Friday, March 29, 2024

President Banda urges US business community to invest in Zambia

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President Rupiah Banda
President Rupiah Banda

President Rupiah Banda has urged the American business community to consider investing in Zambia because the country is endowed with abundant natural resources and is politically stable.

President Banda said foreign investors have often succeeded in Zambia especially that the country has no history of civil war or any skirmishes since independence.

He said the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has been growing at an average of 5.1 per cent annually since the early 2000.

Mr. Banda said this when he addressed several business executives at Loews Regency Hotel in New York today.

He said investment opportunities were abundant in Zambia especially in the agriculture, mining, tourism, manufacturing and energy sector.

The President told the business community in the United States that Zambia has tracts of arable land coupled with abundant water resources.

Zambia boasts of containing 40 per cent of fresh water in the Southern African region.

President Banda therefore urged the business executives to take advantage of this resource and invest in agriculture and hydropower production because water was available in abundance all year round.

“Quality land, minerals and water resources are abundant in Zambia,” he said.

Mr. Banda further said Zambia has attractive investment policies through the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) Act of 2006.

These incentives include tax exemption and concessions to companies which invest in the country’s priority areas, while government has reduced the cost of doing business significantly.

He added that investors had legal protection especially that Zambia has an independent judiciary.

On mining, Mr. Banda said Zambia was a second largest producer of copper in the world, adding that it still had huge copper deposits dotted around the country.

Other minerals in Zambia are precious stones such as emerald, silver and gold.

On tourism, the President said 33 per cent of land in Zambia was dedicated to game parks and other game management areas, noting that the hospitality industry also still has huge investment potential.

And Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Felix Mutati said at the same function that government was working towards regional and international investment in order to expand the market for various products.

He said Zambia had already started working on the North –to-South corridor that would promote regional integration in the Southern African region.

And African Rainbow Minerals Executive Chairman, Patrice Motsepe, who was among business executives in the audience testified that Zambia’s investment climate was very attractive.

Mr. Motsepe, who is a South African, said his company was finalizing plans to invest between US$300 million and US$500 million in the country.

And Mitsubishi International Corporation General Manager for Corporation Communications, Tracy Austin said her company had collaborated with Zambia in terms of doing business for many years.

President Banda is in New York attending the 64th General Assembly of the United Nations (UN) but has seized the opportunity to hold bilateral and business meetings.

Earlier in the day, President Banda held bilateral talks with Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Deputy Vice President for Policy and International Relations, Sherri Kraham at UN building.

Meanwhile, First Lady Thandiwe Banda today attended a Global Health Council meeting on Maternal Health and Malaria held at Millennium Plaza hotel in New York.

At this meeting, Nancy Brinker, who is the founding chair for the Susan G. Komen for Cure, urged Ministers of Health in the world to fearlessly address the growing crisis of cancer.

Ms. Brinker said Ministers of Health should integrate cancer screening and treatment under existing health programmes in developing countries.

ZANIS

67 COMMENTS

  1. We cannot be isolationist but an open and ambitious economy to internal and external investments.Well articulated presentation Mr.President!

  2. So, TB attended a global health council meeting on maternal health etc.., i hope she learned that IFIBALA “Zambulance” is not an option for transporting pregnant women to hospitals instead of proper ambulances

  3. I rarely agree with this man but on this occasion I say yes RB you are right. But, it shouldn`t just end there. You have to market the country. Convience people we do not sleep next to lions. This is what I want to see. It`s not just mining we should be talking about but yes tourism as well.

    Saying that, there is a small matter of corruption and of course local investors. Convience me i d i o t s like Senior Citizen will not be asking me for nichekeleko when all I am asking for is a small piece of land yet he goes to a foreigner alekunkula.

  4. Why cant Zambians be encouraged to invest in America as well? When Obama visited Ghana recently, did he talk about any African investment in America? Please help me fellow Africans

  5. RB is inviting the Americans, but he will give all contracts to his Chinese friends…God what have we done to deserve this type of a President, he does not listen….tomfwa

  6. Am told during an address to the General Assembly,HE called for a moment of silence in honour of late Teta and MJ,? hahahahaha and he followed Gordon Brown to the Loo to request to be invited to 10 Downing Street, what a mess…………..hahahahaha Joking!

