Absa Bank Ghana Ltd has partnered with Business Ethics Network Africa (BEN Africa) to organize a conference in November 2024, aimed at promoting ethical business practices for enhanced operational efficiency and productivity. Supported by Ghana Communications Technology University, the event will introduce participating Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to the Ethically Aware Supplier Induction Programme, equipping them with essential knowledge on risk management and compliance.
BEN Africa, originally established at Nelson Mandela University Business School in South Africa, is a vital platform for business leaders from private, public, and non-profit sectors to engage in discussions on ethical decision-making.
At the conference launch in Accra, Dr. Edward Nartey Botchway, Managing Director of Absa Bank, emphasized the importance of moral integrity in business, highlighting the need for practitioners, especially in the financial sector, to adopt ethical values for improved customer engagement. He noted that prioritizing ethics is not only a corporate responsibility but also a key to long-term business growth.
Mrs. Judith Haizel, Compliance Director at Absa Bank, encouraged organizations and banking staff to use the conference as an opportunity to further deepen their understanding of organizational ethics, which she believes is already well-established within the bank. She expressed hopes for robust discussions that would generate new ideas to improve ethical standards in business operations.
Additionally, Mrs. Haizel called on business leaders to foster environments where ethical principles are upheld, as these are crucial for the sustainable growth of any organization.
Professor George Ampong, Dean of Ghana Communication Technology University Business School, underscored the role of higher education institutions in instilling ethical culture in both businesses and society. He urged stakeholders in the business and regulatory communities to promote the study of contemporary issues, particularly ethics, in academic institutions.
