Deputy Managing Director of Consolidated Bank Ghana Limited (CBG), Sheila Azuntaba, says the bank plans to expand its pilot financial inclusion initiative for persons with disabili
The report indicates that deputy Managing Director of Consolidated Bank Ghana Limited (CBG), Sheila Azuntaba, says the bank plans to expand its pilot financial inclusion initiative for persons with disabilities across the country, stressing the need to move PWD support beyond grants towards sustainable access to finance.
It further notes that ms Azuntaba made the remarks on the sidelines of CBG’s Disability Conference at the Du Bois Centre, Cantonments, on Friday, September 11.
She described the event as one that was particularly important to CBG, saying the bank considered financial inclusion a basic human right that should extend to persons living with disabilities.
“Today’s event is actually one of the events that’s very dear to our hearts,” she said.
According to Ms Azuntaba, the initiative was developed from CBG’s recognition that financial inclusion must reach people who lack access to basic financial services and financial literacy, both in Accra and across the country.
She stated persons with disabilities had frequently been overlooked in financial services and were sometimes treated primarily as recipients of charity, despite the entrepreneurial potential within the community.
“Our PWDs in this country often [are] ignored, thinking they are charity cases, but yet they have such great entrepreneurs amongst themselves,” she said.
Ms Azuntaba stated CBG’s approach was to equip PWD entrepreneurs with practical financial knowledge alongside access to credit.
The programme includes basic financial literacy, bookkeeping and an understanding of credits and debits, which she stated would help beneficiaries manage their businesses and make more informed financial decisions.
She stated the bank wanted to recognise persons with disabilities as active participants in the economy and ensure they could access appropriate financial products.
The initiative therefore seeks to address both the knowledge gap and the financing constraints that can limit the growth of PWD-owned enterprises.
Ms Azuntaba emphasised that the facilities being provided under the programme were loans rather than grants.
She stated CBG’s responsibility to underserved communities should go beyond one-off assistance and create sustainable opportunities for beneficiaries to participate in the formal financial system.
“Financial inclusion needs to transcend grants in this country,” she said.
