GAMC Annual General Meeting in Accra

The association’s net profit also rose to GH¢58,830 in 2013, up from the 2012 close of GH¢293,776.

The National Board Chairman of GAMC, Mr Collins Amposah-Mensah, who disclosed this at the association’s annual general meeting (AGM) in Accra, added that the company’s assets stood at GH¢367,032 as of December 31, last year.

The performance of the company was presented to shareholders of the GAMC by the executives of the association led by its Chairman, Mr Collins Amponsah-Mensah,  at the third AGM of the company held in Accra.

It was the third to be held by the GAMC, which is the umbrella body of microfinance institutions (MFIs) in the country, and was graced by executives and members.

The annual report of the association indicated that 291 out of a total of 628 MFIs, representing four per cent, had been duly licensed by the Bank of Ghana (BoG).

The minimum paid up capital of the MFIs, which are considered second tier institutions under the BoG’s categorisation of financial institutions, had been reviewed from GH¢100,000 to GH¢500,000 in 2013 and that was captured in the report.

The Head of Other Financial Institutions at BoG, Mr Raymond Amanfu, said the total assets of microfinance institutions as of June 2014 was GH¢768.81 million.

He added that loans and advances granted by MFIs as of June, this year, amounted to GH¢380.28 million, representing about 1.5 per cent of loans granted in the banking industry.

“Total deposits mobilised during the period, on the other hand, stood at GH¢385.93 million, with borrowings amounting to GH¢204.28 million.

He added that the central bank had instituted periodic submission of returns by the microfinance institutions as part of surveillance efforts aimed at ensuring timely analysis of events in the financial sector.

“This gives the regulator early warning signals to trigger an on-site examination, which involves physical presence,” Mr Amanfu said.