Impacts of COVID-19 Lockdown on the Banking Activities in Conakry

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all professional sectors to varying degrees. It has forced companies to restructure, initiate and promote telework. The aim was to study the impacts of COVID-19 lockdown on banking activities in Conakry. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study over seven months (from November 25, 2020 to June 27, 2021) and multicentric. It included thirteen of the eighteen banks of the main city of the capital Conakry (Kaloum). We analysed socio-demographic data and occupational characteristics. We paid particular attention to banking activities and medical datas. Results: During our study period, 875 workers met to our criteria, one third of whom were men. The average age was 37.93 ± 9.39 years [22 - 71]. Financial accounters were the most represented and average seniority at the job was 5.35 years. The work schedule was reduced during lockdown but an telework increased (29.8%). On the medical datas, the prevalence of COVID-19 was 20.7%; the lethality rate was 0.6% and the absentee rate 15.6%. The COVID-19 lockdown has deeply impacted the banking activities in Conakry particularly the productivity by a significant decrease in net banking income. Conclusion: Despite the continuity of activities during this pandemic, banks have experienced a reduction in their productivity resulting in a significant decrease in net banking income. These impacts of COVID-19 on the banking sector reflect its impact on the national economy.