANK COMPUTERIASATION AND INTERCONNECTIVITY PROJECT ON THE PROFITABILITY OF RURAL BANKS A CASE OF SOUTH AKIM RURAL BANK LIMITED INTRODUCTION Background Statement It can be said universally that the rate of change and expansion that organisations are striving to achieve has been ambitious. The rural banking sector is no exception. Profitability of banks has improved tremendously. Current trends show that banking is more profitable through the use of technology. The rural banking concept was introduced to bridge the rural urban gap of financial transaction (Addo 1998). Since their inception the rural banks have been at the fore front of developing proper innovative financial product and modifying their operations to suit the specific needs of the rural farmer, the underserved micro enterprise and other low income operatives of the rural economy (Obeng 2009, Owusu Ansah1999) The objective of rural banks include the following, to provide basic financial services to the rural folks .To play a financial intermediary role by mobilizing financial resources from within their area of operation and channelling such funds to support viable ventures and thus invariably improve the socio-economic well-being of the people in the communities they serve, to inculcate banking culture and attitude into the rural folks in order to stem the tide of high volume of liquidity circulating outside the Ghanaian...
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...Risk-based Assessment of Ghana Commercial Bank Limited ADU-MENSAH, Simon1 ABDALLAH, Mohammed Inusah2 ANTWI, Stephen Kwadwo3* 1. Depot Manager, Armajaro Company Limited, Nyinahin District, Ashanti, Ghana 2. Lecturer, Department of Accountancy, Tamale Polytechnic, P.O. Box 3 ER, Tamale. 3. Lecturer, Department of Accountancy, Tamale Polytechnic, P.O. Box 3 ER, Tamale. *stevekwadant@yahoo.ca Abstract Risk management is a very important concept for any business as most financial decisions revolve around the corporate cost of holding risk. This issue is particularly important to banks since risk constitutes their core business processes. This study assesses the risk profile of GCB to ascertain its soundness and conformity to international best practices. The study selects credit, liquidity, market and operational risks as dependent variables while size, NPLs ratio, capital adequacy and asset management are utilized as explanatory variables for the period of five years from 2007 to 2011. The regression results indicate that the size of bank does not influence any of the risks. Apart from credit risk which is influenced positively by the NPL ratio, all the other risks, show a negative relationship with NPL ratio. The capital adequacy has a negative relationship with credit and liquidity but a positive relationship with market and operational risks. Both debt-equity ratio and asset management establish a positive relationship with credit and operational risks,...
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...CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION Background of the study Ghana’s experience with macro-stabilization and structural adjustment appears to be in line with that of many other developing countries that have pursued similar policies. Their experience reveals that such programs do not lead automatically to the resumption of growth, let alone ensure the transition onto a higher growth path. The recent experience of transition economies has shown that price stabilization and opening up may not be enough to achieve a rise in the trend rates of investment and growth. Recognizing this evidence, policy emphasis has shifted to pinpointing complementary policies that will lead an economy from stabilization to growth. The policy debate today focuses on reforms. Ghana immediately after independence made tremendous effort towards achieving full employment and socio economic development through public investment in medium and large scale enterprises. Notwithstanding the direct involvement and the effort of the government, the sector is saddled with a lot of constraints, including scarce capital, intensive technology, foreign exchange constraints, poor management, corruption and inadequate attention to economic viability and market prospects which has resulted in poor performance of the industries in terms of output and employment (Steel & Webster, 1992). Following an economic recession in the 1980’s which resulted in the retrenchment of workers from the civil service, the rationalization...
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