Osu RE, popularly referred to as Oxford Street, one of Accra’s most important entertainment and commercial centres is fast becoming a high street of banks. The street is said to be have the highest number of banks per mile. Joy FM’s George Wiafe who toured the area said the situation is phenomenal. Barclays Bank is said to be the first bank to have located a branch along the street sometime in the early nineties to take advantage of the several shops and supermarkets that were operating along the street. There are now about eight more banks in the area, beating the High Street in Accra, traditionally known as the country’s banking hub which has just about four. The Oxford Street has Standard Chartered Bank, Fidelity Bank, Amal Bank, Agriculture Development Bank and Ecobank. There is also Guaranty Trust Bank, Merchant Bank and the National Investment Bank located around Danquah Circle with some more banks said to be aiming to set up branches in the near future. There is no doubt the banks are positioning themselves to cash in on the booming retail business in the area. But the Managing Director of Merchant Bank one of the recent arrivals tells Joy Business Osu has also become that attractive because it offers a convenient alternative for those avoiding the chaos in the Central Business District. The Oxford Street and its environs are however not just about banks. All sorts of businesses are locating in the area; restaurants, hotels, boutiques, night clubs, supermarkets, with the telecom companies not allowing themselves to be left out. Some of the businesses, such as the Papaye Fast Food Restaurant tell Joy Business the presence of the banks is serving them very well. Credit: Joy Business