Use formal channels to receive remittances during Easter, Ramadan seasons

The Universal Merchant Bank (UMB) has advised Ghanaians to use established remittance channels in receiving money from abroad during the holy seasons of Easter and Ramadan.

UMB has developed structures that allow customers in Ghana to receive their money from a variety of remittance companies either as cash pick-up at the bank’s branches or directly into the customers bank account.

The bank gave the advice in a statement in Accra during a media briefing session dubbed AbrokyireSika.

Abrokyiresika is the banks umbrella programme to educate and inform banking customers in Ghana about the best way to receive money from abroad.

Nii Armankra Tetteh, Executive Director, Business at UMB, said, ‘UMB is unique in the market when it comes to remittances because customers can receive the money in cash at any of our locations, or directly into their account.’

He said the good thing about receiving money at UMB was that when customers receive money into their account, they have 24/7 access to it via the bank’s top-of -the range mobile banking app, the UMB SpeedApp.

He said when monies were sent abroad for emergency purposes with UMB, that money could directly hit the customer’s account and with UMB SpeedApp, the customer could make that payment easily.

Mr. Sam Donkor, General Manager, Virtual and Transactional Banking, said, ‘We have seven remittance services at the bank, including reactivating our relationship with MoneyGram this month.’

‘We are aware that quite a number of Ghanaians get windfalls on their tax rebates in countries like the USA, and always like to send some of these monies back home to Ghana,’ he said.

The General Manager said the bank stand ready to support them with these remittance services including Ria, Vigo, Western Union, MoneyGram, Hello Paisa, Unity Link/World Remit, Transfast, IMT and Small World Financial Services .

Source: Ghana News Agency