  7. You have our unflinching moral and patriotic support Mr President to move the country forward. With strong fundamentals and stability retaining in the economy, Its time to “decouple our country from utopian policies of a closed up economy the opposition is calling for. Successful economies such as South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan have all developed over time with open door policies.They have learnt to harness local resources and manpower with heavy FDI.We need investment that make substantial skills and technology transfer.We want citizens to gain skills and competitive rewards for their services..

  8. Thank you Mr President (RB). It sounds a very good strategy that could benefit the majority of our poor Zambian people. God bless you.

  9. number 4 plz plz plz open your eyes , do you think the west is ever going to assist RB with his cronnies, NO CHANCE. RB has gone to beg for money to fill up the reserves he has depleted , coz he is next to be arrested .

  10. I love zambia but there is nothing there for me, my life will be in the UK, so unlike the people in US being asked to invest in zambia, iam not going to. I will invest in Ireland, where iam moving to a week before christmas. Thanks

  11. Hope the Americans have taken RB’s invitation seriously, they know very well that chinese investment is all over zambia and more is exepected. good effort RB.

  12. Yes, Zambia has no history of civil war but a very disturbing culture of corruption, plunder and interference of the judicial system by Rupiah himself. Not long ago some donor countries withheld their aid to Zambia because of these reasons. Clean up your act before you talk about foreign investors, they are not daft.

  13. THE INFORMATION IN THE ARTICAL ABOVE GOES TO THE BLOGGERS ON LT TOO. GO AND INVEST IN ZAMBIA. DON’T JUST BUY SPINING RIMS, JEANS, JACKECTS AND PHONES. GO AND BY LAND HOME SO THAT YOU CAN EMPLOY ABENA CHAMA, KANGWA, MWIINDE AND SO ON TO BUILD YOU A ROOF.TIME TO ACT IS NOW AND NOW IS THE TIME.

  14. Politically stable? Right now my MP 2011 campaign has started at home in Zambia.

    Have a blessed day all.

    __
    Matthew 6:33
    But seek ye fist the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all things shall be added unto you.

  15. THINK TANK ESTATE AGENTS. Plot no 1 indipondo road is vacant,the imposter prezdnt is been evicted. asking price is K1 trillion per week.the incoming tenant should have leadership qualities,corrupt free,sound mind,able to respond positively to health issue. AND should be able to murder shikapwasha,mulongoti and vj immediatly.

  16. Imwe ba China if we go back and do all those things yoar are saying without corrupting antone , then i will be the first to do so but RB makes me think of investing elswhere. Get rid of RB and his henchmen and maybe return to invest

  17. I wish to see the day when Obama will encourage Zambians to invest in the US! Why do these so called leaders think a white person whose first thought when it comes to Africa is poverty, AIDS will listen to RB speech, go home, pack, call his bank to move all his money to Zambia? There is one thing that will make anyone do this, LOYALTY, of which you will find only in a Zambian who is proud to be Zambian. Focus your attention on building Zambians to become entrepreneurs. Just this trip alone to NY would have benefited 50 plus Zambians by giving them tools, machinery, etc.

    Who knew that when the Europeans were dividing the continent into countries, even after they abandoned the countries, we the black citizens would continue selling our countries like a piece of cake. Such a shame!

  18. Think Tank #20 has your problem been sorted out, has anyone offered to help you get to the UK or USA? Dont be cheated we are better off here despite all these confusions and wrangles in the political circles. These guys also miss home one day when things are fine they will come back. Just work hard.

  19. if there is any woman outer there who wants married am here.But on conditions (1) wealthy (2) must be a muzungu from USA or UK . respond now love is waitin. INSAKA, how is u. my problem not yet.

  20. #19. Maestro Hakucincha in ZED? Twalumba aisha. I wonder what space physics will keep you busy while at home? Try to explore the ‘sipanje airline.’

