By
Eunice Hilda Ampomah, GNA
Accra, Dec.12, GNA –
The step by the Government to clean up the financial sector could generate
negative reactions at the beginning; but result in confidence in the sector,
subsequently, Mr Hakim Ouzzani, the Managing Director of Societe Generale (SG)
Ghana has said.
The reforms, he
said, would strengthen the sector and instil more hope and trust in the public
for the sector to give them self-assurance to transact businesses.
It would also
enforce compliance in various ways, including liquidity coverage ratio, to
stabilise and grow the Ghanaian banking sector, he added.
Mr Ouzanni was
speaking in an interview with journalists, on Wednesday, at the sideline of the
“End of Year Client Event”, organised by the Bank to appreciate clients, most
of whom were corporate entities.
It was also to offer
them a platform to network for business opportunities.
Mr Ouzzani said the
SG Bank focused on helping the Government to achieve the Sustainable
Development Goals, hence, were motivated to comply with directives to put
customers first in all of its operations.
It was prudent for
businesses, he said, to contribute to national development, by protecting the
State’s resources and helping to reduce the unemployment rate.
As a good corporate
citizen, the Bank, he said, had put measures in place to use solar energy in
most of its offices nationwide and given opportunity for Ghanaians to acquire
about 40 per cent shares of the Bank.
“The SG Ghana is
committed to raising €120 billion into energy transition between 2019 and 2023,
out of which €100 billion would be dedicated to sustainable bonds issues and
€20 billion to renewable energy sector through advisory and financing,” he
stated.
“The Bank, would
‘reduce to zero’ its exposure to the thermal coal sector by 2030 for companies
with thermal coal assets located in the European Union or the Organisation for
Economic Cooperation and Development countries; and 2040 elsewhere”.
Mr Ouzzani urged all
financial institutions and corporate institutions to make clients’ satisfaction
a priority if they wanted to excel.
“For us, our biggest
challenge is client satisfaction because we are always striving to give
customers the best service so that we wouldn’t have complaints,” he said.
He expressed
gratitude to staff and clients and encouraged them to confront the Bank
whenever they encountered challenges in their transactions.
“Another way of
contributing to socio-economic development is through Corporate Social
Responsibility activities, therefore, the Bank has partnered the Ghana Heart
Foundation and the Royal Seed Orphanage Home to enable them to achieve their
mandate”.
Mr Ernest Kuetche,
the Deputy Managing Director of SG Ghana, said the Bank had plans of
diversifying business in other sectors and stabilising their position in the
Small and Medium-sized Enterprises sector in 2020.
GNA
