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Business Reporter

THE Zimbabwe Association of Pension Funds will hold its 41st annual congress in Johannesburg, South Africa over the next four days where various sector-related issues will be discussed. The congress will take place between tomorrow and Saturday and various renowned speakers, with vast experience in pension, insurance and economics have been lined up.These include Mr Noel Zvareva who boasts of more than 18 years’ experience in the insurance and retirement benefits field. Mr Zvareva is the current ZAPF chairman.

Others are Mr Simon Nyarota who has 35 years’ experience in the banking, finance, insurance and industrial sectors of the Zimbabwean economy.

He is also involved in economic research in the southern African region. He has been with the Reserve Bank for 18 years now and has been the director, economic research and policy for 12 years.

Mr Itai Chirume, a seasoned investments banker with a flair for entrepreneurship, having co-founded-in April 2008-a brokerage house, MMC Stockbrokers, a member of the Zimbabwe Stock Exchange operating in Harare, but also servicing clientele from across the globe, is among presenters.

Mr Bashkar Latchman was vice president of Institute of Retirement Funds of Southern Africa, where he was a member of the IRF executive committee and who was responsible for oversight of the IRF’s Trustee and Education, Member Services and Recruitment, Research and Foundation, Branding, and Positioning Sub–Committees, will share insights on the cross cutting issues to be discussed at the congress in South Africa.

He is a founding member of the trustee committee and is passionately involved in the empowerment of member trustees. He is no stranger to local industry and the region as a whole. On invitation, he addressed many forums and conferences in Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Zambia.

He also addressed a special conference in London that focused on Africa’s Investments. Zimbabwe Stock Exchange chief executive Mr Alban Chirume are IPEC chairperson Mrs Mannet Mpofu,Ms Geraldine Fowler, the founding director and CEO of GQM Fund Administrators are also expected to speak.

According to the ZAPF programme, issues to be deliberated on include how long term savings can be leveraged to boost the economy, protecting the interests of pension funds members, empowering the excluded segments of society to achieve a dignified and financially secure old age through micro pensions and unpacking the role of pension funds, the fiduciary duties of pension fund trustees and the responsible investment agenda.

Exploring alternative investment vehicles, the policies within Zimbabwe and how they motivate growth of the industry, collaborative shareholder activism for pension funds in Zimbabwe and role of capital markets in domestic resource mobilization will also come up for discussion.