  21. Zambians are the most fickle you would ever get probablyin the whole of Africa. No wonder C h o n c h o l i s ibelele happy. You accept anything and everything. Even the British have their own way of segregating. Those of you who have lived in Britain before, do you remember Britain, and then England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland? Do you remember the cockneys, Geordies, Scousers? Do you remember the London accent, Brimingham accent? Ceratain things are natural. Pretend however you want but reality is Mr Chabala will never be MP in Monze, Sesheke, Kalabo, Namwala and the rest.

  22. At least he has tried to drive the point home. I hope he is learning from Muatati and the Finance Minister. I guess the speech was written for him and practised 12 times before he began reading it. At least he learning fast and hope he can stay away from Kafupi because Kafupi will contaminate him. At least you have spoken sense for once although your Judiciary is not independent , you are lucky nobody took you on that one because it was going to spoil your day. Watch out don’t talk about the Judiciary in London or you will eat your humble pie.

  23. Good afternoon

    All these calls for Foreign Investment are OK but I hope our government also has a screening criteria for each aspiring investor because not every investor is good for the country. Some of them are just after cheap labour, making huge profits and dissapearing with them. We need anchor investors that are committed to the development of the country and whose investment will have long-term benefits for the Zambian corporate market.

  24. Imwe ba RAMBO#21, that’s the reason why we never delevop. You and me know that corruption is all over the world. Now the issue is we will always be talking about corruptions for now and years to come, believe me 2016 will still be talking about corruption and so is 2021, meanwhile you and me are growing with out any developments back home and still talking about corruption so if all of us are busy talking about corruption when are we going to develop? for me I THINK BEST THING TO DO NOW IS TO INGORE CORRUPTION AND GO AND DEVELOP. CORRUPTION WILL STILL BE THERE ANYWAY…..

  25. #1 I think your comment is the most profound and insightful. I have realised that everytime RB travels he says the same thing to investors and zambians abroad. I think now he should just be sending a tape which can be played aloud to investors and zambians abroad instead of travelling with his entourage.

  26. #16, Senior Citizen alias Senior Nonsense appears to be a loafer who is job seeking with RB and busy bootlicking. He seems to hero worship useless people all the time and he pretends to be an educted person when all indicators show that he is such an ignorant person who cannot string two coherent sentences together. I wonder whether he ever reads what he writes because most of it is usually a lot of nonsense and incorigible. Can someone be kind enough to educate this Senior Nonsense man bacause each time he writes, he embarasses himself. I pity him a great deal because usually ‘Silence’ is the best mode for uninformed like Senior Nonsense.

  27. I really don’t know why we stick to old statistics by claiming that Zambia is the second largest producer of copper in the world? THIS IS NO LONGER TRUE. Chile is indeed the leader, but other such as Indonesia, Mexico and perhaps DRC are producing more. Zed is yet to hit the 1 million tonnes per year mark. I have heard this fallacy even from ordinary Zedians. Guys lets more current on the dynamics in this world.

  28. #31, we have inherited this conservative attitude from the British who still claim to be Great Britain when all indicators show that Britain is more or less a third world Country. Their only asset is their skills in manipulating ignorance. There lies their strengths. They are manipulating Chinese, and the greater Asian continent very much. And now they are ripping student visa applicants and job seekers. bachabe na bukabolala ma british. Wake up Zambions.

  29. KA MUSHOTA KWENA ULIKAPUBA MWAICHE. EVERYDAY MAILELE YEKAYEKA. I HOPE YOUR IRISH BOYFRIEND DOESNT SEE YOU AS A PARASITE. ONCE IN A WHILE TALK ABOUT YOUR SELF WHEN BLOGGING EVERYDAY UK, MY BOY FRIEND THIS AND THAT, CHRISTMAS THIS AND THAT. FINABWELAMOCENDWA VIA CIZUNGU IN YOUR LIFE. ANY WAY YOU CAN TAKE A VILLAGER OUT OF THE VILLAGE BUT YOU CANNOT TAKE A VILLAGE OUT OF THE VILLAGER. TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING IMPORTANT; THIS 1.D. 1. 0. T RUPIAH IS ALWAY SINGING THE SAME SONG. HIMSELF SHUD INVEST SINCE HE HAS MONEY AND SECURITY.

