COMMERCE Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe has called for the need to have a strong technology-based, diversified and export focused manufacturing sector which is self-sustaining as part of the country’s development strategy.
Speaking at the Eastern Province symposium on development in Chipata district yesterday, Ms Mwanakatwe said the country should also be dynamic, resilient to external shocks and competitive with effective entities that add value to locally abundant natural resources.
She said Government would facilitate the up scaling of manufacturing sector towards higher value addition and upgrade capacity in the provision of related services.
Ms Mwanakatwe noted that Government has placed emphasis on transforming industrial businesses and complementary services into strong value creating entities.
And Agriculture Minister Dora Siliya said that agriculture there was need to address threats that affects the agriculture sector for improved agriculture industry.
Ms Siliya noted that agriculture was one of the key sectors that contribute to the country’s job creation.
She said that Government was putting in place stringent measures to ensure that challenges faced during the distribution of inputs in the 2016/17 farming season were addressed.
Meanwhile, Eastern Province Minister Makebi Zulu explained that the aim of the symposium was to bring stakeholders together and identify bottlenecks that affect the development agenda for the province.
Mr Zulu notes that being an agro based and the largest producer of commodities such as maize, groundnuts and cotton, the province was still importing most of its finished products such as mealie meal and peanut butter.
She states that Government was keen to promote and localize improved value chains in agro processing and its infrastructure development through the creation of an enabling environment for private enterprise to thrive and promote sustainable public private partnerships.
And Paramount Chief Mpezeni of the Ngoni people of Eastern Province said traditional leaders in the province have committed themselves to do away with negative traditional norm and practices that hinder the development process.
Speaking through chief Madzimaweof the Ngoni people of Chipata district, Paramount chief Mpezeni says that chiefs are happy that government recognizes traditional leaders as partners in national development saying there is need for government to embrace and co-opt all levels of leadership for sustainable development.
Yaaaaaaaaaaaawn! Break it down Madam PLEASE ……what policies have you implemented to drive this. Go to say ZICTA and tell me how policies there promote local innovators against foreign established companies??? What local startup will have ZMW 21,000 to get a VAS license even before you consider your OPEX spend?? This is just one little example I am tired of these PF Ministers who find it so easy to play to the Gallery than bring out policies and Instruments that will pragmatically drive local entrepreneurship its all too Much Talk. Leave the Talking to us You are in those position to ACT !!!!!!
The name Mwanakatwe used to be respectable, but now sounds like an insult.
Margaret Mwanakatwe is illegally a commerce minister. Mwanakatwe’s parliamentary seat is null & void. She together with Nkandu Luo are in those ministerial positions illegally & they must respect the constitution~including electoral practices & conduct.
Everything the duo are doing is constitutionally criminal cases whenever they mascaraed as ministers or MPs.
The speaker should not allow bandits Mwanakatwe & Luo in parliament for their positions have been nullified by the courts ~Simple!
The Skeleton Key
~206~
To say upscaling of Value addition in Manufacturing is easy …. but to upscale you need capital and no one has such Monies lying around to invest in upscaling at the back of unfavourable market conditions. Fundamentally the interest rates…which the Minister ignores to address how this will be tackled. High taxation ? The Energy deficits ? its so easy to be using Buzz words line value addition, enabling environment, value chains, forwards and Backwards linkages, ppp and all that load of Bu&*%t …if you don’t have a strategy to connect it to the ground and make it work …then well you are just buying time till your next pay or theft of public resources…..any half educated person can utter those words day in day out but if you cannot translate that into real economic benefit then…
Manufacturing, can someone tell me how do we maufacture without ELECTRICITY
If you paid back the CEEC loam we might be able to use it to better the manufacturing industry you crazy theiving sugar mummy
Implementation of the policy depends on technocrats. The technocrat requires incentives. As middle class, the technocrat can not work for charity. Advisers and consultants in farm mechanization and marketing cooperatives cost money. The entire farm cycle from land preparation, planting, irrigation, weeding, harvest, storage, processing and marketing must be placed in the hands of technocrats. The technocrats function optimally in multidisciplinary teams, including engineers, accountants and agronomists. To get to the point, regular consultative meetings (indaba) must be institutionalized.
The have salaries
I can’t make sense of what you are saying. Mr. Doctorate.
In what capacity does she always address the nation? I thought she is no longer MP/MINISTER because court liquidated her post…or maybe the usual dunana ways of ignoring the law or rather riding on top of the law is still at play
Bla bla bla we should we should…..and this is supposed to be from ministers……non stop work shops where we hear we should we should …
PF stop thinking of stealing and do some work….
We’ve heard this a thousand times, the real challenge is how to translate “words into deeds!”
Any ***** can stand on top of an anthill & make all sorts of fantastic promises, the difference between an Aliko Dangote & a thousand other aspiring African businessmen & women is in the detail, crystallizing ideas into prototype & practical business plans, then finding ways of surmounting the various “inevitable” challenges along the way, to finally delivering viable products or services, conveniently & affordably to your customers.
The time for crowing on top of anthills is long gone madam minister, what we need is action, now!…
Kikikikiki, I like the way jungle law works. One person has a bench warranty on his head for mascaraeding to be the owner of his company despite court ruling against him. while on the other hand, someone continues to be minister despite same court ruling otherwise. Zed for real
Unfortunately Indaba HAS been institutionalized here. Better word rather than technocrats would be prodessionals…by the way read dictionary definition of techn9crat…. the literal sense. Then see if your contunued reference to technocrats is relevant. We need achievers not Idabas
DONT FEAR JEALOUS OF OUR EASTERN PROVINCE DIVA MPS SILIYA AND MAGY NIVIKALI IAM SURE IN CHIPATA CHINALILA
Bla..Bla..Bla the quality of Zambian manufactured products is not acepted anywere outside Africa due to extremely poor Quality and Craftmenship.
Entrepreneurs can not operate in isolation. Mindset has to change in organizations or business. The attitude must be cultivated in which competency, efficiency, integrity and professionalism get the recognition they deserve. If you are too shy to speak in public, then do not blame me. If you have nothing to say, then say so.
No business can operate in isolation.. Rhetoric has to be supported wth affirmative action. Then maybe this will be the required stimulus to encourage, competency, efficiecy and professionailism. Integriity is a trait that should be in all people from a CHRISTIAN NATION
@Dr Kasonde (private citizen) why is it necessary to qualify your status.. we are ALL private citizens….You are very articulate without addressing an issue…. words can be assembled by all bloggers. You say a lot but never really address an issue….. one day u will not sit on the fence with fancy words meaning…….nothing