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uniBANK Ghana Limited is to establish a separate unit outside its banking halls to solely look into and address the challenges and aspirations of small and medium-scale enterprises in the country. The unit, to be called the SME Centre, is expected to serve as a one-stop shop for the financial needs of businesses in that segment of the market. The Chief Executive of the bank, Mr Felix Nyarko-Pong, disclosed this to the Daily Graphic at an SME seminar organised by the bank for its clients in Accra. The one-day seminar was to help expose owners and representatives of businesses to the various finance options available to them through uniBank. It was also used to launch the bank's latest product, the SME Plus Account, which is specially tailored to the needs of SMEs in the country. �We have realised that the challenges of SMEs are unique and for us to be able to address them appropriately, we need to first understand the problems,� the CEO said before the start of the seminar. �And so we have resolved to create this special unit at our old headquarters building at Kokomlemle in Accra, resource it with the appropriate experts to deliver the right kind of solutions to the SMEs," he added. The centre is expected to be inaugurated in July this year and it will double as a business to business meeting place for uniBank's clients, according to the CEO. uniBank has been at the forefront of SME funding in the country, explaining that the robust nature of the market makes it a necessity rather than a choice for banks to pay special attention to. �We believe that when SMEs grow and become bigger businesses, our business also grows and that has been the underlying factor,� Mr Nyarko-Pong said. The General Manager in charge of International Banking and Product Development, Mr Clifford Mettle, who launched the SME Plus Account at the seminar, said �uniBank has not got a desk for SMEs. We are a full and complete SME bank with a genuine desire to seek the growth and development of SMEs.� He encouraged businesses in that segment of the market not to hesitate in contacting the bank for solutions to their financial needs. Unlike other accounts, Mr. Mettle said the SME Plus Account was free to open and operate and was designed based on feedback from SME owners on the kind of accounts they preferred. �We realised upon a survey that SME owners were not comfortable with the way their accounts were run; they complained of high charges and that feedback among others led to the development of this product,� Mr Mettle said. Businesses that employ more than five people and have an annual turnover of over GH�5 million are considered SMEs, per the bank's classification.