GTBank gives D.7m to SOS, Sinchu orphanages

By Omar Bah   Guaranty Trust Bank yesterday donated two separate cheques amounting to over seven hundred thousand Dalasi to SOS Children’s Village and Sinchu Orphanage as part of celebrations marking its 15 years anniversary during an SMEs training seminar at Ocean Bay hotel in Bakau. The cheques were handed over to the two institutions by the GTBank CEO. Established in March 5th, 2002, GTBank Gambia has grown through a resolute passion for exceeding client expectations to become the leading financial institutions in the country. The Nigerian-owned Bank was recognized as Gambia’s Bank of the Year at the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry Awards in 2015. “We came here 15 years ago with the promise of delivering innovative products and services focused on empowering our customers, communities and the Gambian economy,” said the GTBank CEO, Bolaji Ayodele. He continued: “Over the years, we have built a strong foundation and we are well positioned for continued growth, which is a testament to the world-class standards of our services and the commitment of our members of staff.” He said the Bank is very humble by the confidence that their customers have in them, saying “I will like to assure them of our continued commitment to provide superior banking experience that places us at the heart of everything we do”. “To many GTBank was a Nigerian Bank but today I am grateful to say that many have realised that GTBank is a Gambian Bank that is here to stay and work for the development of the country,” he said. He said the remarkable patronage of Gambians and the enabling environment created by government for banking and the resilience and determination of their staff are the reasons behind the enviable success registered by the Bank. The GTBank CEO said: “We have chosen to organize this seminar for SMEs because we have in recent years seen them grow significantly and contribute remarkably to the economy in terms of employment and youth empowerment despite the numerous challenges they faced”. “Whiles most people would think that the greatest problem for SMEs is that of financing, we believe that what they need more is to understand the fundamentals of business development,” he noted He said participants in the seminar will discuss on topics such as opportunities for SMEs, overview of SME business in the Gambia, sources of capital for SMEs and options for financial growth among other relevant issues. Deputising the Minister of Trade and Regional Integration, permanent secretary Lamin Dampha, said SMEs are essential components of any growing and developing economy. “The impact of the SMEs goes beyond job creation, they contribute immensely in the country’s economy. The Gambian economy is characterised by the dominance of SMEs as they employee over 60% and they contribute 20% of the country’s GDP,” he said. Meanwhile, deputising the CEO of GIEPA, Suwaibou Cham said SMEs are a very key important factor that GIEPA focuses on. He said the government through the ministry of trade and UNDP in 2014 launched a project called EMPRETEC.]]>