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New Year Message from the CEO

Dear Valued Customer,

 

I wish you a very happy and prosperous 2022 on behalf of everyone here at UMB!

 

We are truly grateful for your custom all through 2021 despite its peculiar challenges and developments. The scourge of COVID-19 and other unfortunate incidents have been heavy, and our thoughts and prayers go to all the people in Ghana and around the world who are sadly not with us. May they rest peacefully.

 

In this new year we look forward to an exciting journey with you our valued partners. Our resilience the last few years gives us hope that we are entering a more productive era which points to success in all our business and organizational endeavors! We are poised to support you in diverse ways to achieve your financial goals and ambitions.

 

2022 also marks a special year in the life of UMB. It will be 50 years since we opened our doors here in Ghana, with a clear charge to support Ghanaians to take the commanding heights of the economy. During that period, we have strived to constantly live up to that charge, with a clear focus on putting YOU FIRST. Below are some highlights of our achievements to date. Our appreciation in true Ghanaian style goes to you our cherished customers and the many more before you who have helped keep this organization alive all these years! Y3DAASE, AKPE, OYIWALA DONN, NAGODE, TIPAGIDA, MPUYIHA!

 

Many of you cherished customers have been with us through thick and thin. Like Madam Esther Asare, currently our oldest customer in the Bank. Madam Asare opened her account with the Tarkwa Branch of Merchant Bank on August 7, 1973. She has kept faith with us, and we have been proud of our service to her. We look forward to celebrating Madam Asare and all of you our valued customers, in the coming year.

 

I am also inspired by the example of past and present members of our staff like Mr. Benjamin Adjetey Adjei, who has diligently served the Bank for 34 years since March 2, 1987! Any time spent with Benjamin, is like being immersed in an encyclopedia of the Bank, and one cannot help but note his admonitions to us, his colleagues to always put the CUSTOMER FIRST.

 

These two examples demonstrate our significant position as an integral part of Ghana’s financial industry and underpin what makes us great as a Bank – our commitment to PEOPLE and safeguarding the TRUST they repose in us!

 

Afehyia Pa once again to you all! May God bless our efforts bountifully in the new year! Stay tuned as we update you on an exciting JUBILEE YEAR, and THANK YOU, for continuing to Bank your wealth with UMB, since 1972.

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Special Christmas Message from the CEO

OKLI BONI ooooo. Time indeed does fly. Almost in a flash, December is here and we are all geared up for BRONYA. This year, I am using the KROBO greeting for Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. A unique, special, and naturally uplifting salutation! I like this because it is similar to the effect we will like to deliver to YOU as UMB, where we always put YOU FIRST.

 

It has been a long, tough year, with many challenges. Our world is still afflicted by the scourge of COVID-19, and as we all proceed on the holidays, let us all please take the precautions directed by the authorities and health professionals to be safe. Also, let us be careful and pay attention as we travel, especially by road. Life is precious and let us stay safe into 2022.

 

As we celebrate and make merry, please spare a thought for your financial affairs and planning. More often than not, we overshoot our envelopes and our finances suffer! At UMB, we take our fiduciary duty of financial advisory to you seriously, and are always interested in supporting you to achieve the BEST YOU. We are giving each one of you, a cool calendar when you visit our branches in the New Year. This will have a financial planner for 2022, to help you plan for the year. As your bankers, we are available to help and guide you in this process at no cost. Engage any of our Customer Consultants in our branches or contact SIKA – our Virtual Assistant, in this regard.

 

The Christian celebration of Christmas and the general euphoria of the New Year is a time for all of us to recommit and appreciate our common humanity. 2020 and 2021 has proven to us all, that no matter where we are on this Earth, our well-being is intertwined. Let us all take some time to enjoy the holidays with our loved ones, relax, reflect and recharge so we can enter 2022 re-fortified for progress and growth.

Okli Boni and may we all have a HUGELY successful 2022.

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Message from the CEO on Customer Service Week

Dear Cherished UMB Customer

On behalf of the board, management and staff of UMB, I wish to express our unreserved appreciation to all our valued customers on the occasion of this year’s Customer Service Week Celebrations starting today 4th – 8th October 2021.

As the Elders say “the one that cuts the path does not know its crooked”. This proverb aptly captures our focus in this year’s celebration. From our point of view feedback is what powers great service. As we celebrate you, our customer during this year’s Customer Service Week, we will like to take the opportunity to engage you and receive feedback in terms of how you view our service and how we can make it better.

We have reviewed and reintroduced all our feedback platforms here at UMB. You will find that in any branch or ATM that you visit, you can instantly give feedback on the service delivered within the branch.  We will also request your feedback on service via periodic surveys and we urge that you oblige us. Please click here to give us feedback.

We are also delighted to inform you that we have strengthened our Contact Centre. You can now use our toll-free numbers or dedicated WhatsApp lines at anytime to log your complaints. I assure you that we take each and every single one of these calls very seriously. Furthermore, as a digital 1st bank, we have introduced a live chatbot- SIKA which is active online 24/7. We are ready to receive feedback from you anytime!

