ORGANISERS of the 13th edition of Ghana Banking Awards have adjudged Access Bank as the Bank of Year for 2013, leaving rivals to chase their shadows.
The event held at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra over weekend could not produce 1st and 2nd runner up banks of the year 2013.
Apart from picking the Bank of Year award, Access Bank also took home three awards namely Best Corporate Social Responsibility Bank, 1st Runner Up in Enterprise Finance and 2nd Runner Up in Household Finance.
Agricultural Development Bank (adb) and Fidelity Bank were the only Ghanaian banks which stood up against the foreign domination during the night by taking home three awards each.
The adb took home Best Bank in Long-Term Loan Financing, 1st runner up in Agric, Forestry and Fishing, and 2nd runner up in Enterprise Finance.
While Fidelity Bank picked Best Bank Household Finance, 1st runner up in Product Innovation (Fidelity Smart Account), and 2nd runner up in Product Innovation (Agency).
The event which was attended by bankers, ministers of state, and captains of industry saw Ecobank taking 1st runner up in Household Finance, 1st runner up in Competitive Pricing, 1st runner up in Financial Performance, and 2nd runner in Corporate Social Responsibility.
Another bank which pulled surprise during the night was Guaranty Trust Bank (Ghana) Ltd. Its officials went home with three awards such as Best Product Innovation, 1st runner up in Most Active E-zwich, and 2nd runner up in Competitive Pricing.
Furthermore, Standard Chartered Bank picked two awards on the night: Best in Trade Finance and Best Financial Performance. Similarly, CAL Bank Ltd picked 1st runner up in Corporate Social Responsibility, and 2nd runner up in Long-Term Loan Financing.
1st runner in Long-Term Loan Financing, and 2nd runner in Trade Finance awards went to uniBank Ghana Ltd, while Zenith Bank picked Best Customer Care Bank, and 1st in Growing Bank.
Amazingly, new entrant, Royal Bank, was honoured as the Best Growing Bank for last year, while Indian Baroda Bank came on top in terms of Competitive Pricing.
Barclays which is the oldest bank in Ghana managed to pick 2nd runner in Financial Performance, while UT Bank which won the Bank of Year in 2011 could not find its bearings this time around but it managed to pick Best Most Active E-zwich Bank of the 2013.
First Atlantic Bank also took home the Best Bank Enterprise Financing award, while Societe Generale Ghana was adjudged the Best Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Bank of the year 2013.
HFC Bank Ghana Ltd, Prudential Bank Ltd, Sahel Sahara Bank Ltd, Stanbic Bank Ghana Ltd, and United Bank for Africa (Ghana) Ltd picked an award each.
The African Eye News gathered that 20 out of the 26 universal banks that published financial statements for the year ended 31st December 2013 shared a total of 36 awards.
It is also based on a survey of the views and opinions of customers as users of the services of the banks.
African Eye News
