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The Managing Director of the ARB Apex Bank Limited, Mr Kwadwo Aye Kusi, has urged rural and community banks (RCBs) in the country, to tighten their risk management controls to save them from the activities of fraudsters. He said with the rural banks now turning to latest technology to improve their customer service, they were likely to be exposed to fraudsters but noted that with the necessary risk management controls in place, persons who would attempt to dupe them would not succeed. Mr Aye Kusi made the call in a speech read on his behalf at the 19th annual general meeting of Dumpong Rural Bank Limited at Asakraka � Kwahu in the Eastern Region. He said the banking business had become competitive but risky at the same time and reiterated that the only way to minimise the risk was to have an effective risk management control in place. Mr Kusi, therefore, advised the boards of RCBs to institute risk management policies to identify, assess, monitor and control risk. He said risk management incorporated all activities required to identify and control the exposure of risk which may have a negative or adverse impact on the achievement of the bank�s business objectives. Training He said the transformation and modernisation of the banking industry required continuous training of staff to upgrade their knowledge and skills to enable them to fit in the new ICT-based banking environment. Mr Kusi said training would also help them to be able to play effectively within what he described as the stiff competitive banking environment. �I am happy to note that Dumpong Rural Bank takes training seriously because it heavily patronised the Apex Bank training programmes which are subsidized; and other needed training offered by other institutions�, he added. Commendation Mr Kusi commended the board and staff of the bank for their focused and dynamic leadership, as well as the shareholders for their continued commitment and loyalty which had culminated in the sterling performance of the bank over the years. Financial performance The Chairman of the Board of Directors of the bank, Mr Emmanuel Bonna, announced that the total assets of the bank increased from GH� 6,504,665 in the year 2012 to GH�7,727,440 in the year 2013, representing a positive variance of 18.8 per cent. He said investments also shot up from GH� 1,600,000 in the year 2012 to GH� 1,850, 000 in the year under review. He announced that plans were underway to open a branch in Koforidua in order for the bank to reach the people of the town and its environs.