The EIZ is particularly encouraged by the President’s pronouncements on prioritising skills development,science,technology and innovations in the country.

EIZ vice president-policy publications and national development George Sitali said the presidential speech had set the pace for the transforming trades schools in the country.

He said this in an interview in Luaska yesterday “The intention to revive trades and skills institutions across the country is a welcome move and this is the only way this country will develop,” Mr Sitali said.

He observed that most schools which used to teach technical skills started offering business courses which he said needed to change.

Mr Sitali firther observed that workshops were turned into lecture room adding that the institution was happy that the Government wanted to change that as evidenced by the presidential speech.

“It has been sad that most of the trades school changed from their original mandate of offering technical skills and started teaching commercial courses while turning workshops into lecture rooms which I hope will change because the President has set the tone,” he observed.

The institutions would work closely with the Government in its quest to increase access to skills development in the country.

Prioritising teaching of technical skills was the only the country could overcome economic. Challenges.

Addressing Parliament Preident Lungu observed that human capital development through skills training is instrumental for the transformation of any country.

He said this was particularly so now given the global competitiveness,rapid advancement in technology and sustained demands for high productivity and performance.

It is in this regard that the President said his Government has re-prioritised education,skills development as well as science technology and innovation.

To make that a reality ,Government is reviewing policies on education,science and technology as well as technical education.

Mr Sitali disclosed that EIZ plans to establish colleges and a university which would purely teach engineering and technology courses to compliment Government efforts.

Ms Kapata said Zambia’s tourist arrivals were focused to reach the one million mark next year which would in turn create more job opportunities to the country.

She said Zambia had in the past few years seen a steady increase in tourist arrivals from 812, 000 in 2008 to 920, 000 in 2011.

Ms Kapata was speaking in Livingstone yesterday when she officially launched the national commemoration of the United Nations World Tourism (WTD) which fell on Sunday.

This year’s WTD is being celebrated under the theme “One Billion tourists, One Billion Opportunities”.

Prior to the WTD, which fell yesterday, Livingstone hosted a number of activities during the Tourism Week to create awareness on the important role of tourism.

Ms Kapata said the steady increase of tourist arrivals in the tourism sector had also seen the proliferation of hotel establishments for the hostility industry which had increased from 1, 000 establishments in 2010 to 1, 120 in 2012.

She said the holding capacity of the hotel establishments had also increased from 19, 000 bed spaces in 2010 2010 to 22, 000 in 2012.

Ms Kapata said with the current decline in copper prices on the international market, tourism was among the alternative sectors that could diversify the economy.

“In terms of employment levels in Zambia, the sector employed 44, 292 in 2012 from 20, 000 in 2011.

“Tourism remains one of the world’s leading employment sectors and provides important livelihood opportunities and thus helping to alleviate poverty and drive inclusive development,” Ms Kapata said.

She said her Government remained committed to promoting investments for the full development of potential tourism assets, both by public and private sectors to enhance meaningfully contribution to the national economy by the tourism sector.

Ms Kapata urged all stakeholders in the tourism sector to work together and make tourism a true instrument of opportunity and inclusion.

Southern Province Minister Nathaniel Mubukwanu urged stakeholders in the tourism sector to be action oriented and create meaningful jobs for the local people.

Mr Mubukwanu urged Zambians to take advantage of the theme for this year’s WTD to exploit various opportunities in the sector.

“We want the local people to also participate in tourism industry as the sector is not only for foreign tourists,” Mr Mubukwanu said.

In a vote of thanks, newly crowned Miss Tourism Zambia Brenda Thijssen thanked Ms Kapata and the Government for honoring the people of Livingstone to host the 2015 WTD celebrations.

Meanwhile, Ms Kapata urged Zambians to embrace and appreciate the positive cultural practices that add value to the economy and promote tourism.

She was speaking in Livingstone on Saturday night during the Miss Tourism Zambia pageant and Zambian cultural night held at Maramba Cultural Village as part of the celebrations for this year’s WTD.

Deputy Minister of Transport and Communication James Kapyanga said travelling a stretch of 162 kilometres from Livingstone to Mulobezi would take a week before the rehabilitation of the railway line but now the journey only takes six to eight hours.

