Friday, March 29, 2024

Zambia will not follow blindly when signing agreements – Sampa

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Brussels, 31st May 2015 – Commerce, Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Miles Sampa says Zambia will not follow blindly when signing agreements with international partners.

Giving Zambia’s position on the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) on the sideline of the just-ended Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP-EU) Council of Ministers in Brussels, Belgium, Mr Sampa said Zambia is still in the process of negotiating an EPA that was development friendly to its economy and flexible enough to accommodate the European counterparts.

Mr Sampa said his Ministry which is responsible for coordinating EPA position, is aware of the guidance from Parliament, to carry out urgent consultations amongst stakeholders with a view to coming up with a more inclusive and informed position.

He said it will not help Zambia to rush into concluding and signing an EPA that is not friendly to the country’s small-scale farmers, family owned businesses and those companies that have and continue to invest in the country. He said government is interested in seeing an EPA that will support its efforts to lift people out of poverty and not to worsen their current conditions.

“If the position we get after the consultations guides us to open the market to the EU (European Union), we will make sure that it’s something beneficial to the Zambian people not only today but for the future. We are making sure that all these agreements we sign, we are not seen to be mortgaging the country,” Mr Sampa said. “Our policy is that any arrangement we go into should be through consultations and a thorough consideration of our national interest. That’s the guidance from the President His Excellency, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu.”

Mr Sampa said any deviation from that guidance would not be allowed because government is aware of the fact that the country’s interest always come first.

“We will not follow blindly; we will make decisions that are beneficial to the Zambian people. Until we are satisfied that the ordinary Zambians will benefit from these agreements, not only today but also in the next 20; 50 years…,” he said.

Mr Sampa further explained that Zambia is now focusing on value addition as opposed to exporting raw materials.

He said Zambia’s relationship with Europe was a historical as well as economic one and thus the need to consider these factors in devising a way forward in the EPAs.

He noted that Zambia’s fledgling industry cannot compete with that of Europe which had evolved over centuries. Therefore, he emphasized the importance of the EPA to build capacity in host economies not only in Zambia but across the African, Caribbean and Pacific regions.

“We need to bit the bullet and be more forward looking as we engage so that our farmers, traders and investors make gains out of the EPAs. We need to develop capacity to add value to our raw materials as that is the only way we can create jobs in our countries; that’s the only way we will get foreign exchange. It’s only through such exports that the Kwacha can be supported and also gain value,” said Mr Sampa.

Going forward, the East and Southern Africa (ESA) group has resolved to meet again in the margins of the Summit in Sharm-El-Sheikh, Egypt with a view to resolving the sticky issues and coming up with a more definitive position. It is noted that these negotiations have been going on for a long time and there is need to conclude. However, the need to conclude should not erode the benefits earlier intended in the EPA.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Issued by: Lambwe Kachali [Mr]
First Secretary (Press & Public Relations)

11 COMMENTS

  1. Good move in the right direction. Zambia needs more ministers if your stance. It about time we started look at the plight of the local Zambians as we enter Into such policy, agreement arrangements. Zambia has over the years been an economy which keeps on growing other economies especially the west…. than Hon for your stance. Ifintu ni lungu…

  2. That is the way forward .coz as long as we export rew matrial it simply means we are expoting jobs . Infintu ni lungu

  3. Let’ s hope you will do as you have said coz many are the times you have sold Zambia to the west and indians. Please secure the future for your posterity. I pray the Lord God this stance you have taken will not be retracted at some time as you did to the mining tax.

  4. Just don’t sign this agreement with these double standard imperialist my Africa…. It will never benefit us.
    Come and see here in Europe how for example, there agriculture is heavily subsidised, there markets totally closed to African products…
    They apoint a 100 or so experts as part of their Negotiations delegation and we in Africa only send one Miles Sampa, or a ministerial Secretary from Ghana, Malawi, Congo or Namibia… They coerce and open their secrets wallets to get our representatives sign this agreement… Let’s not sign it, 15 years down the line they are still waiting.
    Viva Africa!!

  5. Honourable minister ,we applaud your stance .Kindly learn from Botswana government .When blue diamonds were accidentally discovered in Jwaneng while drilling for water, De Beers abandoned it’s Barotseland prospecting and ran to Botswana. Seretse Khama negotiated for a joint ownership deal which resulted in DeBtswana (50 % Botswana government 50 % De Beers). The Botswana government went further to own 15 % of De Beers International. From this position, Gaborone is only place in Africa were diamonds are cut and polished. Even the mighty South Africa has to export raw diamonds to Europe. You can only negotiate from a point strength not of begger! Some clever consultant dupped the Zambian government into selling it’s ZCCM shares and now we a broke government with bowl in hand negotiating…

  6. Negotiate with this in mind! Multinationals are hard-nosed Be prepared for a fight. Remember ,they are investors, not infrastructure developers- this is the responsibility of democratically elected governments. You need to acquire financial leverage or other forms of leverage to negotiate with. Otherwise, your stance is mere political posturing. Pakwana ubunga tapabansoni!

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