Zimpapers Logo

Oliver Kazunga Acting Business Editor
THE Zimbabwe Stock Exchange (ZSE) is seeking a vendor to supply and install a new electronic price display board to replace the existing technology. The stock exchange said tenders were being invited from prospective vendors that can demonstrate the ability to meet business, functional and technical requirements as well as being capable of transferring knowledge and skills to the ZSE.

“The vendor should quote . . . the exact type of hardware and software environment for optimum functionality of the system.

“Vendors with the following attributes are advised to apply: flexibility of vendor transfer to accommodate function changes, vendor’s ability to coordinate local support for hardware and systems software and vendor’s ability to provide remote support for application software,” said the ZSE.

The local bourse also expects the vendor’s system to interface with the Automated Trading System (ATS) was being installed at the bourse. Last year, the stock exchange awarded InfoTech Middle East FF-Z-LC, an Indian firm, the contract to install the ATS.

It is hoped that the ATS would go a long way in helping the efforts to harness Diaspora funds and increase the market share from the retail segment by enabling mobile and Internet-based technologies for transacting.

At the moment, the ZSE carries out a large number of tasks manually using excel and other basic packages.

All the requirements will be incorporated in the ATS to eliminate the manual processing and distribution of data.

The automation, however, is dependent on the successful launch of the Central Securities Depository (CSD) being implemented by Chengetedzai Depository Company.

Chengetedzai Depository Company managing director Campbell Musiwa last week told this paper that more than 2,000 trade transactions valued at $82 million had so far been settled at the ZSE since installation of CSD in August last year.

Work to install the CSD and link it with the ATS will enable the interaction of the two platforms and curb the selling of non-existent and blocked shares.

The CSD will also offer a safer storage of securities and facilitate their transfer from one party to the other via an electronic entry.