The demutualising of Botswana Building Society to BBS bank limited is a key component towards the bank�s commercialisation drive. Speaking during a courtesy call on President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi on Tuesday, BBS bank Managing Director, Ms Pedzani Tafa, said the bank had been making steady progress since the granting of the commercial license by Bank of Botswana effective October 2022 making it the first indigenous commercial bank. Key to attaining commercialisation drive, Ms Tafa said was the demutualization process, which she said would help BBS to compete better with commercial banks and enable it to broaden its product offerings to include among other aspects such as treasury and other digital services. �Through the demutualisation process, BBS has transformed to investor-owned corporation, which involves changing the legal status, structure and governance of an entity, thus allowing Batswana to buy shares in the Botswana Stock Exchange limited entity,� she said. Prior to demutualisation, Ms Tafa said BBS consulted with relevant stakeholders, who all played a strategic role in the entire end process of demutualisation along with management. She said the bank now offered a broad range of products and services, including through digital platforms and automated teller machines, way beyond the ones it started offering as a building society in 1976. She said the bank has since commercialisation, implemented a significant number of banking services and products as anticipated; highlighting the rebranding process as one of the attainments that would competitively position its commercial space. Ms Tafa said the bank was keen to transform from being renowned for mortgage financing, hence the introduction of macro lending schemes like Ipechetse and Ntshegetsa loans, which aim to finance customers� needs without any struggle. Despite the occupancy in the digital space, the bank would continue with the agency banking services in an effort to reach out to citizens in rural areas with limited digital connectivity, shge said. Ms Tafa applauded government through Ministry of Finance for their goodwill and support by drafting enabling legislation that was eventually passed by Parliament for the then Botswana Building Society to demutualise. She commended BBS bank customers for their continued patronage during the period of transition, which also contributed to the sustainability of the business.