Thank you for your continued business with US. We do not take it for granted and we know that you are the reason why we have been able to serve Ghana since 1972!

Happy Customer Service Week!

 

UMB … Serving Ghana with S.P.E. E. D. since 1972!

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UMB headlines 3rd edition of ‘Ghana Centre of the World’ golf tournament

Universal Merchant Bank (UMB) has announced its headline sponsorship of the third edition of the “Ghana Centre of the world’ Golf Tournament, from August 26, to 28 at the newly christened ‘Centre of the World Golf Club’ in Tema (the erstwhile Tema Country Club).

The three-day golf tournament, organized by the Ghana Tourism Development Company (GTDC), under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, is a tournament open to all golfers across Ghana and West Africa.

This year’s tournament, dubbed the “Version 3.0” edition, is part of a larger initiative by the Ministry and its agencies (including the GTDC) to celebrate and establish the ‘Ghana as the center of the world’ brand.

The sponsorship was announced at a short ceremony here in Accra, at the UMB Headoffice.

GTDC was represented by the deputy chief executive Madam Akofa Dokosi, who was received by the UMB chief executive Nana Dwemoh Benneh.

Speaking at the announcement, the Chief Executive of UMB, Nana Dwemoh Benneh, noted that “God has truly blessed Ghana with many natural wonders, including the fact that we are the only country that is closest to the intersection of the equator and the Greenwich Meridian.

“This really places Ghana at the centre of the world. We are proud, as a leading Ghanaian Bank to once again support and partner the agile and forward-looking Ghana Tourism Development Company; in promoting tourism and the ‘Ghana Nation-Brand’ by leveraging this national asset.

“Thus, our full support for this exciting golf tournament, structured to celebrate this unique attribute.”

Nana Benneh further stated that ‘We see this initiative as a natural progression from the success chalked during the Year of Return, and in line with government’s espoused vision to make tourism a major contributor to our GPD!’

CEO of GTDC Kwadwo Odame Antwi said, “we are excited that a Ghanaian Bank, UMB, has seen the value in our strategy to grow the Ghana brand by leveraging attributes including our geographical location.

“Research indicates the power of sports marketing in promoting nation brands, and we aim to grow this golf initiative to promote Ghana as the desired destination in Africa.”

He further noted, ‘under the auspices of our visionary Minister, we are pursuing discussions with investors to develop the Centre of The World Golf Club into a top-notch facility, at par with what pertains in Dubai, South Africa and other major tourist destinations.’

The golf tournament is expected to attract over one hundred professional and amateur golfers from West Africa as well as captains of industries.

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UMB introduces LockSaver Account tailored for Government workers

Universal Merchant Bank (UMB) has launched an innovative savings account, tailor-made for government workers. This was at a media event at the headoffice of the Bank, where the Controller and Accountant General of Ghana ,Mr. Kwasi Kwaning – Bosompem was the guest of honour.
The introduction of the account is the first time a Ghanaian bank is offering other products via the Controller and Accountant General’s industry-leading TPRS system. This system has so far been used by banks in Ghana to provide loans to government workers. The UMB savings account, marketed as the CONTROLLER LOCKSAVER ACCOUNT, allows government workers to secure a savings account which enables them save at their own pace and value. The account, boasts higher interest rates than the industry average and is touted as key to enabling government workers achieve a ‘save-to-invest’ loop.
Speaking on the new initiative, CEO of UMB, Nana Dwemoh Benneh, referred to a survey conducted by the Bank’s research team, which indicated a great desire for savings products amongst Ghanaians. ‘Overall, the Ghanaian worker understands the value of savings. The challenge has been creating a culture of consistent, untouched savings over a period, to achieve a goal. This product allows government workers to save towards this, using the same channel through which their loans and other credit facilities are managed. UMB is proud to be the first bank in Ghana to provide workers the ability to save as well as access affordable loans, thus adding value to financial well-being. This initiative is in line with our Bank’s focus on supporting public sector projects, as a proud indigenous Ghanaian Bank.’
In his remarks, the Controller and Accountant General, Mr. Kwasi Kwaning–Bosompem said “ It is a matter of pride for us that this innovation has been achieved on the back of our won innovation at the Department– the TPRS platform. TPRS is a testament to the governments agenda for digitalization and we are proud that a Ghanaian Bank, UMB has innovated with this platform to offer Savings products. I anticipate and are hopeful that other banks and insurance companies will take a cue from it and offer similar value to government workers. “Touching on the importance of Savings, the Controller further noted “Savings are key for the worker and the economy. This is why the Ministry of Finance and the Bank of Ghana has created sanitized environment in the financial services ecosystem and with interest rates. I urge all Ghanaians, especially workers to save some of their earnings every month, no matter how modest, as this over time will build up and cushion the worker at critical times.”
The event was attended by other senior officers of the Controller and Accountant General’s Department, UMB customers and representatives from key workers unions.