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National Bank to build new head office, branch
By
Isaac Masingati - 19-12-2001 |
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National Bank of Malawi (NBM) has kick-started the construction of a multi-million building complex in Lilongwe and plans to build new offices in Blantyre to accommodate head office staff.
Bank chief executive Tim Barnes said the Lilongwe Capital City branch alone is expected to cost at least K200 million.
Barnes said the new blocks will create more room for the expanding operations of the bank, adding the new buildings in Blantyre will ensure easy coordination of staff and improve efficiency.
“It does not make sense one office operating streets away from the other as is the case,” said Barnes.
NBM head office operates from offices at down and upper Victoria Avenue and some at Nandos.
But Barnes could not say how much the head office complex will cost, saying figures were still being worked on.
Abdul Dudha, chair of the bank’s pensions fund, which is setting up the infrastructure, said the bank was taking advantage of the fund’s resources to build its own complex in Lilongwe.
“This will be another way of generating money into the fund as the money will just be circulating within,” said Dudha.
But he said the bank was looking for an investor to set up the infrastructure, to be situated next to the new Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) offices in Blantyre.
The bank, he said, will let the offices from the investor.
Dudha, who is also head of customer and card services, said the complex will house three stories for banking, administration and cafeteria.
It will also have modern banking facilities to ensure efficiency in customer service.
The Lilongwe branch, which is already a month into construction, will be completed by end 2002, he said.
And when he addressed recipients of long service awards at the bank’s Moneymen Club, Barnes called on members of staff to make full use of its training college opened early this year by applying for courses to advance their banking knowledge.
“It is only through improved human resources that we will be able to compete and take a good share of the market,” said Barnes.
Barnes thanked the recipients for serving the bank for a continuous 30 years period and called on other bank staff to emulate the example.
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