Friday, March 29, 2024

President Edgar Lungu woos Israeli Investors

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PRESIDENT Lungu says Zambia is in a hurry to make up for time and development opportunities lost when the country’s ties with Israel were at an ebb.

With Zambia reopening its embassy in Tel Aviv, President Lungu projects an increase in trade with the technologically advanced Israel.

He has encouraged Israeli investors to tap into Zambia’s agriculture, tourism, health, communications, water and energy sectors.

The President said this on Wednesday when he addressed the first-ever Zambia-Israel Business Forum which he urged to provide a platform to “create appetite to invest in Zambia”.

He said “Zambia is in a hurry to cover up on the lost time” as it opened its embassy in Israel only two years ago.

President Lungu said Zambia is happy to continue working with Israel since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1964 despite them being severed at some point.

“I am of the view that the opening of an embassy in Israel will increase volumes of trade,” the head of State said.

President Lungu said the trade volumes which were at US$2.3 million per annum have declined to US$500,000.

He said Government will continue to dialogue with Israel to up the low trade volumes between the two countries.

He said Zambia is one of the most politically stable countries with no record of war since its independence in 1964.

Mr Lungu, who is on a five-day State visit to Israel said Government has created multi-facility economic zones (MFEZ) which have attractive incentives for manufacturing.

“The investors from Israel will enjoy the hospitality of the Zambian people and the country has enough manpower,” he said.

President Lungu said Zambia has a strategic location and is surrounded by eight countries which are member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).

He said Israel played a key role in the establishment of the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka and the University of Zambia (UNZA).

President Lungu said Government has embarked on strengthening economic diplomacy with countries such as Israel.

President Lungu has assured Israeli investors that Government will continue creating a conducive environment for foreign investments.

He said the Patriotic Front (PF) administration “has promised Zambians more jobs, lower taxes and more money in people’s pockets which can only be achieved if the private sector flourishes as Government can only employ a few”.

And Minister of Commerce Margaret Mwanakatwe said the Zambia-Israel Business Forum will be a success because President Lungu, “the chief marketing officer of Zambia”, is present in Israel to market Zambia.

Meanwhile, Federation of the Israeli Chamber of Commerce and Industry vice-president Arie Zief said the decision by Israel to improve relationships with Africa is helping to improve business.
Mr Zief said Israel is looking forward to meaningful business dialogue to have more joint ventures.

Meanwhile, President Lungu has invited Odis Filtering of Israel, a company which specialises in water purification and agriculture, to help the country find a better way of providing clean and adequate water for all.

The President said it is unacceptable for any Zambian to drink water from the same source with animals in this era.

He said the country has huge amounts of underground water which runs down to the rivers uncollected.

“The wasted water that runs through the rivers is needed for drinking, industrial use and agriculture,” President Lungu said.

“The advanced technology in Israel can help Zambia have water throughout the year,” he said.

President Edgar Lungu at the federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce Meeting in Tel Aviv on1st March 20017- Picture By Eddie Mwanaleza
President Edgar Lungu at the federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce Meeting in Tel Aviv on1st March 20017- Picture By Eddie Mwanaleza
President Edgar Lungu at the federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce Meeting in Tel Aviv on1st March 20017- Picture By Eddie Mwanaleza

70 COMMENTS

  1. Israeli Technology is very good. Their Science and Agriculture technology is really a good thing for Zambia.

    • The only person the president has ever woed is poor Esnart.

      Lazy journalism. Wooing before your country benefits anything? Counting your chicks before they are hatched heh

      Thanks

      BB2014,16

    • We have always practiced kibbutzim in South Western Zambia since time immemorial, there is no need for him to go with 8 pf ministers to Israel be squeezed in very small boardrooms.

    • This myth of wooing investors still exists?

      Investors make their own feasibility and risk management studies and do NOT need the input of anyone one individual to invest. If the studies indicate that their investment is financially worth while they will go ahead.
      “Wooing” as far as I am concerned means that the wooer is making themselves available for a cut or an inducement in the project.

    • The whole president facing off with the Israeli Chamber of Commerce even the minister is highly ranked to seat there..co.e back you lazy bum Edgar!!

