Commerce Trade and Industry Minister Felix
Mutati has assured that Zambia is ready to host the 10th Africa Growth
Opportunity Act (AGOA) forum which officially opens this Wednesday.
Mr. Mutati also disclosed that the forum will be chaired by a high
powered delegation led by United States of America Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton.
ZANIS reports that speaking to Journalists at a media briefing in
Lusaka today, he said the country has made all necessary arrangements
for delegates to the forum, in terms of accommodation, security,and
transport logistics.
‘’Dignitaries should feel free to participate fully at the AGOA forum
and there is nothing to worry,’’he assured
Mr. Mutati said ahead of the AGOA Conference that it will address
among other things the AGOA framework and at the same time highlight
achievements the forum has scored for Africa in the past ten years and
chart the way forward.
The Minister stated that the forum will also deal with legislative
aspects of AGOA and trade and investment opportunities between the
African continent and American countries.
He further disclosed that un-employment and regional integration which
the US must approach to Africa has to be addressed at the conference.
Other issues to be tackled, Mr Mutati said will include key pillars of
value addition and competitiveness pronounced under AGOA, besides
promoting regional integration.
He noted that AGOA delivered to a few African countries but that some
countries still faced many challenges to dialogue and enter the
American market.
Mr. Mutati could not,however, readily quantify how Zambia has benefited
from AGOA but stressed the need for more Zambian companies to exhibit
and create business headways into the US market.
Zambia is hosting the AGOA forum from June 8 to 10 at Mulungushi
International Conference Centre under the theme ‘’Enhanced Trade,
Through Increased Competitiveness, Value addition and Deeper Regional
Integration.’’
The aim of the strategy on AGOA is to provide a focuses framework
through which Zambia’s competitiveness and comparative advantage can
be harnessed and channeled to exploit opportunities in the US market.
[ ZANIS ]
Mr Mutati, kindly ensure this meeting doesn’t transcend into a political spectacle. For all you enterprising Zambians out there, this meeting is a chance you’ll never get again in this lifetime!! Our West African brothers & sisters have milked AGOA for almost all its worth,gaining preferential entry to the American market. You will all be surprised how many “doors” will be opened, how many contacts we can make!! With all the “kobili” alot of you have made from supplying the mines….cast your nets wider for more sustainable and long term business. At the minute most of you are big fish in a very very small pond….time to leave the gold fish bowl and swim in the “ocean” of global trade & commerce!! Mr Mutati, make this happen for us,please!!
Zambiadiaspora.com is about to make a major investment in Zambia, disproving the fact that only foreigners are capable of investing big in Zambia. God bless us all.
While everyone is excited about the AGOA meeting, I wish to state that very few Zambians have the capacity to negotiate meaninful terms that could benefit Zambia.
We do not want to hear any statement starting with “The MMD government” at the AGOA. Let us focus on real trade for once
A bit surprised that so few have commented on this topic. What is one to read from this? I hope it doesn’t mean Zambian entrepreneurs are a scarce product or that they are unaware of the potential opportunities from AGOA.
As Original Pundit has stated, I hope this indaba will be used to open the eyes of Zambian entrepreneurs including those in the diaspora. Anecdotally, our friends, especially West and East African seem to have made great strides out of AGOA.
No5@Apamwamba, we Zambians fear the international stage. That’s why we dont even export footballers to worthwhile countries. Our entrepreneures are shivering this time because they lack innative skills. How are we going to market utujilijili to the outside world?
#5, Bwana Apam, we have a problem in Zambia. Mine is the 7th comment in two days?? This is an economy with businessmen & women crying for “opportunities”?? 7 comments tell us something!! I know many of our local “tycoons” have great difficulty in being able to produce a set of financials that accurately justify the opulence they flaunt, but not all is lost comrades. There comes a time in all our lives when we have to do things properly in order to benefit from the opportunities that rarely come knocking – like an AGOA conference on your doorstep!! Ladies & gents, lets get with the program and begin to enjoy real & sustainable prosperity through honest commerce & trade with not just & among ourselves, BUT with the world at large !!