PROPOSED COOP BANK SET TO BOOST AGRICULTURE

 The proposed national cooperative bank will boost agricultural production by accessing farmers and other industry players to credits.

The bank would easily channel the  funds to the cash-strapped crop growers to buy the needed inputs through their respective cooperative unions.

This emerged in Moshi last week during a forum specifically convened to lay ground on creation of the long-awaited financial institution later this year.

"Tanzania needs a cooperative bank to serve members of the cooperative unions and societies", stressed  Benson Ndege, the Registrar of the Cooperatives. 

  

He told financial sector experts and representatives of cooperatives from across the country that the formation of the bank tops the agricultural sector priorities.

The Kilimanjaro Cooperative Bank (KCBL) which recently came to profit after massive capitalization by CRDB Bank Plc, will spearhead the drive. 

Advocate Audax Rutabanzibwa, who has worked in the agricultural sector for many years, said Tanzania has a moral obligation to revive the cooperative bank. 

The former bank, whose major shareholders included 15 cooperative unions then, was among those which were nationalized by the government in the 1970s. 

"There are challenges of not having a national cooperative bank", he said during a five hour forum which was broadcast live by TBC 1.

With the proposed bank, the farmers in the cooperatives will easily enjoy the credits to buy agricultural inputs, being the majority shareholders.

 

"In this scenario, there will be no resource flight outside the cooperative system. The capital will revolve within and benefit the farmers", he said.

Prof John Galeshu, Moshi-based expert on the sector, insisted that the cooperatives must have a space in the country's agricultural value chain.

"We used to have a cooperative bank but was later nationalized. This time around, there is no going back on our resolve", the Moshi Cooperative and Business Studies (MuCOBS) university don.

It is estimated that 60 percent of Tanzania's population is in the agri-business value chain while at least Sh. 2.3trillion is circulating in the same season.

A recent shareholders' meeting of KCBL approved plans to transform the financial institution into a commercial bank once the required capital is raised.

A representative of CRDB Bank Plc at the meeting at MuCOBS said the planned bank will complement, rather than compete, with other financial institutions in strengthening the cooperatives. 

He said CRDB Bank Plc, one of the leading lenders in the country, had its roots in the cooperatives since the early independence days.

Currently accounting for 43 percent of  loans channeled by all banks to the agricultural sector. By doing so, it had invested in the cooperatives. 

This includes a Sh. 7billion capital injection into the then loss-making KCBL and another Sh.3.2bn to Tandahimba Community Bank (Tacoba) in Mtwara region.

He rooted for the outright transformation of KCBL Bank  into the national cooperative bank or NCB Plc in its acronym, given the former's recent performance. 

Godfrey Ng'urah, the chief executive officer and general manager of the Moshi-based KCBL, said the financial institution was ready for the challenge given its liquidity position.

During last year, it made a pre-tax profit of Sh 318million and extended loans amounting to Sh 4.7billion while deposits rose to Sh. 5.5billion. 

Since CRDB Plc injected funds to rescue the bank, the number of clients shot up by 12,000 to 15,000 from a mere 3,000 three years ago.

Mr. Ng'urah said a total of Sh. 20 billion, out of the pledged Sh.8 billion, will be needed to launch the new bank whose national headquarters will be in Dodoma.

The cooperative union members will be the majority shareholders (51 percent) while 49 percent of the shares will go to the private sector individuals and companies.

He projected that with a successful take-off  NCB Plc will in a few years' time  have assets valued at Sh.150 billion, loan portfolio of Sh. 100billion and deposits amounting to Sh. 80 billion. 

Dr.Gervas Machimu, a senior lecturer at MuCOBS , said the major beneficiaries will be the cooperative members directly involved in agriculture. 

However, some speakers cautioned the shareholders on the likely interference of politicians on the day-to-day activities of the planned financial institutions.

This, according to Rev. Michael Macha, was more pronounced in issuance of loans to the applicants against the laid down procedures and rules.