Mpulungu Harbour General Manager Davies Kaluba says infrastructure development at the harbour will enable it handle about three times its current capacity because of the potential to grow exports of products such as sugar.
Mr Kaluba says the harbour also exports into Burundi huge volumes of cement and clincker – a product used in the manufacturing of cement with last month’s exports exceeding 14-thousand tons.
Briefing a delegation of Ministers led by Finance Minister Felix Mutati who toured the harbour, Mr. Kaluba said the recent 5 million dollar investments into equipment by government has also enhanced its operations.
And Mr. Mutati has asked harbour management to quickly work on a project proposal and designs to access part of the 400-million euros under the COMESA Fund meant to improve trade in the region.
He said Zambia has a great opportunity to access the funds because it recently took over the COMESA Chairmanship.
The Minister added that the African Development Bank -ADB- is also keen on financing the Mpulungu harbour upgrade and the Nakonde road to improve trade.
He revealed that he had a bilateral meeting with Burundi’s Minister of Finance who is keen on boosting trade but stated that Zambia lacks sufficient capacity to export goods into that country.
Meanwhile Minister of Transport and Communications Brian Muchimba says government is undertaking a feasibility study to open up transport water ways between Zambia and Burundi.
“He revealed that he had a bilateral meeting with Burundi’s Minister of Finance who is keen on boosting trade but stated that Zambia lacks sufficient capacity to export goods into that country.” YES you read it right this our Zambia more than 50 years of our own rule so called independence. And we keep on wondering why we are labeled the dark continent. The story is not very different from most of our African countries.
Zambia thrives on mediocrity
If we cannot export or increase our export capacity, how else are we going to develop our economy? How else are we going to create Jobs?, how else are we going to grow our economy? How else are we going to reduce poverty?.. Zambia, Zambia my beloved country. We cannot all be presidents, we cannot all be ministers but those with the rare opportunity to preside over our resources should wake up and stop being selfish, learn how to develop a nation if need be…
When I read the headline …I knew that the article will not be complete without of talking about external funding as is the case with this govt. They are hasty looking for funding by pushing designers and planers yet they have been sitting on them all this time, instead looking for loans to fund SMEs in the name of marketeers during the election campaigns….what type of people are these who can not raise funding from domestic streams?
Stop having bilaterals with illegal governments