Business News of Tuesday, 5 June 2012

Source: GNA

ProCredit joins crusade to fight global warming

ProCredit Savings and Loans Company Limited, a financial institution, has joined the crusade in adapting pragmatic measures to create awareness and help reduce the impact of global warming.

Mrs Sarah Tsien Zetterli, Managing Director of ProCredit said, the institution would soon come out with a campaign dubbed ‘Green Environment Campaign’, aimed at sensitising its staff and the public about the alarming effects of the depletion of the earth’s natural resources.

She said ProCredit would set the pace by incorporating solar energy in the design of its new head office complex, which would be constructed to meet the international environment standards and certified by the Ghana Green Building Council.

Mrs Zetterli announced this at the launch of the 10th anniversary celebration of ProCredit in Accra on Tuesday.

The celebration on the theme “Growing with You…10 Years and Beyond”, underscores ProCredit’s commitment to nurture promising businesses and building a lasting mutually beneficial relationship with private clients and inspiring great teamwork with its employees for personal and corporate growth.

She said after 10 years of existence, ProCredit can boast of an international presence in 21 countries across three continents, and 26 networked branches across Central, Greater Accra, Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Eastern and Western Regions.

“It has a credit portfolio of GH¢60.8 million, fully financed by a deposit portfolio of GH¢71.5 million and ably supported by about 500 dedicated professional staffs”.

ProCredit Ghana is part of ProCredit international group of banks and financial institutions, which comprises institutions in 21 countries worldwide and jointly owned by the ProCredit Holding AG, based in Frankfurt am Main, Germany (94.64%) and DOEN Foundation, based in the Netherlands (5.36%).

Mrs Zetterli said the institution had made positive steps in positioning itself as a socially responsible company, adding that, it had regularly undertaken financial education activities on various topics such as importance of saving, risk management and book keeping.

“The intervention has proved very useful to both its formal and informal client segments,” she said.

She said the company had fulfilled its corporate social responsibility through projects such as market seminars, road safety campaigns, clean-up exercises, health screening and donations; saying that “ProCredit focuses on responsible banking by building a savings culture and long-term partnership with its customers”.

Mrs Zetterli emphasized that ProCredit had constantly diversified its expertise while asserting its position in the small and medium sized enterprise markets.

She said the institution would soon establish two new branches this year and introduce innovative products to satisfy the changing needs of its retail and corporate clients.

Mrs Zetterli commended the staff for their efforts towards the development of ProCredit and urged them to continue to give quality services to help improve the living standards of the people in the rural areas.

She expressed her appreciation to clients for their immense support and assured them of the institution’s commitment to providing quality service.**