Hence, the overconcentration on agriculture in pro-poor growth strategies appears to be principally supply driven and there are no demanders who actually wish to utilise them to derive benefits. Hence, the continuation of providing state support for rural agriculture, however much it is well intentioned, would trap an unwilling rural population in agriculture, thereby delaying the adjustment which has to take place by way of transferring the excess labour to other gainful areas of the economy and improve the productivity and efficiency of the agricultural sector of the country. This means that the growth strategy should focus on providing gainful employment to the rural poor in other growing areas such as the services sector and integrate it with the global economy so as to ensure income sustainability 14 . Two main issues have been present in Sri Lanka’s state sponsored poverty alleviation programmes in the past. One was the moral hazard problem and the other was the adverse selection problem. Since the poverty alleviation programmes anticipated providing benefits to selected poor individuals free of charge, those individuals did not have to work hard to receive such benefits. Hence, the schemes did not provide any incentive for participants to work hard and get out of poverty. As a result, individuals who were taken into the schemes preferred to be in the scheme forever, thereby perpetuating poverty and raising the cost of its eradication significantly 15 .
Caleb M Fundanga: Enhancing access to finance in Zambia Opening remarks by Dr Caleb M Fundanga, Governor of the Bank of Zambia, at the official launch of the Access Bank Zambia Limited Acacia and Longacres branches and the Visa Debit Card, Lusaka, 16 February 2010. *  *  *  Your Excellency the High Commissioner of the Republic of Nigeria in Zambia, Ms Marcus Folake Bello; The Chairman of the Board Access Bank Zambia Ltd, Mr Caleb Mulenga; The Group Deputy Managing Director, Access Bank Plc, Mr Herbert Wigwe; The Managing Director, Access Bank Zambia Ltd, Mrs Mukwandi Chibesakunda; Members of the Board of Directors for Access Bank Zambia Ltd, present; Management and Staff of Access Bank Zambia Ltd; Colleagues from Bank of Zambia; Distinguished Invited Guests; Members of the Press; Ladies and Gentlemen. It is my privilege and honour to officiate at this important launch of the Longacres and Acacia branches of Access Bank Zambia Limited. As the Central Bank and regulator of the banking sector, we are always pleased to be associated with the achievements of the institutions that we regulate, particularly where these developments lead to increased access to banking services as well as convenience for the Zambian public. Ladies and Gentlemen, it is a well known fact that bank branch expansion programmes play an important role in increasing access to the banking services.