    • @ Nubian Princes and Nzelu

      There is nothing really to get excited about. How many such trips has your drunkard made to various countries just to hoodwink naive people like yourselves and nothing came out. You don’t woo investors like that. They are more clever than you think. They look at your seriousness and this is what is lacking in PF. PF is run by outright dull chaps.

    • @Daniel
      An investor can only be wooed by leadership and good governance …any investor who would be fooolish enough to be wooed like that is short sighted and looking at his investment in terms of the party in power!

    • I am interested in knowing what the Lungu administration has in place to covert these investments into improved living standards for Zambians. China insist that the companies set up a functioning R&D in China staffed by Chinese. This is a sure way of transferring technology. Then the government stands ready to fund SMEs. Consequently the two primary bases expand: industrial/manufacturing and tax

      Is there a similar mechanism in place in Zambia,

  2. Understanding of our roles and responsibilities. Now the president with small entrepreneurs in a boardroom smaller than his stature. Kaya!

    • What does he want in life? It’s very important to be focused on what you in your life.

      This is the tricky part Zambia has no leverage like big western nations that it can tip toe between Arabs and jews, the Americans, Russians, Europeans, Chinese and maybe Indian can afford that, but not Zambia, just last week he was hosting an Arab king, truth be told for Arabs the Holocaust was just made up, it never happened for them, depending on how we keep tip toeing between them we might lose both deals,the Israeli and Arab deals, remember the goat and k5 petrol deal from Saudis, and last week’s trade agreements signed with Morocco, and now the Israelis, a small nation like Zambia better stick with one side, we don’t have the muscle to muzzle both. Am sure the Arabs must be monitoring every…

    • you re correct . The biggest problem is not having a plan. The Chinese have a 100 year plan. They are in our country with a plan . We are in our country not even with a 10 year or even a 5 year plan yampavu.

    • The man has no foreign policy at all..he is really dull, next week he will be in Saudi Arabia begging for more fuel!!

  3. Lungu MUST focus on improving education in Zambia for Zambians. The current mushrooming of chicken sheds as universities or private schools is an insult to the future of our country. Enticing more foreigners into Zambia while the vast majority of our citizens remain poorly educated is simply increasing the number of slave owners!!

  4. Which serious Israeli investor is gonna come invest where there’s load shedding ,giant potholes and corrupt lazy bureaucrats who can’t keep time?
    Hold your next investor briefing in Misisi bwana Lungu if you’re really serious.

  5. The visionless Lungu govt needs Agricultural inputs from Israel, pesticides to kill the Army Worms, increased irrigated land etc. All from Israel. U send 8 Ministers to woo Israeli investors. Well,Capital follows opportunities. It needs Rule of Law,Respect for Property and Human Rights, Good Governance etc. No intelligent investor will come to a Country led by an illegitimate and visionless President. Such investment Fora should be left to businessmen and Technocrats and not attended by 8 Ministers who are Policy makers. Which businessmen are in the Delegation? It sounds more like Medical Tourism and Holidaying and enjoying huge Travel Allowances. Its a waste of money. What trade is there between Zambia and Israel and if the Zambian Embassy in Israel not wooing Investors and boosting…

  6. I was looking for something to attack ECL this morning because I feel he has no capacity, but this one he seems to have got it right. Seating there with investors and putting Zambia on the economic map is good but lets see the fruits. For this praise, osasamwa you still have a long way to go.

    • You simply look at that table you have the President, Minister of Commerce, Foreign Minister , Agricultural Minister, State House staff all in one room…its a waste of resources and who are they meeting?

  7. Lungu ask for weapons for war against Upnd also these guys they burn tires and report to hh they are from rioting while they hide in corners

  8. A president saying: “come and help us provide clean water”. Simply saying my govt and I have failed. He said also: “we promised jobs to people, but only the private sector can provide those jobs, so come and invest”. Why did you promise thenin the first place?

    • Just imagine the whole lot of the President flying all the way to Israel to go learn how to provide clean water for Zambians at huge tax payers’ expense??How many water Engineers does this country have that are able to offer such expertise? Okay such trips are welcome if they result in bringing big projects such as a dam,bridges,modern airports and road network.

