The Ashanti Regional Director of Cooperatives, Amos Sakyi, has advised members of credit unions nationwide to remain vigilant in their transactions with mobile bankers and to always keep custody of their contribution (susu) books to safeguard their savings.
Addressing members at the 27th Annual General Meeting of the St. Joseph the Worker Cooperative Credit Union held at Mamponteng in the Ashanti Region, he underscored the importance of retaining their contribution books as a measure to protect their investments.
According to him, mobile bankers are crucial in expanding access to financial services and promoting consistent savings among credit union members, bringing banking services closer to members, especially those who may not have the time or means to visit a branch regularly.
He advised that despite their importance in ensuring that business hours are not disrupted for banking purposes, members must not be complacent by leaving their documents in the care of mobile bankers, as some could be tempted to tamper with figures for their benefit, which could affect the trust between contributors and the credit union.
Speaking on best practices within the cooperative sector, Mr. Sakyi called on credit unions to impress upon their mobile bankers the importance of allowing members to retain their contribution books, emphasizing that professionalism is essential to maintaining public confidence in the system.
He praised St. Joseph the Worker Cooperative Credit Union for its contributions to financial inclusion, adding that the Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions remain at the forefront of the cooperative credit union movement, helping to improve the livelihoods of vulnerable members of society through savings and access to financial services.
The Annual General Meeting of the St. Joseph the Worker Credit Union serves as the highest decision-making forum of the financial institution, where members are presented with reports on financial performance, operational achievements and challenges encountered during the previous year.
The Credit Union is ranked third in the Ashanti Region and 19th in the country according to the Ghana Co-operative Credit Unions Association (CUA) Limited, and continues to have a significant impact on the lives of its members through share acquisition, a strong culture of savings and financial empowerment.
