CFSL Integrated Report 2022

| CIM FINANCE. INTEGRATED REPORT 2022 34 Has the ‘MoFinans’ application evolved since last year? As a matter of fact, we continuously enhance our flagship consumer app, MoFinans, to ensure it remains relevant to the needs of our customers. This past year, we introduced new features, one of which enables customers to make their payments using theMauCas Instant Payment System, which is operated by the Bank of Mauritius. They can view in real-time the updated amount due on their CimFinance account, and of course, all payments are completely secure. Whileon the subject of security, howdoes CimFinancekeep its customers’ data and information secure? At CimFinance, we take privacy and security very seriously, and want our customers to rest assured that their personal data is in good hands. The increase in digital initiatives inevitably brings new threats and vulnerabilities. This has pushed data protection and cybersecurity to the top of our agenda. To this end, we have invested inMobileDeviceManagement Solutions, a Cloud Access Security Broker, and phishing tools, amongst others, besides continuously carrying out vulnerability scanning and penetration testing to protect our data and those of our clients and partners. The pandemic has triggered changes in the workplace and employee expectations. How is the Group addressing these changes? I would be remiss if I do not rightfully credit our resilience to our People. Their hard work, engagement and talent are the biggest drivers of our business. Despite facing the cost of living crisis, amongst many other stressors, they bring their best selves towork each day. I amdeeply appreciative of all that they do to serve our customers, and their willingness to embrace experimentation and adapt to new work arrangements. This is why we do our best to put their concerns at the heart of our priorities and try to create an environment that enhances their wellbeing. For instance, we extended food vouchers and additional transport allowances to eligible employees, to ensure they are able to have their basic needs covered. We also place a lot of emphasis on Wellness Week - a series of events, workshops, seminars and team-bonding exercises - to bring back the sense of camaraderie, collaboration and human connections that are central to our wellbeing and success. How do you explain this agility demonstrated by Cim’s people? Agility must be continually nurtured. And for this, investment in training and upskilling is an imperative. During the year, we continued to carry our training sessions to ensure they are equipped with the skills they need to thrive in their careers. Through Percipio, an online learning platform, we offer several mediums for our employees to expand their knowledge, whether through videos, audiobooks or hands-onpractice labs. We are committed to investing in their personal andprofessional development such that they gain the confidence to not just do well in their current roles, but alsomove into new roles and take advantage of the opportunities we offer through our internal mobility programme. Our training sessions must also be aligned with the needs and objectives of our business. To this end, our technical training sessions were centred on cybersecurity and compliance, two areas that are critical to the smooth running of our operations. Do youbelieve CimFinancewill be able to carry this growth trajectory into the next year? I am extremely confident in our strategic direction and in the investmentswe havemade tobuildupour resilience. Whether it is building upour capabilities fromboth a lending andpayments perspective, investing in the right technologies and platforms, or partnering with niche businesses that share our values, we are certainly confident about maintaining this upward trajectory. Our priorities and growth drivers for the next year will be the strengthening of our core business inMauritius and diversification of our activities in Kenya. That said, we are fully aware that inflation is likely to continue rising. We expect the outlook to be challenging for Mauritian households and businesses, in response to which we will do what we do best: see the world through our customers’ eyes, and allow this perspective to guide our decisions and actions. We remain ever more committed to helping them curb the impacts of the uncertainty that lies ahead. At the same time, we remain committed to honouring our prudent and conservative risk principles that have stood us in good stead. Do you have a final message to share with Cim’s stakeholders? My final message would have to be centred on Cim’s role as a financial facilitator. For all intents and purposes, our business is a ‘responsible citizen’ and has a duty to the common good. Discussions with the Group CEO

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