  9. Of the 73 countries he’s visited, how many “infestors”have actually heeded his call? LUNGU & his PF00ls need to travel less & solve urgent problems the country is facing.

    LUNGU & his minions need to spend more time at home to create a conducive environment for local & foreign investors, e.g. fix the following
    – Stabilize the Kwacha
    – High Govt debt
    – Weak Govt fiscal policy
    – Poor Balance of Payments
    – End Load-shedding
    – double-digit inflation rate
    – double-digit interest rates
    – high electricity costs
    – high communication costs
    – high fuel prices
    – High food prices
    – Low consumer consumption (most people go to malls to window-shop, NOT to buy)
    – a suppressed media, e.g. deadNBC,
    – unskilled workforce, unruly PF00lish cadres
    – High transportation costs
    – No…

    • CONT’D
      – No high-speed internet
      – Control of currency exchange
      – Under invoicing by mining firms
      – Tender fraud
      – Corruption & tribalism
      – small tax base

      ETC

    • Here’s a perfect example of under-invoicing by mining firms.

      Visit this website to see Zambian Emeralds for sale in Israel: wwwDOTgemselectDOTcom/emerald/emerald-415938.php

      Most of our Emeralds find their way to ISRAEL yet not a single dollar comes back to Zambia. Lufwanyama district is one of the most impoverished regions on earth.

  10. There is no genuine investment with an Israeli if excludes diamond trading. That is there core and deep rooted belief, just like giving a Zambian rice meal, instead of the traditional nsima with Kapenta. or T-Bone meat They will tell you we are not satisfied with rice. Lozis must wake up and be careful. Israeli will invade your area under false impression that they are digging wells, yet busy taking away your stones.

  11. Lungu has been on his knees sucking Israeli dick for kaloba because now the western world are moving to far right and won’t tolerate dictators like him abusing aid.

  12. Thousands of trips have been made to these foreign destinations to supposedly woo investors, learn how to develop their own banana republic but nothing so far to show for it. For 53 years the country still remains an undeveloped banana state. So these missions abroad are just pleasure trips to go are drink beer. Did you hear the whole bunch of these retards wanted to go to Israel? They now want Israel to show them how to have clean water? If they are this retarded why not just shove pride aside and outsource management of the country to Israel or some other successful country? If anyone out there thinks these punks will develop Zambia that person is also brain dead. Clear evidence indicates Zambia is in the hands of mediocre leadership.

  13. Beggars always excitedly think they have stuck a chord when the person they are trying to beg from stops to listen without even him/her dipping into the pocket to indicate something is on offer! I’d have been comfortable if the report was about Zambia selling offing opportunities in Zambia to the Israelis! Wooing is over exaggeration!

  14. Zambia has an Embassy in Israel for the sole purpose of promoting trade between Zambia and Israel and to woo Israeli investors to Zambia. So what sense is there to fly a whole President and 8 Ministers to do what the Zambian Embassy is already doing? This is Holidaying for Lungu and his chosen few Ministers and earning huge Travel Allowances and enjoying visiting historic Tourist Sites. Which foreign investor will invest in a country led by a visionless and Illegitimate President with no Respect for Rule of Law, Is Corrupt, has poor governance record, commits Human Rights violations etc. Just a waste of Financial Resources.

    • HH will be in opposition forever. He is like union leader who talks but zero action. He can lead a protest but cannot lead a nation.
      Where are the opposition? Why are they quit on job creation, food prices, fuel, healthcare?
      A president of a nation is met by another president. Lungu is in Israel, but is met by a minister??? What a joke! Mintuu opusa

  15. Mr Lungu sometimes u don’t have to go far to look for simple answers to these things. Visit your neighbors (Tanzania for exampla ) it will make more sense (CBA) think ! But nooooo mpaka you and your team mukwele emirates. Elo u know how expensive business class 60pin 1 ticket . Re opening embassy Ka ? How many of the embassies u said you ld open or re open have you opened so far? Big zero!

