people it is our conviction that the number of zambians to have access to banking services will increase. we therefore encourage as many zambians as possible to use these facilities. to the residents of chilenje, i urge you to utilize the services offered by barclays bank, otherwise the bank may opt to close its branch due to lack of business and you will be left with no bank in your area. you must recognize that the era of keeping monies in mattresses is long gone. we recognize that barclays has obviously seen a window of opportunity in opening its branches in such localities. however, it is important to note that the level of incomes in such areas is not at the same levels as for those that obtain their services from high street locations. in this regard, we urge barclays and other banks opening their branches in these communities to design suitable products. the banks should structure the related costs such that they take into account the lower income status of their clients. i have in mind the withdrawal of small sums of money without necessarily charging for the withdrawals. the challenge of extending access to financial services to the remaining adult population still remains, and for this unbanked population cost is a major consideration. ladies and gentlemen, i am aware that the demand for banking services is high in chilenje and therefore barclays bank should consider moving to bigger premises. there are a number of longstanding neighbourhood businesses in this location. i can point at sir jack, janu plaza, karibu bakery and robert ’ s fish and vegies. there are also business entities which were formally parastatals located here. i also know that private entities that have a national presence such as zambeef plc and pama meats have established branches here. this is a reflection of the economic viability of chilenje township and barclays has done well to come here. ladies and gentlemen, as you are aware the zambian economy has taken a turn for the better over the last few years. we are fortunate that the rise in copper prices has created a greater interest to invest in the mines. we have also witnessed increased investment in other areas such as agriculture, tourism, construction and manufacturing. this has culminated in a 25. 6 % increase in non - traditional exports to us $ 845. 1 million by november 2007. this obviously gives a wider spread of lending opportunities for the banking sector. it is important to note that this growth in non - traditional exports is to a large extent associated with

small and medium scale enterprises. the commitment by barclays bank zambia to upscale their support to the smes is thus very welcome. this commitment has been exemplified by your decision to locate a branch in chilenje. i am also happy that your commitment to the community has extended to the renovation of the community centre, a building which carries a strong historical background for this country. we encourage you to extend this further by helping with other requirements such as the drainage system in the locality, street lighting for specific areas and enhancing other communal facilities as part of the keep lusaka clean campaign. ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, it gives me great pleasure to declare the barclays bank zambia plc chilenje branch officially open. i thank you!