“ZRL should also be commended for revamping and upgrading infrastructure at Mulobezi Railway station, which has helped to create an enabling environment for the travelling public.

“The utilisation of the US$120 million given to ZRL is one of the topical issues that are always raised by parliamentarians,” he said.

Mr Kapyanga, who was accompanied by permanent secretary Mbololwa Muyaba and ZRL management, said this in Mulobezi on Friday during an inspection of the railway line from Livingstone to Mulobezi.

He said despite Mulobezi railway line being wholly-owned by Government, there are litigation challenges involving some individuals who are claiming ownership.

“Government is addressing this issue through the Attorney General’s office to find a lasting solution. You cannot have a situation where an individual claims ownership of the line, vandalises [it] and inconveniences the community,” Mr Kapyanga said.

He also called on ZRL management to quickly work on the bridge at Ngwezi and Bombwe to avoid accidents occurring at the two crossing points.

Earlier, ZRL corporate affairs manager Benson Ngula said the company has spent over K1 million to construct infrastructure at Mulobezi Railway station and to rehabilitate the railway line.

Mr Ngula said the rehabilitation of the Mulobezi Railway line, which is the main mode of transport in the district, has helped to boost agriculture.

“Mulobezi line is providing us with good business and as a company, we are also trying to provide them with a good service,” he said.

Tourism Minister Jean Kapata says tourism is among the alternative sectors that can save Zambia’s economy in light of the current decline in copper prices.

Ms. Kapata said tourism was one of the world’s leading employment sectors as it alleviates poverty and drive inclusive development.

“As a nation, we need to work together to maximize the immense potential of tourism to drive inclusive economic growth, protect the environment, promote sustainable development and a life of dignity for all our citizens and humankind,” she said.

Ms. Kapata said this in Livingstone today during the commemoration of World Tourism Day held under the theme, ‘One billion tourists, one billion opportunities’.

She said Zambia has seen a steady increase in tourist arrivals from 812, 000 in 2008 to 920,000 in 2011.

“By 2016, Zambia’s tourist arrivals are forecasted to reach the one million mark,” she said.

Ms. Kapata further said the steady increase of tourist arrivals has seen a proliferation of hotel establishments for the hospitality industry, which increased from 1,000 in 2010 to 1,120 in 2012.

“The holding capacity of the hotel establishments has also increased from 19, 000 bed spaces in 2010 to 22, 000 in 2012,” she said.

Meanwhile, the tourism sector employed 44, 292 people in 2012 from 20, 000 in 2011. The sector is forecast to create 300, 000 more jobs by 2016.

Earlier, Southern Province Minister Nathaniel Mubukwanu called for the promotion of domestic tourism.

As His excellency travels yet again, the Zambian foreign policy seems haphazard to say the least. It does not seem to have a clearly defined objective.

The trips seem to be more of ceremonial arrangements than trips to target certain specific objectives.

What we need as a country is to increase the number of countries we do trade with, especially in Africa, and thereby lessening the impact of the Chinese economy on our economy. The fact that China accounts for the majority of our produce is frightening. Because the current economic down turn we are undergoing is as a result of over dependance on a single customer, who now has challenges of her own.

Even as we strive to diversify into agriculture, Africa presents a unique opportunity for trade in agriculture produce. An example, Angola has the second highest cost of living in the world, because of pockets of violence still exists in the outskirts, and also the heavily mined fields, means the conditions are not suitable for farming.This essentially means , Angola is heavily dependent on agricultural imports. Many countries in Africa are in such predicaments as Angola. Burundi, Sierra Leone, DRC, etc Are all examples. All these still import a lot of food.

The Congolese maize saga of two years ago, for instance seemed like a problem because we nearly had a shortage of maize produce because farmers and millers preferred to sell their maize and mealie to DRC because they would pay three times more than Zambians would have at the time, but indeed that was a window of opportunity that we ought to have exploited further. There are numerous markets around Africa for what we are currently producing and for what we hope to produce. So even as His Excellence and Honourable Kalaba , Minister of foreign affairs travel around the world and especially, Africa, trade formalization should be the main agenda item. We need to see focus on this area more and more because currently it does not seem as though that is a key agenda .

By Niza Phiri
(Munali aspirant)