  30. LAST NIGHT I WAS BLOGGING A HATE SPEECH AGAINST THE WHITES AND HOW THEY STORE OUR RESOURCES IN AFRICA. THEY CAME HOLDING A GUN IN ONE HAND AND A BIBLE IN ANOTHER HAND AND THEY RUNSAKED AFRICA LIKE A FOREST FIRE. TODAY GADAFI GIVES A SIMILAR POINT IN NEWYORK; Gaddafi, who currently chairs the African Union, reiterated Africa’s call for a permanent council seat.

    He also said that Africa deserved compensation totaling $7.77 trillion from its past colonial masters for damages sustained during the colonial period.

  31. Until we work on our infrastructure, we can only attract low level speculators as investors. though our labor might be cheap, look at our road infrastructure, transport costs, poor security, corruption, red tape and political interference in every form. and to cap it all our crappy legal system is the biggest risk of them all. just look at how much we have been globe trotting to attract investors, and how many have come? a handful of Chinese, some Indian speculators, a few unscrupulous Boers and that’s it! do your homework first and the rest will take care of itself. investment is business and businessmen are always looking for room for expansion.

  32. HOW DID GADAFI CALCULATED THE FIGURES. I THINK WE DESERVE MORE THAN THAT. IN THE SOLOMON REPUBLIC THE BRITISH HAVE BEEN SUED FOR STEALING THE FOSSILS AND THE SOLOMON GOVERNMENT NEEDS THE GOVERNMENT TO BRING BACK THEIR RELICS CURRENTLY BEING DISPLAYED IN A LONDON MESUIM

  33. Gaddafi is just another despot trying to jump on the band wagon of african misery so that he can become head of the african union. It’s funny in his speech he selectivelyignored the Arab massacres and enslavement of black africans .

  34. i agree with the guys, thats these former colonial plunderers should actually pay back everypenny they stole, these guys have stolen trillions of pounds and they are now shaning africa to come up with the so called EU. this eu is not interested in african pipo but its resources.
    SO Y SHOULDN’T WE CLAIM BACK, BUT/AND/OR HOW DO WE DO THAT?

  35. If we ALL have the good of Zambia as our aim, we would support the President. Whether there is corruption or not, it is up to the investors to check the facts with due diligence and not to be told by the anti-Zambians like MUSHOTA, Rambo, guy wapa…? Are you jealous that if Zambia prospers while you are abroad you will miss out? Zambia is our birth place. David Livingstone asked to have his heart burried in Africa (Zambia’s Chitambo village) because he loved the continent. How much more should we be? It is a shame that some negroes always talk down their origins!

  36. number 35 even today Zambia is still seating on those minerals in the ground what is RB and his henchmen doing about it nothing ;;; we are so blind that we donot see any thing in Zambia but forieghners do see what we canot see and they envy us.. even today we want them to come and mine in Zambia and take what ever they can take with them

  37. # 16,
    You have made me laugh & appreciate your sincere question with humor.I blog when i have time to burn and always maintain my ID unlike the ever mutating PF cadres vainly dreaming and spewing insult on RB and his MMD administration.Do i work? Depending on what work means to you, i have high value skills and financial security though.The IT has revolutionized how individuals can stay resourceful & contributing to the GDP.I pray the fiber optic cable now in the country is not only enhancing your blogging passion but presenting you golden opportunities for prosperity.I’m plugged in e-business suite applications for ERP that help businesses enhance effective decision-making.If you scan through some economic sectors, you may find my trademarks in some Business applications white papers.

  38. # 31,
    You are a myopic and disillusioned crackpot with protruding ignorant that the private sector has better rewarding opportunities for anyone who wants to dig some gold. Don’t you know that Government is not a cash cow but for service to the nation? If indeed I wanted a job from RB, what do you think would stop me from getting it when I’m a bonafide Zambian citizen? Surely would I need the internet to press for a job when I know where hiring institutions are? Now I know why you are daily insulting RB and administration for Sata. FYI, I respect your Pull Him down syndrome but I’m comfortably plugged in e-business suite applications for ERP that help businesses enhance their effective decision-making. This has given me the best ever gained financial security. If you scan through…

  39. A stunning but common behavioral trend among all PF kaponyas at home and in the Diaspora is the fact that, whenever they are overwhelmed on strategy and intellect, they resort to fruitless tribal bigotry and insults.With such, they expect sober Zambians to risk a highly treasured country with them.Some good 15 years on from today, they will remain the same empty political shell full in fantasy, bigotry, hatred, envy and rhetoric.

