Jorbies Financial Services opens office at Kade

Mr Victor Smith, Eastern Regional Minister, on Friday inaugurated the first phase of an ultra modern office complex for Jorbies Financial Services at Kade. The event also marked one year anniversary of the company�s operation at the Kwaebibirim District capital. In a speech, Mr Smith said the current economic environment with indicators such as single digit inflation level, coupled with low interest rates made it very attractive for businesses to flourish. He said in that direction, the role of micro- finance companies in the growth of the economy was very crucial. Mr Smith commended the company for the services it was rendering through its lending facilities and business advisory services. He also commended the company on its investment packages and said its micro financial services had really made direct positive impact on the daily lives of many people, especially those in the rural areas. Mr Smith entreated businessmen and women, traders, farmers and those in the extractive industry to take advantage of the presence of Jorbies which had track records in micro-financing to expand their businesses and farms. They should not hesitate to contact management of the company for financial assistance, adding that any serious entrepreneur or farmer who wanted to expand his or her business or farm needed some form of assistance to do so. Mr Smith said he was confident that the company would be willing to extend all forms of assistance to applicants provided they were able to satisfy the basic requirement and conditions attached to the provision of the facility. He appealed to the company to put in place less cumbersome and flexible procedure and conditions that would attract many people to access their service. Mr Jordan B Larbi, Executive Director of Jorbies, appealed for a loan defaulter court, which would fast-track efforts by micro-finance institutions or lending organisations to secure their invested funds. He said the size of customers had grown over the years, adding that from 11 customers in August 2008, to 52 by December of that year, Jorbies could now boast of more 40,000 customers nationwide. Mr Larbi said their customers were made up of 45 per cent small business owners, 35 percent medium scale entrepreneurs and 20 per cent large business owners. Interestingly, majority of the large scale businesses constituted more than 40 per cent of total investors and that was so because of the higher interest received on their investment from Jorbies. The Executive Director said Jorbies had been involved in a number of social responsibility activities such as provision of street lights for Asamankese, potable water for schools at Ablekuma in the Greater Accra Region and award of scholarship to needy but brilliant students. Mr Larbi noted that the industry�s major challenge had been the collapse of micro finance companies and gave the assurance that Jorbies had come to stay and looking at its ultra modern complex office, there was no indication that they had come to Kade to cheat and steal customers money. Jorbies have branches at Kaneshie, Asamankese, Kade, Suhum, New Abirem, Ablekuma, Tema Community Two and Kasoa. The company is also constructing offices at Ashaiman, Obogu, Kejetia, Kofekrom, Sunyani and Nkoranza.