Friday, April 19, 2024

President Lungu calls for the elimination of trade barriers between Zambia and Mozambique

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President Lungu and Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi being ushered by Commerce minister Margaret Mwanakatwe during the official opening of Trade Fair
President Lungu and Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi being ushered by Commerce minister Margaret Mwanakatwe during the official opening of Trade Fair

PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has said that there is need to eliminate trade barriers between Zambia and Mozambique to further grow ties between the two countries.

Mr Lungu said Zambia and Mozambique had signed various agreements, including the setting up of a coal-powered energy plant in Tete Province of Mozambique.

The Head of State said there was still need to develop trade relations for the benefit of both countries.

Mr Lungu was speaking at a luncheon organised by the Zambia International Trade Fair (ZITF) in honour of Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi who was in Ndola today to officially open the Fair.

“It is my expectation that our governments will work together to re-energise the work, to fully operationalise the growth triangle (Zambia-Malawi-Mozambique). Our countries should invest in the necessary infrastructure to make this a reality. We must also eliminate artificial barriers that limit trade between the two countries,” President Lungu said.

He was happy that Zambia and Mozambique continued to enjoy bilateral relations that had grown over the years.

Mr Lungu was optimistic that with the enhanced value-addition, the Mozambican ports would handle an increasing level of value and exports from Zambia.

Mr Lungu also said Zambians were impressed with the growth of the Zambian economy, despite an unfavourable global economic conditions owing to the weaker external demand for commodities.

Zambia and Mozambique have both taken bold and prudent measures to mitigate the impact of the challenges.
Mr Lungu said the two countries, therefore, had a lot to learn from each other.

He said as the two countries developed domestic value chains, there was need to build regional value chains to enhance job creation in the region.

Meanwhile, President Lungu has assured the people of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) that the Government endeavours to hold free and fair elections.

Mr Lungu assured the region through Mr Nyusi, who is the chair, that the Zambian Government was working to ensure peaceful, free and fair elections this August.

He said there would always be people who claimed that the electoral process was unfair.

“I am glad that you (SADC) are sending an observer mission, because there will always be those that cry foul when they lose, saying the political playing field was not leveled,” President Lungu said.

He said some politicians in some parts of Africa found it difficult to accept defeat and blamed their loss on the electoral process.

Mr Nyusi has since returned to Mozambique.

President Lungu with Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi and Commerce minister Margaret Mwanakatwe during the official opening of Trade Fair on
President Lungu with Mozambican President Filipe Nyusi and Commerce minister Margaret Mwanakatwe during the official opening of Trade Fair on
President Lungu with Commerce minister Margaret Mwanakatwe (third from right) ,Foreign Affairs Minister Harry Kalaba (second from right) and Copperbelt minister Mwenya Musenge (r) during the official opening of Trade Fair
President Lungu with Commerce minister Margaret Mwanakatwe (third from right) ,Foreign Affairs Minister Harry Kalaba (second from right) and Copperbelt minister Mwenya Musenge (r) during the official opening of Trade Fair

19 COMMENTS

  1. we need to keep them in place,infact we should withdraw our membership from comesa,because we have become a dumping ground for goods produced in other countries and in return we dont earn the much needed forex as we ar not a manufacturing country.

    • Trust Chakolwa to underwrite a Mozambican power station instead of another one in Maamba or Nkandabwe. Zambia has not exhausted its potential power sources, whether solar, coal, hydro or even nuclear. Instead Chakolwa shackles Zambia to buying power and exporting jobs to Mozambique. On the other hand, South Africa refused to offtake power from Botswana’s Mmamabula coal power project so that South Africa could develop its own Medupi. That’s what a sober patriot would do in State House, not befuddled drunken support for a foreign power project. Mozambique is not Zambia.

  2. We do not need barriers between Zambia and Mozambique so the Moscans can come and vote for Lungu on 11th August 2016? Lungu registered foreigners as voters for the purpose. Lungu and his rigging plans will fail. Viva HH,GBM & UPND.

  3. “Some of the hot selling libido boosters on display are Mwana Apeluke, Pwanya Chinena, Pwanya Nini, Kafupa and Congo Dust” Said Edgar Lungu promotion of trade in a liberalized moral state

    He forgot that his predecessor FTJ Chiluba died as a result of Congo dust which he used on Regina, a stolen nini from Chipata

  4. Lungu has not been told that zambia produces nothing and when those barriers go down zambia will be indeed one big shopping mall for regionaly produced goods.

  5. Iyo mulasabaila no wonder Bemba’s have a saying that uwawa tabula kabepeshyo! tamulawa namwamba nokubepa? Viva ECL…!

  6. This kind of talk has been made in the last two decades or so. What has actually been put into practice? How has it benefited the two nations? No one asks these questions. In SADC its the same talk. Has anyone monitored the outcomes of these ‘free trade, ‘no tariff barriers’, etc. over the years? Next year it will be the same talk in all the SADC countries hosting the so-called trade fairs.

    • One wonders why there is COMESA and what they discuss…or maybe this Lazy Bum Edgar was just drunk again!!

  7. It’s safe to say let Edgar Changwa Lungu enjoy his last few months of being president. We don’t have time to entertain all we endured during his reign and time to start rebuilding our nation. I strongly urge to rid of anyone who was associated with PF and take in new candidates. We need fresh new minds, with real innovation, people with a degree or masters in related post who can at least understand this globalized world and that it is constantly changing and we need people who can adapt their current education and apply it in today’s world. Reason PF did not succeed is simple, we have too many caps in their old state forging certificates to some claiming to have PhD’s and degrees overnight. You can’t do today’s job with yesterday’s methods and be in business tomorrow. 1964…

  8. 1964 education or any education from 30-40 years ago does not relate to today’s world as things have changed just like we gained independence an no longer under colonial rule. And if someone from that error still wants to be in politics then let them upgrade themselves and go back to school. Not sure how they will manage doing two things at the same time because it’s full time school and full time work. From August 2016 we need new policies in place especially in whom qualifies to be a minister. We are no longer in the stone-age error and time to move Zambia and its people forward.

  9. THE man himself, the great one, the renamer of nonexistent universities, the conqueror of political violence, the father of doubling your networth and free trade areas.

  10. You cannot wrestle power from Lungu now! He has enough time to campaign and he is just loved by people. Scott failed to do his maneuvers when he was in state house. What can he do now that he is out? Lungu is the man of the moment whether you like it or not! The truth is written all over. The man won with no campaign. Viva ECL my president….. eo cha kalipa aikulike

  11. Sleeveless dress for a public official function… is nil Mama Margaret.
    Please ensure that the Dress code is adhered to before by everyone.

    EL good to know that yu are working on breaking barriers for business.

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