  40. #45, Senior Nonsense , you are the worst character I have come across. Do you think RB would give you a job? Get it ad prove us wrong. I know you are very ignorant and tyr to pretend to be hat you are not. Please wake up to reality. Chiluba knows you as a conman and he has told RB and that is why you will wait in vain for an appointment that will never come your way. Let me advise you my man, you will die of envy – Go to School and come out clean. But intellectually you are challenged – you wnet through the window when KK was telling you the ruths. Keep bootlicking and carryiong other people’s shoes and enjoy masquarading as an intellectual whne you are not. Enjoy the fun of slavery. But you need to be castrated.

  41. # 46,

    You are socked in protruding ignorance.Read through your own post # 45 like many.Even your effort to elicit what you are panting to know is below standard and without skill.While you praying for a job from the imaginary Government of Sata, your friends are becoming economic actors.You are so confused to think the whole President is the HR manager giving out jobs.Get skills and actualize your life. What God has blessed no man can curse it. If you hope i will dress your delusions and hatred groupthink mentality against my country, the MMD and RB,dream on. Your insults on me aside, will will not take than insane route.Doing so would be bringing the country and indeed my character into disrepute. Can’t blunder to sink to your level of subnormal kaponyalism.

  42. I mean # 48.

    I know you must be ecstatically celebrating with self fantasy that “SC whom you have long wished debating, has dully responded to your entry.Take it that this is your Christmas present.Your insults on me goes unchallenged because I’m far above that sublevel punditry. It is not in the best national interest for me to promote your kaponyalism on a public forum.If you have any area of interest and strength on public issues, debate me with dignity.Confine your Kaponyalism to PF backyards, This is a public forum of open discourse than lunacy you seem to personify.Hope you have a future in that.Blessed in the day you where born and blessed be your days on earth.

  43. Finally, what incentives do you get as investors.

    The Zambia Development Act of 2006 offers a wide range of incentives in the form of allowances, tax exemptions & concessions for companies that invest in priority sectors and within the parks. The Act provides investment thresholds that investors have to meet in order to qualify for fiscal and non-fiscal incentives

    Are these incentives extended to Locals if not Zambians need to rise up and demand that these incentives be extended to Locals as well. It should be a level playing field. Overall this is a good marketing speech which should also be shared with Locals on a regular basis so that they are ware of the benefits. God bless Zambia

  44. Meanwhile, First Lady Thandiwe Banda today attended a Global Health Council meeting on Maternal Health and Malaria held at Millennium Plaza hotel in New York.At this meeting, Nancy Brinker, who is the founding chair for the Susan G. Komen for Cure, urged Ministers of Health in the world to fearlessly address the growing crisis of cancer.Ms. Brinker said Ministers of Health should integrate cancer screening and treatment under existing health programmes in developing countries.
    Was the Zambian Minister of Health present at this function if not why because this meeting was targeted towards Ministers of Health. Were other First Ladies of other countries present?

  45. Yaba! This man is sooo ugly looking, had he been darker in complexion, he would easily pass for a Nigerian or Malian Mandingo slave trading tribal Chief. Not even Kapasa Makasa was this horrible looking.

  46. Mushota come on, which part Ireland are you going to? Mwaice ati watemwa abasungu abakwata utwamfwalo utunono kuntashi. No wonder you can’t bear kids. We will continue investing in Zambia. Senior Citizen is ka mucheka mambala. People like senior Citizen have got no sense of responsibility only yaping and defending undefendable issues. RB will say something partially good but he is the most visionless president we have ever have. God help with this current crop of leaders who have lost their bearing and act like headless chickens. KK was right to call them stupid *****s.

