By JUDITH NAMUTOWE –

THE Zambia Institute of Banking and Financial services (ZIBFS) has called for skills development and customer delivery to enhance the country’s economic development.
ZIBFS president Mukwandi Chibesakunda said at the weekend in Lusaka that development in skills and capacity was critical for overall economic growth.
“If you look at comparisons with countries that have developed over time, it’s because of skills development and being able to deliver as the economy grows,” Mr Chibesakunda said.
Mrs Chibesakunda said that was why the institute would focus on skills development to be able to drive customer service for all its participants and stakeholders.
She also said that the bank would continue lending to various sectors of the economy as long as opportunities were availed.
She said the bank would continue to identify opportunities as they come.
Mrs Chibesakunda also said agriculture was the key future sector for the country’s economy.
The ZIBFS president who is also Stanbic Bank head for personal and business banking said agriculture was the key future sector for the economy as the country diversifies.
Mrs Chibesakunda said the bank was therefore very keen in participating in the agriculture sector and had so far delivered significant growth year on year.
She said by delivering to customers, its members would be able to then grow and deliver more on their financial expectations.
“We view ourselves as a critical enabler, to be able to deliver that financial performance, which commercial banks and other industry players would like to see,” she said.
She noted that during the graduation held at the institute recently, more than 400 students received their certificates out of the 700 who were eligible.
“Now if you look at the fact that the financial service employs maybe about 10,000 staff, that will mean that 10 per cent of our staff are developing themselves and this is critical for overall economic growth,” she said.
“It is our hope that this growth will continue, so that we can contribute significantly to the growth of the economy,” she said.