NORTH WEST PS CHALLENGES SECRETARIES TO IMPROVE SKILLS
NORTH-Western province Permanent Secretary Col Grandson Katambi has challenged the Zambia Institute of Secretaries (ZIS) and its members to improve their skills now that they are operating under an Act of Parliament.
Last year, President Hakainde Hichilema concerted the ZIS Bill into an Act of Parliament No 19 of the laws of Zambia after operating as Professional Secretaries Association of Zambia for 27 years under the provisions of the registrar of societies. Since then, the institute has become a regulatory tool that regulates the conduct and ethics of Secretaries as a profession.
Speaking during the commemorating of the Secretaries Day in Solwezi, the Permanent Secretary said being front line managers, Secretaries should be professional ethical and be accommodative in their day to day work activities.
He said this is because their work cannot be over emphasized hence the need to also easily adapt to working environment.
He said Secretaries should be professional and uphold their profession in high esteem by ensuring that they manage well their duties.
He said the onus is now on the institute and its leaders to improve and ensure that they inculcate good professional standing for its members now that it has a new status.
"So, we want to see an improvement in the manner you conduct yourselves as secretaries under your new institution," said Col Katambi.
He said government wants to see a well cultured and professional Secretaries in line with the regulations their institution is operating under.
He urged Secretaries to be mirrors of the institutions they operate from.
"We want to see a change in the way and manner you have been doing things in the past because we believe it is the reason you fought hard to have an institution that is an Act of Parliament," he added.
He also urged the Secretaries to improve on their dressing as some Secretaries have a tendency of putting on attires that seduce their bosses.
And ZIS vice president Annette Mwamulima said the enactment of the Bill is a milestone and has given new hope to secretaries to showcase their full potential in order to satisfy the expectations of their employers and other stakeholders.
She said stakeholders are highly expectant so see value in the mandate given to the institute through an Act of Parliament.
"Furthermore, to see more confidentiality by employers since Secretaries are secret keepers," she said.
She revealed that the role of a secretary has evolved so much that the title secretary has been replaced with titles such as Office managers, Personal Assistant, Executive Secretary, and Management Assistant among others to ensure that the secretarial position fits in the management of an institution.
This year's event was commemorated under the theme 'professional Secretaries, enhancing professionalism and attaining recognition in the worm space'.