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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-ZW link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div align=center><table class=MsoTableGrid border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 style='border-collapse:collapse;border:none'><tr><td width=623 valign=top style='width:467.5pt;border:none;padding:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Candara",sans-serif'><img width=673 height=224 style='width:7.0069in;height:2.3333in' id="_x0000_i1026" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D85005.2E13AE90"></span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Candara",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Candara",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Candara",sans-serif'>LONDON - Standard Chartered Plc is planning to exit its operations in seven countries in Africa and the Middle East as the lender looks to focus attention on the region’s largest and fastest growing markets including Saudi Arabia and Egypt.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Candara",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Candara",sans-serif'>The lender said in a statement Thursday that it will no longer have a presence in Angola, Cameroon, Gambia, Jordan, Lebanon, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe. It will also exit consumer, private and business banking businesses in Tanzania and the Ivory Coast to focus solely on corporate, commercial and institutional banking there.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Candara",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Candara",sans-serif'>The markets it plans to exit made up about 1% of total group income in 2021 and a similar proportion of profit before tax, according to the statement. The lender said it remained committed to the region and has recently opened its first branch in Saudi Arabia and obtained preliminary approval for a banking license in the Arab Republic of Egypt.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Candara",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Candara",sans-serif'>“We are sharpening our focus on the most significant opportunities for growth while also simplifying our business,” Chief Executive Officer Bill Winters said in the statement.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Candara",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Candara",sans-serif'>The moves are subject to regulatory approval, the lender said in the statement.-wires<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Candara",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%;background:white'><i><span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia",serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Invest Wisely!<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%;background:white'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia",serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%;background:white'><b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia",serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Bulls n Bears </span></b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia",serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%;background:white'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia",serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%;background:white'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia",serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Telephone: <a href="tel:%2B263%204%202927658" target="_blank"><span style='color:windowtext'>+263 4 2927658</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%;background:white'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia",serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Cellphone: <a href="tel:%2B263%2077%20344%201674" target="_blank"><span style='color:windowtext'>+263 77 344 1674</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%;background:white'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia",serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Alt. Email: <a href="mailto:info@bulls.co.zw"><span style='color:windowtext'>info@bulls.co.zw</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%;background:white'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia",serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Website: <a href="http://www.bullszimbabwe.com">www.bullszimbabwe.com</a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%;background:white'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia",serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Blog: <a href="http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bulls.co.zw%2Fblog&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNFoIy6F9IXAiYnSoPSgWDYsr8Sqtw" target="_blank"><span style='color:windowtext'>www.bulls.co.zw/blog</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%;background:white'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia",serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Twitter: @bullsbears2010<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%;background:white'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia",serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>LinkedIn: Bulls n Bears Zimbabwe<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%;background:white'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia",serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Facebook: <a href="http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FBullsBearsZimbabwe&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGhb_A5rp4biV1dGHbgiAhUxQqBXA" target="_blank"><span style='color:windowtext'>www.facebook.com/BullsBearsZimbabwe</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia",serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'>Skype: Bulls.Bears <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:115%'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Georgia",serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-ZW'><img border=0 width=210 height=101 style='width:2.1875in;height:1.0555in' id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image002.jpg@01D85005.2E13AE90" alt="cid:image012.jpg@01D0BFE7.544DF490"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Candara",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Candara",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></td></tr></table></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Candara",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>