Managing Director of GCB Bank PLC, Farihan Alhassan, has underscored the weight of public expectation on the bank, revealing that even non-customers are rooting for its success.
His remarks come on the back of the bank’s strong 2025 performance, which saw it record a profit before tax of GH¢3.2 billion—a 67.4 per cent increase over the previous year.
Speaking in an interview on Channel One TV’s The Point of View with Bernard Avle on Wednesday, April 1, Mr Alhassan said the level of expectation placed on the bank goes beyond its customer base.
“To make it even more complex, Ghanaians who don’t have accounts or shares with GCB Bank rightly want to see GCB Bank do well. So the expectation is quite high,” he stated.
He explained that the bank’s position as Ghana’s largest indigenous financial institution places it at the centre of national interest, with many citizens viewing its performance as a reflection of local capacity and resilience.
The strong public sentiment, he suggested, adds both pressure and motivation for the bank to consistently deliver results and maintain trust across the broader population.
Mr Alhassan noted that meeting the expectations of both customers and non-customers alike remains a key priority as the bank seeks to sustain its growth and leadership in Ghana’s banking sector.
Customer deposits grew 19.7% to GHS41.3 billion, driving the 23% expansion in the Bank’s balance sheet to GHS52.6 billion. This deposit growth funded the 56.8% year-on-year expansion of the loan book to GHS16.39 billion as credit demand recovered alongside Ghana’s broader economic rebound.
As a result, operating income increased by 40.9% year-on-year to GHS6.3 billion from increases in both interest and non-interest income.
Funded and Non-Funded Income Recorded Impressive Growth
“Interest income grew 38.3% despite the sharp decline in interest rates. The Bank navigated the low-interest-rate environment through active balance sheet repricing, strategic asset allocation, and proactive risk management.
“Non-funded income, i.e., revenue from fees, commissions, and trading, rather than lending, also rose 58% year-on-year. Fees and commissions grew 39.9% while trading and other income surged 81.8%, lifting non-funded income’s share of total revenue to 27.3% from 24.3% in 2024.
The Bank flagged the increase in non-funded income as strategically important. As Ghana’s Central Bank cuts rates, including a cumulative 1,000-basis-point reduction in the policy rate to 18% during 2025, traditional lending margins face sustained pressure. Transaction-based income, the Bank said, will play an increasingly central role in protecting profitability.
Operating costs rose 41.1%, broadly in line with revenue growth, keeping the cost-to-income ratio flat at 47.2%.
Bad Debts Fall to Lowest in Years
The Non-Performing Loan (NPL) ratio, which is the share of borrowers behind on repayments, fell to 10.3% from 15.1% in 2024. The cost of risk, a measure of provisions set aside against potential loan losses, declined to 1.3% from 4.3%, a reduction that directly contributed to the record profit.
The improvement was driven by tighter lending standards, stronger early-warning systems, improved loan recoveries, and greater borrower repayment capacity as Ghana’s economy stabilised.
