President of the Ghana Association of Banks, John Awuah, has said that medical doctors are among people who take loans from local banks default on repayment.
According to him, nearly 70% of doctors take loans without paying, which has become a troubling trend within the banking sector.
Speaking on Joy News on October 9, Mr. Awuah revealed that doctors, who should be morally conscious, are known to take loans without intentions to pay, which is taking a toll on banks.
“We have heard of doctors, these are on the moral pecking order. When you see a medical doctor, you almost 100% assume that they are not fallible. They don’t make mistakes, and things like borrowing and payment will come to them naturally.”
He added, ““Do you know what doctors are doing to the banking system, particularly those who are offshoring their services, like migrating to other jurisdictions to work?”
John Awuah claimed some of these doctors went for personal loans from banks and used them to travel out of the country.
“The bank will not ask you exactly what you are going to buy since it is a personal loan. They will come to a bank, take like, let’s say, 120,000 or 150,000 cedis, take a visa and jump off and leave the loan hanging,” he said.
The president of the Association says most of these defaulters are employed with means to settle their loans however, fail to do so.
“Wherever they are going, they are working there and earning, and one would think that as medical practitioners, they will just say, ‘I have a liability in Ghana, which enabled me to demonstrate that I can fund my travel, so let me come and settle’.”
“About 70% of them are not paying,” he stressed. “These are medical doctors, people we hold in high esteem.”
He said the Association of Banks is taking measures to address true issue.
“To the extent that at some point we were even attempting to write to the embassies to seek clearance from banks before they allow visa processes to go through,” he said.
