By BUUMBA CHIMBULU
NATSAVE has facilitated payments worth over K90 million for the 2020/21 farming season under the Farmers Input Support Programme (FISP), making it one of the leading financial institution to render support to the agriculture sector.
This is according to the NATSAVE acting Managing Director, Keith Hamusute.
Mr Hamusute said in an interview that NATSAVE had been active in the Zambia’s agriculture sector.
He explained that NATSAVE was part of the institutions helping with FISP programme as well as payments for the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).
“For the 2020/21 farming season, NATSAVE has facilitated K90 million. We are working with thousands of farmers. We are in places where no one is, when you look at the beneficiaries that have accessed the FISP through NATSAVE, we are looking at in excess of 10, 000. “In terms of FRA, last season we made the highest payment among financial institutions, over K200 million and for farmers, it is more than 100 beneficiaries farmers and I think it is almost the same with this farming season,” Mr Hamusute said.
Meanwhile, NATSAVE last week signed an agreement with the Association of Private Colleges of Education in Zambia (APCEZ) for affordable financial services.
Commenting on this, Mr Hamusute said the agreement signed with APCEZ was to facilitate effective and efficient provisions of banking and financial services to the members and their staff.
He explained that this was with that view of enhancing business performance in terms of working capital and also improving their competitiveness on the market.“This agreement sets the framework for a working relationship between the two organisations that share a common vision for developing the private education sector in Zambia.
“This will enable colleges and their affiliates access affordable and appropriate financial products and services,” Mr Hamusute said.
APCEZ Chairman, Simon Chomba, said the agreement would enable the association’s members have ready access to financial and credit services of NATSAVE.
Mr Chomba said the association would identify and recommend its affiliates to NATSAVE.
“Our obligations as contained in the agreement will be consistent baseline assessment of members prior to recommending them to NATSAVE,” he said.
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