CAPITAL RURAL BANK ORGANISES RAFFLE (PAGE 35, NOV 8, 2010)

THE Capital Rural Bank with its headquarters at Abesim in the Brong Ahafo Region has organised its annual raffle dubbed: “My home bonanza raffle draw’’ to reward its loyal customers.
The raffle, the second this year, is drawn every year with a house as the first prize.
It is aimed at rewarding loyal customers of the bank, inculcating the habit of savings in the people, as well as helping to mobilise excess liquidity in the system.
Mr William Gyabaah of Abesim won the first prize of the raffle and was given a two-bedroom flat at Abesim as his prize.
The second and third prizes of a deep freezer and a television set, respectively went to Mr David A. Appiah and Dr G.W. Opoku both from Sunyani, while consolation prizes of wall clocks and the bank’s branded T-shirts were presented to the 11th-50th winners.
Speaking in an interview with the Daily Graphic after the draw, the Chairman of the bank’s Board of Directors, Dr E. Yaw Peprah-Agyemang, said so far about 70 people had benefited from the bank’s housing project christened “Capital affordable housing” launched last year to help meet the country’s housing deficit stock among Ghanaians.
He said under the bank’s housing scheme, the bank provided financial support to enable low-income earners in the formal and informal sectors in the region to own their houses.
Dr Peprah-Agyemang said the innovation by the bank was the first of its kind to be carried out by any rural bank in the country.
Dr Peprah-Agyemang explained that the bank decided to come up with the affordable housing product to make up for the housing deficit in the region and the nation as whole.
He added that one needed to save for at least six months to qualify for a mortgage or a housing loan to purchase the house.
Dr Peprah-Agyemang said the raffle was being run in collaboration with a private real estate developer, adding that the rest of the loan would be spread over a period of 10 years.
He said the bank was there to assist all to embark on their legitimate ventures, and had put in place a scholarship scheme for the children of its customers to pursue tertiary education.
The Managing Director of the bank, Mr Kwaku Damoah, said every customer of the bank who saved continuously and had a minimum of GH¢100 in his/her accounts qualified to enter the draw.
He said apart from providing financial services, the bank also counselled people on the kind of investments to make.