  47. corruption will deter them u pig. do u think the’ll come after you have messed up the country and aquitted that thief? i’d advise them not to invest until your a$$ is gone

  48. Pafwenamwine,

    Kwena ba PF twasebana pafula. Ala nomba nibuchipante pante ka! Lelo Senior Citizen ni Ben Kangwa ku DC embassy. Ngamwabika tuchibuku and changed your ID as Reality ala ninshi Senior Citizen aba lilofwa.Nombo ngamwanuano tukachasu ati Senior Citizen ni Kamucheka.What is he and where is he kanshi mwebonthu.I thought bakamuche baba pa zed?Ala chefyeniko ukusabaila.We are tired of these versions;loafer, DC Diplomat, Kamucheka, journalist etc

  49. Senior Citizen i like the ERP passion, i am currently into it using one of the german based software brand (name it later). i am eager to knw other people’s experiences in past successful rewarding installations. get me on [email protected]. waiting for your contact. cheers

  50. Did any of you see the clip on CNN where probably one member of the Zambian Delegation to the UN fell on the escalator because he was facing the wrong way and after he was helped up he walked towards President Banda for support ,it was very funny even the CNN commentator said it was a remarkable entrance reason being how people should not face the wrong way on the escalator.

  51. Thanks His Excellency RB for the good gesture you have shown Americans. I am sure our economy will boost again. Thank you His Excellency. We will always rally behind you.

  52. # 57 DM,
    Glad to learn you are also in ERP Passion. I will certainly drop you a line for authentification then we can drift in escalation for a possible heads up.This will be very interesting. You will learn more on my website when i guide a link.May be you may be availble to share with me some projects i’m overwhelmed to cover. I have been giving alot to some friend but homeboy would be a plus.By the way ZESCO has already switched to it and more will with fiber optic around.Check for my mail before noon today.

  53. Senior citizen, I have been following your exchanges with the “The Realist” and wish to advise you something for nothing. Read what he has said to you carefully and follow the thread of argument advanced, you will do yourself a very good favour if you learn to humble yourself and listen to thers. Your postings are not only irritating to many but also not educative at all. While we agree with your right to blindly support the govt of the day and /or your corrupt party MMD, please bear in mind that others too are entitled to their opinions and should not be silenced by your loud but unreasonable voice. Just plain simple advice to you Senior Citizen or to borrow ‘The Realist’ term Senior Nonsense.

  54. We need investment in our infrastructure,who would want to invest in a country that has no reliable road network?imagine moving copper from Kitwe to Dar,you go south then north,time consumed..there seems to be a lot of political immaturity among our leaders all these play badly for us..we have high costs in shipping,doing business in not even competitive in the region,if we need the investment please….besides no one in the US has money to invest in a third world country..Mr President…hello there is arecession….knock….

  55. Banda expected in Venezuela
    From Florence Mwisa, Magarita Island (Venezuela), Friday

    PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda is tomorrow expected in Venezuela to attend the second Africa-South America (ASA) summit in the latin American nation’s Margarita Island Margarita.

    Communications and Transport Permanent Secretary Dominic Sichinga who is in the advance party said in Margarita today that President Banda was expected to arrive at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Caracas in the morning before proceeding to Margarita Island where the summit was taking place.

    The president who would be accompanied by First Lady Thandiwe and senior Government officials would upon arrival join the official opening of the conference.

    Mr Sichinga said the meeting whose theme is “filling gaps,

  56. providing opportunities” was important to Africa and Zambia in particular as it would explore tourism, agriculture , including the enhancement of political cooperation among African and South American countries .

    Mr Sichinga said Africa and South America shared in the UN principles of reducing poverty through the enhancement of economic development.

    Meanwhile security has been tightened at the conference that opened today and is expected to culminate in the Heads of State summit on Sunday and Monday.– ZANIS

  57. Mwandini dont bring your money here. These clowns will enrich themselves with it. Instead set conditions that should include transparency and accountability benchmarks

  58. saying “zambia is endowed with natural resources and is politically stable” is like saying “come and take our land and minerals”. for we surely don’t know what the heck to do with them. we cannot produce semi-finished goods or decent copper cabling to sell to the americans. we don’t produce enough food to feed ourselves. and we are not even trying to emulate a country like chile which is built on the riches from copper. pathetic!!

    sell zambia to taiwan!!

  59. Ya’ll it’s not just Americans, if you’re living abroad you can do something, including Zambians!! If you love your country this time to do something. I Love Zambia and i’m planning big !

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