The Impact of Rural Bank Credit Facilities on Rural Development in Ghana: A Case Study of Amuga Rural Bank Limited

ABSTRACTThe importance of the rural banking in the economic development of a country cannot be overlooked. Hence, banks and other financial institutions are considered to be a vital role for the development of the rural economy in Ghana. The  Government  of  Ghana  through  the  Bank  of  Ghana  introduced  and established  Rural  Banks  in  1976  as  one  of  the  strategies  to  facilitate  the development of rural communities. Aside inculcating the habit of banking in the rural  dwellers,  the  Rural  Banks  were  to  mobilize  funds  and  channel  them  to productive ventures in the rural areas. The rural banking sub sector has become a growing and a vibrant part of the whole  banking  industry  and  the  Ghanaian  economy  as  a  whole.  Aside  the disbursement  of  credit  facilities  which  has  helped  in  improving  the  living conditions of the beneficiaries, the Rural Banks have also, created employment and has  helped  in  inculcating  the  habit  of  banking  in  the  dwellers  of  the  rural communities.The study sought to determine the impact of rural bank financial facilities of  the  rural  poor  with  respect  to  income,  employment,  occupation  and  savings. Questionnaires  and  interviews  were  used  to  elicit  responses  on  socio-economic characteristics and other relevant variables from a random sample of seventy (70) respondents from the catchment areas of the bank. The analysis showed that the rural banks have positively impacted on socioeconomic development of the rural people and these have manifested in the areas of income, employment, occupation and savings.