Advans Ghana Savings and Loans has announced that it will grant some grace period for loan clients in a bid to assist businesses against the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the offer will be specifically adapted
to each client’s situation.
A statement, issued by the company, and copied
to the Ghana News Agency, on Sunday, said the measure was to support small
businesses and farmers to get through this crisis; and also back the country’s
efforts to control the spread of the virus.
The statement said: “Thousands of our clients
have already been called by our teams and have accepted our offer to implement
a grace period on their loans”.
It quoted Mr Olivier Bailly-Béchet, the Chief
Executive Officer of Advans Ghana Savings and Loans as saying: “The global
outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis has already begun having a significant negative
impact on many businesses.
“And in this uncertain time, Advans Ghana’s
objective is to relieve clients from the burden of paying back their instalment
against the spread of virus,” it said.
“I am proud of the tremendous work our
teams have been delivering to ensure we are ready to help our clients and
borrowers to anticipate any financial risks they may face in the coming weeks”.
In line with the Bank of Ghana’s directives, it
said all measures had been taken in all branches to keep clients and staff safe
and healthy with systematic hand washing at their entrances, observing of
social distancing and the sensitisation of the public on how to be protected
from COVID-19.
It added that clients could also make use of
Advans Mobibank service to conduct all their transactions from wherever they
were in Ghana.
Mr Ben Berko, the Board Chairman of the Company
was quoted in the statement saying: “Advans Ghana’s mission is to provide
client centric financial services to small businesses and under-served
populations in a sustainable and responsible manner.
“In this difficult time, it is more than
ever the role we are willing to play,” he added.
Advans Ghana Savings and Loans is a subsidiary
of the Advans Group, head-quartered in Paris, with presence in nine countries
in Africa and Asia and serving more than one million clients.
In Ghana, Advans operates in 20 branches across
nine regions with head office located in Accra.
Source: Ghana News Agency