  16. always ni woooing investors .When are we going to use our brains and develop.No investor will develop your country bane.We love PF but the president should concentrate in building strong institutions and invest in science and technology.In Zambia Engineers are not paid enough.The only pipo who make money are lawyers,accountants ,economists naba ifikwakwa.IT and enginners awe tefitu.Therefore we can’t expect a country to develop if engineers and IT specialists are not respected. Lyonse imwe ni woooing for corruption.Let us also invest in education.

  17. The negative comments on this site are pathetic! Anyway, when your inclination is towards the left, you will never appreciate what’s on the right no matter how well meaning! That’s the level for bitter people!

  18. ECL is a dunderhead. People really get to laugh at us at such events. So this guy thinks those racists can come here and do something that will benefit this country? Is he not aware that the people he is busy worshiping today have a marginalized population of Jews of Ethiopian origin? People that Israel has been mistreating because of their skin colour?

  19. You need to go to the Holy Bible to understand the significance of this visit. Whoever blesses these God chosen people will always be blessed. It is a decree that was made thousands of years ago and still applies today. This was a very wise move and good things will start happening to Zambia – just watch this space. Wise move Mr President and those people around you should diligently follow-up the commitments made.

    • I was wondering when another brainwashed black slave was going to pop up…even Hitler thought his Aryan race were the chosen ones, if you describe others by such terms where does your white man’s bible put you? A slave.

      Wake up!!

  20. the jews should b careful not to bring their money in zambia other wise they will leave their money in zambia and will b chased like others whos housesare left behing and for no reson deported because one of the minister was not looked after and for that matter a weelknown who is in the team now

  21. Margaret Mwanakatwe said the Zambia-Israel Business Forum will be a success because President Lungu, “the chief marketing officer of Zambia”, is present in Israel to market Zambia.

    Very shame full. What she means is you give Brown envelop directly to lungu and things work faster.

    • Those Jews are simply laughing at Lazy as he can not delegate …which president spends five days in a foreign country…is Israel such a big country like the USA that you can spend that long, more over Israel gets much of its funds from the USA.
      Lazy is an utter waste of space!!

  22. the jews should b careful not to bring their money in zambia other wise they will leave their money in zambia and will b chased like others whos houses are left behind and for no reson deported because one of the minister was not looked after and for that matter a wellknown who is in the team now

  23. @Maloza. U make very good points but the Illegitimate Lungu govt has no capacity to fix those things. They are good at attending Seminars,Conferences, Holidaying,Night Clubbing, Stealing Money and Elections, telling lies and spend money they don’t have. This is was just a Tourist Joy Ride and Nothing beneficial to the Zambian economy will come from the trip. Even Lungu acknowledged to the Israeli PM that his entire Cabinet which includes a Religious Minister wanted to come with him to Israel, enjoy the Ride and have a good Holiday while earning big bucks in Travel and Subsistence Allowances.

    • @ Themba thx 4 the compliment. It beats me how an entire cabinet can wish to go a jolly ride when the wheels have come off: The country is in a crisis mode economically.

      Maybe becoz they don’t feel the pinch, and they think they’ll never get affected bcoz of the properties, monies, tenders they’ve acquired.

      Last month we saw Ex-minister Mangani Phiri bravely jumping on a minibus.

    • What are some good strategies to become wealthy?
      1. No Debt
      2. Save money instead of spending
      In order to achieve those 2 points we need to prioritise .. ( this trip I’m taking, how many really need to join me? Can’t I take that one person who will disserminate the important info on our return ?

  24. Reports from Tel Aviv indicate that Dora Siliya today appeared in a Tel Aviv court charged with lewd behavior at the tomb of Christ. After their official visit, Silit went back at night, removed the rock and started wanking on the tomb, not realizing secret cameras were on! Apparently her uncle Bishop Emmanuel Milingo told her if she “female ejaculates” on the tomb, Christ is coming back as a mNsenga from kwa Katete.

  25. I do not think Israel has so much to offer.Their money is provided for by America.We just need to get right ourselves.Go 100% in agriculture.Become organised and start building proper settlements with water and electricity provision,build roads with pavements(These roads must last).Health institution and educational institution should have technology and manpower.Not putting up buildings and labelling them Hospital or University without qualified people and proper technology to run these institutions.

  26. Politically I sit on the fence. Pipo if we get all these investors they will want a return on their money. That means higher cost for water, electricity, transport food, but theyvare coming to african cohntries because wages are low.
    How will compound peoplw pay extra costs. Jobs won’t increase because these countries use technology.
    Let educators/trainers come and show us better agric practices, better animal husbandry practices, better aquaculture practices. Then our people run the business
    Sth Africa will not be kwik to advise because if they do they they lose markets in zambia.
    Look in shoprite at canned tomatoes ,yes they come from china. Tomato paste china, we have tomatoes anda canning factory in lusaka but it come fro china to stn africa to zambia sheer lunacy for us,…

  27. They can help with the water and power shortage plus they are hardworking and not corrupt like some so called infestors….please ask them to come back and complete unza

  28. We are for ever admiring what other countries are doing or have achieved but doing little or nothing ourselves to raise the bar.From admiring veterinary services in Botswana, toll system in Sierra Leone,energy generation in South Africa,medical services in Rwanda etc. Aren’t we ashamed of our mediocrity? Stop gallavanting and admiring what other people are doing, lets do something ourselves please.

    • You are e spot on…..its shameful and to add insult to injury this Lazy said his whole cabinet wanted to go meaning that they have lamentably failed and have run out of ideas….Zambia is on autopilot at the moment back home you have the Finance Minister challenging banks to lend him at zero percent with nothing to show…utterly disgraceful shameful foooools!!

  29. Instead of begging for money and investment…ask for technical assistance in those fields…Israelis are such perfectionists, back in the 60s when they received the AK47 rifles they were not impressed with them they sent them to their arms factory dismantled them and refined them with sights and improved stability…when IDF received the M60 tank from the US they were not too happy with it and sent it to their works factory for refinements and rolled out the Merkava (Chariot) tank.
    It saddens me that all those Zambian wasteful fooools are asking for the wrong type of assistance…those empty tins have works factories in Kabwe that can used to manufacture tractors, locomotives, ambulances but they would rather beg money from foreigners….lazy idiiiioootss…no shame at all!!

  30. Lungu said “ Israel played a key role in the establishment of the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) in Lusaka and the University of Zambia (UNZA)”.
    So, in other words, this is proof against all odds Israel has lived in step with scripture i.e. that it is more blessed to give than to receive.
    THE KEY QUESTION IS: – Is there anything at all that Israel can show or point to as reciprocal proof, no matter how small, that Zambia has also lived in step with scripture?
    Whether we like it or not, the answer to this important question describes how we are perceived and who we have morphed into as Zambians.
    Israel’s population is only 8 million people. Zambia’s is twice that.
    Israel’s size is only 21,000 sq km, about the size of Lusaka Province. Zambia is 35 times bigger.
    Most Israelis…

    • Cont’d…Most Israelis must be asking themselves:- “Does this man even comprehend the full meaning of what he was rededicating himself to a couple days ago in the first place?”

  31. And Lazy will come back from his 5 day holiday like a kid who has returned from a weekend from their Grandma’s house…no accounting for his 5 days in a foreign country; is he having meetings from 8 to 10 at night everyday. If your wife works at State House and is part of this team of drunkards you should be very worried.

  32. HH WORSHIPPERS PLEASE CONTINUE INSULTING SHOW US YOUR HATRED FOR LUNGU AND PF, SO THAT COME 2021 WE WILL VOTE FOR LUNGU AGAIN. WE can’t vote for people with so much hatred. never!!!!.

  33. woo Israeli investors my foot! all they come to Zambia for is to open take away and exploit the innocent Zambians who they employ in their sharwarma places .

  34. Let us pay particular attention to the word Mumbi used in an earlier article – ‘disingeneous’.

    You see HH and his supporters are supposed to accommodate basic logic in the way they approach matters.

    For 15 days, which is the allowable time, HH refused to talk about his case. He chose to talk about preliminaries to spend time.

    After the 15 years was over and the case expired, he asks two questions:

    1. Have I been heard or not?
    2. Have might rights not been violated.

    Did HH want ECL to speak for him so that his case could be heard?

    This is why Mumbi used the term ‘disingeneous’.

  35. Presidents are met by presidents. But shocking for Zambian leaders, they are often met by MPs of ministers, YABA!

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