Pharmacists urged to join Union to benefit from loans and savings
Apam(Central Region) 15 December 2001- The Gomoa District Best Farmer for 2001, Nana Entsiful Ababio has appealed to the government to find market for the large quantity of rice stock piled at the Okyereko Irrigation Project site to sustain the farmers' interest in the project.
Addressing a farmers and fishermen forum at Apam Nana Ababio, who is also the chief of Gomoa Okyereko said poor patronage of the produce was frustrating the efforts of the farmers to step up production.
About 300 hectares of land had been put into rice and vegetable cultivation under the irrigation project, funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). Nana Ababio appealed to educational institution in the area to buy their rice requirements from the farm.
Nana Krampah Dadzie, Gomoa District best agro forester appealed to financial institutions to grant a moratorium to farmers who contracted loans for production of crops that take longer time to mature.
Nana Dadzei said the high interest rates and the mode of payment of interests on the loans were scaring people from growing long-term crops, citing a case of a farmer who took a 10 million cedis loan to grow cashew and in five years when the crop started bearing fruit, the loan had shot up to 40 million cedis.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 15 December 2001 - Pharmacist in the country have been urged to join the Ghana Co-operative Pharmacists' Credit Union Limited since it offers the highest interest rate on savings and also grant loans to over 100 million cedis to members.
Making the appeal on Friday at the 16th annual general meeting, Mr. George A. Boateng, Chairman of the Board of Directors said about 80 per cent of newly qualified Pharmacists have not joined the Union because they felt it was for Co-operative Pharmaceuticals.
He said the Union pays 37 per cent, the highest rate of interest on savings, as against the 15 per cent other banks offer, therefore, it would be prudent for members to take advantage of it, adding that growth in membership was only 8.5 per cent during the year.
"Take loans, which are always accessible and cheaper than the bank to develop yourselves," he added. Out of the 93 loan applications received by the Union from members, only one was rejected with the total amount accruing to 1,153,057,000
cedis.
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