Graphic, FBNBank to support businesses on AfCFTA
The Graphic Communications Group Ltd (GCGL) and the FBNBank have expressed their commitment to support the growth of local businesses to ensure that the country reaps the full benefit of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
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The two entities have agreed to explore some specific areas that will help build the capacity of local businesses and help them to grow.
This came to light at a meeting between the top managements of the two companies yesterday to discuss areas of possible collaboration.
As part of the meeting, the bank donated GH¢20,000 as its support towards the enhancement of the Graphic Digitalised Archives Project which contains national records and information spanning over 70 years.
Both teams briefed each other on some of their operations and new innovations, as well as other interventions they hope to introduce.
The GCGL team comprised the Director, Sales and Marketing, Franklin Sowa; Editor, Graphic, Theophilus Yartey; Tax and Management Accountant, Albert Ziem, and Senior Corporate Communications Officer, Yvonne Aryee.
The FBNBank team, led by the Managing Director, Victor Yaw Asante, comprised Head of Retail, Allen Quaye: Treasurer, Grace Isaac-Aryee; and the Country Team Lead, Marketing and Corporate Communications, Enoch Vanderpuye.
Theophilus Yartey (left), Editor, Graphic, and Victor Yaw Asante (3rd from right), Managing Director, FBNBank, with the executive team from FBNBank and Graphic during the visit. Picture: ESTHER ADJORKOR ADJEI
“We have done a lot of work around the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and it’s obvious that if we do not break that bane where people started businesses and when they are no more the business dies, Ghana cannot access all the benefits around the AfCFTA.
“So maybe, we can have monthly or quarterly engagements on certain sectors and pitch to them what we have in plan and how we can help them to grow.
We will tell them what they need to do at every point in time to get whatever support they need to get,” Mr Sowa said.
He expressed his gratitude to the bank for its continuous support to the GCGL and called for more future collaborations.
He suggested to the bank to extend its Corporate Social Responsibility initiative to include helping needy students to have access to the Junior Graphic newspaper.
He explained that due to some of the policies around the country’s educational sector, children in most public schools did not get access to the Junior Graphic because the schools were not supposed to sell anything to them.
Due to that, he said private schools had an advantage over public schools, especially regarding the Junior Graphic National Essay Competition.
Mr Sowa said public schools were unable to feature well in the competition because they did not have access to the paper as compared to the private schools.
“For over the past few years, winners have been fortunate to join the UN General Assembly but unfortunately, it is only the private schools which are benefiting and we think that we will need a certain level of support from corporate Ghana to ensure that our public schools can access the publications.
“The bank can come on board to pay for a number of copies to be distributed to some public schools and we will also do our best to make sure such gestures are published in the paper,” Mr Sowa stated.
Assurance
The MD for FBNBank, Victor Yaw Asante, gave an assurance that the bank would continue to work closely for the mutual benefit of the two organisations.
“We consider Graphic as our friend and I think we have looked for some specific areas that we can have transactional collaboration which will benefit the youth.
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The youth represent our future and we as a bank have done a lot of collaboration in that respect and we hope to have you on board,” Mr Asante said.