The Eastern Regional Coordinator of the Micro Finance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) has cautioned beneficiaries of the facility to pay back to avert legal actions against those in default. Dominic Baah says his outfit has begun prosecuting some loan defaulters, an action that is being taken to ensure effective recovery of the money to revolve and benefit others in waiting. Speaking in an interview in the Eastern Regional capital Koforidua, Dominic Baah said his outfit is currently employing a number of measures to recover all loans given out to beneficiaries including the courts. He said due to the recalcitrant nature of some of the loan beneficiaries, his outfit does communal visits where clients are summoned before some chiefs or opinion leaders, to explain the reason behind these clients’ refusal to pay back the loan, which hinders others in the community to access the facility. He added that officials of MASLOC have been paying periodic visits to the beneficiaries to remind them on the need to pay back the loans, and caution defaulters on legal implications on their continual refusal to pay back. He said some beneficiaries have taken the loans and have not paid back after two years, as against the 12 month permissible repayment period. Dominic Baah mentioned the case of a poultry farmer who has been remanded in prison custody to reappear before court, in default of Two Thousand Ghana Cedis facility he took two years ago. He explained that the said poultry farmer, after taking the facility relocated with his family without paying back or informing officials of MASLOC. It was later realised that he had abandoned the poultry business and moved to a village near Kumasi in the Ashanti Region, where security operatives were informed and had him arrested. Dominic Baah also cited another legal action brought against an Assembly Woman who was a leader of a group that took a total of Eight Thousand Ghana Cedis (GHc 8, 000) from the facility. He explained that, the said Assembly Woman took monthly contribution from members of her group on the pretext of paying to the facility but never did so. He said officials of MASLOC later found out that the account of that group was virtually blank although various sums of monies had been given to her for the purposes of repayment. He recounted instances where he and his team visited some villages in the Upper and Lower Manya, and Yilo Krobo Districts where some defaulters took to their heels and run into bushes upon realising their presence. He warned such defaulters to rather own up and pay back the loans. Dominic Baah further added that there is the need to make the facility available to other interested individuals and groups, hence the need for all beneficiaries to pay back to ensure that the monies revolve and serve all interest groups. Story by Benjamin Henaku/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana