Friday, March 29, 2024

Switzerland business delegation in Zambia to explore investment opportunities

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President Edgar Lungu confers with Federal Councillor and head of the department for foreign affairs of Switzerland Mr. Ignazio Cassis at State House shortly after the meeting
President Edgar Lungu confers with Federal Councillor and head of the department for foreign affairs of Switzerland Mr. Ignazio Cassis at State House shortly after the meeting

The Government of Switzerland has hailed the bilateral relations and economic cooperation that exists between Zambia and that country. Federal Councillor and Head of the Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland Ignazio Cassis said his country and Zambia have since independence enjoyed good relations that have worked for the benefit of the people of the two countries.

Mr. Cassis said following the establishment of a Swiss Consulate in Zambia in 1969 after his country recognised the independence of Zambia in 1966, the two countries have cooperated in a number of areas.

He said Zambia and Switzerland have also signed various agreements that include the reciprocal protection of investment and the convention for the avoidance of double taxation with respect to taxes and income and prevention of tax evasion.

Mr. Cassis who is leading a delegation to Zambia said the economic relations between the two countries have since increased with Zambia’s exports to his country amounting to more than what it exports to China, South Africa and United States of America combined.

He said Switzerland has become the largest trading partner of Zambia with about 44.3% shares in Zambia’s export.

Mr. Cassis stated that he has come with the business delegation because his country feel they can invest in areas such as pharmaceuticals, mining, cement production, agriculture and commodity training which can be of strategic interest to Zambia.

He noted that his delegation has already been to the Copperbelt Province where his country runs one of the biggest Swiss investment in Africa, in the name of Mopani Copper Mines.

He said his delegation is impressed with the mine’s implementation of the corporate social responsibility programs, particularly, the vocational training centre and the safety system.

Mr. Cassis said his government is impressed that the bilateral relations between Zambia and Switzerland have been fruitful and hopes to deepen the ties and complement the diplomatic fronts.

He was speaking when he called on President Edgar Lungu at state house in Lusaka yesterday.

President Edgar Lungu confers with Federal Councillor and head of the department for foreign affairs of Switzerland Mr. Ignazio Cassis at State House shortly before the meeting
President Edgar Lungu confers with Federal Councillor and head of the department for foreign affairs of Switzerland Mr. Ignazio Cassis at State House shortly before the meeting

And President Lungu said Zambia appreciates bilateral ties that are beneficial to citizens of both countries.

The Head of State and the Swiss delegation later held a closed door meeting.

The President earlier met the Germany Delegation led by Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Herd Muller who praised Zambia for being an example in Africa in maintaining peace and unity in the country.

Mr. Muller said the region looks up to Zambia and hoped that the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo will have a peaceful transition of power following last week’s elections.

President Lungu said the regional bodies are on top of this adding that, he is in the afternoon scheduled to travel to South Africa for a meeting regarding the Congo situation.

Later, President Lungu met the European Union Delegation led by EU Ambassador Elessandro Mariano.

The delegation and the President discussed matters of peace and security of the region with President Lungu noting that, SADC leaders are hoping that the will of the people will prevail in the DRC.

He said Zambia is the chair of the SADC organ on defence and security and will help were possible to ensure peace in the region.

EU Ambassador Alessandro Mariano said the EU will continue to work with Zambia and the rest of the countries in the region.

25 COMMENTS

  1. Keep Mr Lungu until 2026.

    There is no better leader than him at the moment.

    I’m 27 I know what I’m talking about

    Thanks

    BB2014,2016

    • Ingratiation or genuine business appetite, thank you. But Mopani Mining must take the responsibility of honoring its tax obligations to the Zambian treasury. A relation of mutual value should give equity to Zambians for their openness to business. Currently, the status core is exploitative and skewed in favor multi-nations. We’re up to challenge the current horse and rider relationship. Zambians also deserve better from their resources.

    • Why do big investors have to go through state house. This is not right because it promotes unfairness and corruption when awarding contracts. Please can you rethink the way you entertain these infestors. You crack deals with them which turn around against you and fail to control them. No wonder they arm twist you when you want to implement new taxes.

    • please… i think you have no knowledge of real politics going on here… so no, you don’t know what you are talking about… you don’t know what type of corruption scandals are going on in this government… let’s find a solution together as country… not arguing who right or wrong…

    • @oval head it is the President of Zambia who is the CEO and Chairman of Zambia so everything starts and ends with him. Even if these investors start with Zambia Development Agency or Zambia Investment Centre State House has to endorse at some point

    • @ dobo

      The difference between this regime and the previous ones is transparency. These things used to happen more in previous regimes except they were secret and the majority of you here were still kids or not bone yet. My observation is even if its transparent with ecl its a wrong practice. We have institutions that should deal with investors and the President is too senior for them. How can he crack a weep at these institutions if he is part and parcel of the initial deals.

    • @truth

      I do understand that about the President however we have empowered institutions to oversee these issues. The CEO has to keep watch at these institutions not to engage in their duties because he is not the technocrat. If it starts the CEO then it will be just rubber stamping all the way because the CEO has already approved the wrong. Thats were we get it wrong and fail to reap our potential benefits.

    • There is everything wrong with this statement:- “He said Switzerland has become the largest trading partner of Zambia with about 44.3% shares in Zambia’s export”. All our copper goes to China but how is Switzerland our largest trading partner?

      Zambia is poor bcoz of Glencore & KCM copper mines externalizing profits to tax havens. They sell the under-invoiced copper to their own subsidiaries based in tax-havens whilst over-pricing imported spare parts to claim huge VAT refunds thus making the local firms unprofitable. ZRA does not have skilled accountants or auditors to pursue the daylight robbery. PFooLish Govt does not have the will or guts.

      Watch “Stealing Africa” on Youtube

    • There is everything wrong with this statement:- “He said Switzerland has become the largest trading partner of Zambia with about 44.3% shares in Zambia’s export”. All our copper goes to China but how is Switzerland our largest trading partner?

      Zambia is poor bcoz of Glencore & KCM copper mines externalizing profits to tax havens. They sell the under-invoiced copper to their own subsidiaries based in tax-havens whilst over-pricing imported spare parts to claim huge VAT refunds thus making the local firms unprofitable. ZRA does not have skilled accountants or auditors to pursue the daylight robbery. PF00Lish Govt does not have the will or guts.

      Watch “Stealing Africa” on Youtube

    • @maloza

      All the copper exports goes to swiss for cheap. And swiss will sell the same stuff ten times the price to china and india. This is why the sales tax is been introduced. Know ituntu.

    • That’s how useless and workshy the Zambian Head of State is…people like these are supposed to be meeting the Deputy PS…you only meet people who have invested.
      Wake up!!

  2. The Swiss mining giant Glencore gets to massively to rape and abuse Zambia’s resources.The natural progression is to attract even more Swiss business to the young bride Zambia.

  3. Yeah , attract more Swiss business into Zambia given the exploitation that Swiss mining giant Glencore has gotten away with in the past.See how they brag that Zambia exports more to Switzerland alone than all other exports to China ,USA and South Africa combined?

    • Dude, it’s not true that zambia exports more than any other African country, even if it were true, how much is it relative to Glencore gains? . Glencore has milked zambia dry

  4. So the Swiss are the owners of Mopani Copper Mines? When we go to Switzerland we even admire nice things there made from our Copper. Obviously abasungu balatuseka sana.You cannot even compare Zambia and Switzerland, patali

    • @3 Ladies.YES they own Mopani through a Commodity Trading Company called Glencore. So they mine copper and indicate that it going to Switzerland when actually it is being sold to China,India and other major copper consuming countries. As @1.10 Oval Head and 1.9 Maloza have put it, they sell to themselves (Glencore) at ridiculously low prices and then export to other countries at market prices. They then inflate other costs as @1.9 Maloza as put so that the net from low sale prices and costs reflects as losses which prevents them from paying taxes. When SIs 32 and 55 were being introduced, the intention to know the final sale prices of the copper and the final destination. This was well intended but clumsly introduced, and it was viciously fought by some Zambians who in the pockets of…

  5. Pardon?…….’reciprocal protection of investment and the convention for the avoidance of double taxation with respect to taxes and income and prevention of tax evasion.’. Meaning he is here to menace us on the new taxes; right on time like all Swiss watches! When did Zambia reciprocate in mugging them? He’s here with stashes of cash to buy our politicians with a reminder the reciprocal protection for their Swiss accounts used to stash our diverted GDP.

    Pull the other one!

    • Come on …….40% trade with Zambia more than China. Dithering between import and exports from Agriculture, are they seriously eating our maize or reselling it cheaper than they got it on international markets)! I am in stitches laughing right now on how quickly they have appeared to press on President Lungi.

  6. Switzerland has been ripping of Zambia since the beginning of time buy buying our copper at a set price then selling it in on to the Chinese, what more do they want?

    • Please tell that foooool in the suit smiling …he is looking at Switzerland which is one of the biggest exporters of copper yet doesn’t even have any

  7. They need copper and cobalt for new electric vehicles an sell you the fuel propelled as you lag behind

    You will see of more of investors these from Saudi arabia to chinese indians and other asians and europeans better you see and make those EV here and reap value chains Its getting interesting

    • @8 Electric Vehicles, YOU ARE SPOT ON, unfortunately WE DO NOT HAVE SERIOUS AND FOCUSED LEADERSHIP!! Even confused Congo is more strategic with the copper and cobalt, they have defined them as STRATEGIC MINERALS, RAISED TAXES and are preparing to work with the South Koreans and Chinese to start producing some components for electric cars in DRC when our leaders are pre-occupied with overpriced contracts!!

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