Business Reporter

The business community has been challenged to support training institutions to help them instil quality behaviour in students ahead of them joining the corporate word. Speaking during the 2016 Premier Business Finance Awards last Friday, Auditor-General Midred Chiri, who was guest of honour, said this was critical in the face of rising cases of corruption and financial misconduct that was affecting the sustainability of businesses and economic performance.“Corruption and financial misconduct are among major hindrances to the economic and social development of our economy. This poses a threat on the future sustainability of our industries.

“Both the public and private sector is inundated with the tremendous task of upholding sound corporate governance practices. The challenge has been evident with the increase in corporate governance breaches globally. Zimbabwean companies have not been spared.

“The ultimate lack of a stable and trustworthy business framework supported by sound corporate governance practices as a basis for any organisation or economy does have immense macro-economic and social costs.

“I therefore urge the business community to embrace and support institutions that train our human resource capital. It is our mandate as the business sector to invest in the relevant finance related skills if we are to be sustainable,” she said.

To this end, Mrs Chiri said that her office is happy to be associated with Premier Business School, which specialises in offering ACCA, and FIA tuition and training and also trains various institutions on international accounting and auditing standards.

“Based on a philosophy of sound corporate governance and ethical engagement, excellence, innovation, and social responsibility, PBS has become an auxiliary function to Zimbabwean businesses.

“Dear esteemed guests, it is against this back ground that the office of the Auditor-General whose constitutional mandate in Zimbabwe is to strengthen the country’s democracy through creating an environment that allows for oversight, accountability and governance in the public sector through auditing supports institutions such as these,” she said.

In his remarks Premier Business School managing partner Mr Ngonidzashe Sanangura said that Premier Business School was committed to offering the best business and financial education within and beyond the country’s borders.

“As Premier Business School, we are hopeful of a bright future, as we make headway towards extending our nets beyond our borders to other countries including Zambia,” he said.

He appealed to the corporate world to complement their efforts by availing jobs to their students.

“I believe it is the mandate of the business community in Zimbabwe, to create an enabling environment for students. That way the Nation can benefit from the fruits of the successes that we are celebrating tonight.

“The accounting profession like any other profession in Zimbabwe faces an economy full of uncertainty with fewer job vacancies than there have been for decades.

“It is therefore my hope, that the companies with the means to absorb ACCA professionals present them with opportunities to showcase their skills and talent for the betterment of the economy,” he said.

Turning to the awards, Mr Sanagura said that the concept of awarding ACCA students who would have excelled in their exams started as a simple idea that has since translated into one of the major events on the ACCA calendar in Zimbabwe.

“This idea fed into our vision as Premier Business School, that of establishing a world class business educational institution which will mold and guide the future generation of finance professionals in the region.

“Tonight marks a special occasion in the history of the business school. This event is an addition to the footprints we have established since we opened our doors to the public in 2012.

“We were the first Zimbabwe Business School to be awarded the ACCA Gold tuition provider status in Zimbabwe in 2013, we were also the first and only business school in Zimbabwe to be awarded the prestigious ACCA Platinum tuition provider status in 2015, a position we have managed to defend.

“We also introduced the first ever A ‘level plus Diploma programme in Zimbabwe where PBS A-Level students doing commercials concurrently sit for the ACCA Diploma in Finance qualification. I am excited to report that the programme has since shown signs of success,” he said.

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