The Zambia Association of Manufacturers (ZAM)has disclosed that a new manufacturing plant for cellular phone handsets will soon be launched in the country and is expected to be producing about 70 000 handsets per month.

ZAM president Dev Babbar disclosed that the plant has already acquired new state of the art equipment that has the ability to manufacture hand sets of high standards acceptable on both local and international markets.

In an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today, Mr Babbar also hinted that the association has already started marketing the plant in other countries in the region, adding that this will make it easy to export the finished product.

He expressed confidence that the new hand set manufacturing plant has the capacity to meet the current local demand for cell phone hand sets in the country.

In addition, he noted that advance marketing strategies are important before exporting a product because it helps in identifying the audience.

“We have already stated marketing this plant in other countries and this will make it easy for us to know the audience that will like our local phones,” he added.

He said the plant will be producing hand sets that will be sold in all Southern Africa Developing Communities (SADC) and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) countries.

He explained that by supplying finished products in the region the Zambian manufacturing sector is also likely to gain recognition adding that this will go a long way towards marketing the country on the world market.

“Our aim is to supply finished products so that we are known in the world and this will also contribute to the economic recovery of the nation,” He said.

However, the ZAM president expressed optimism that the new plant will also help in creating employment opportunities for the local people.

With the current global economic crisis affecting many sectors in resulting in massive job cuts; Mr Babbar said his association is determined to cushion the impact by creating job opportunities in the manufacturing sector.

He disclosed that some local technicians and electricians have already been employed adding that they have being trained to install the new machinery at the plant.

He stated that the manufacturing industry can contribute positively towards the country’s economic recovery, if properly utilised.

He has further called for concerted efforts from all stakeholders and help the association to market the country on the international scene.

“We are calling upon other partners to come on board and help us market the country world wide,” he said.

Finance and National Planning Minster Situmbeko Musokotwane in this year’s budget increased tax on imported Cell phone hand sets from five percent to 15% adding that the move is aimed at promoting the local hand set manufacturing industry.

ZANIS/ENDS/MM/CLM.

Government says it needs qualified and competent people to execute Public Private Partnerships (PPP) projects for the purpose of cutting down on appointments of foreign experts.

Commerce Trade and Industry Deputy Minister, Richard Taima, said capacity building at local level had to be a continuous process if qualified and competent individuals were to be identified for the short and long term implementation of PPP projects within the country.

Mr Taima said this during the on-going Public Private Partnerships and Project Finance workshop organized by Zesco at Chrisma Hotel in Livingstone yesterday.

He said despite PPPs being an attractive mechanism for large businesses as they were more viable for big projects, the local private sector dominated by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) still had opportunities to participate in project implementation through supply of materials and sub-contracting.

Mr Taima said government would strive to empower local entrepreneurs through programs like the Citizens Economic Empowerment fund and business development services to enhance their capacity to explore wider business opportunities.

He said government would not use the current economic problems the country was facing as an excuse to withhold support for the growth of emerging businesses since they had potential to contribute to economic growth.

Mr Taima emphasized the need for the country to counter the risks and threats resulting from the global financial crisis through stronger positive measures and increased private sector participation in economic programs.

Earlier, chairman for the PPP Working Group, Dr Francis Ndilila, called for PPPs not to end up as academic programs but to result in profit, prosperity and progress for the nation.

Dr Ndilila, who is also National Construction Council chairman, said Zambia had great opportunities for implementation of PPPs especially in the housing sector which, he said, had a multiplier effect in the economy of as much as 18 times.

Dr Ndilila said it was unfortunate most home owners in the country resorted to self-induced mortgages when opportunities for formal financing by the private sector lay idle.

He said the country had lost out on big programs like hosting of the 2011 All Africa Games and development of infrastructure to benefit from the spill-over of activities from the 2010 FIFA World Cup because government had not involved the private sector.

ZANIS/ENDS/AMM/EB

Vice President George Kunda today told parliament that government would not render any material assistance to freedom fighters who became handicapped as a result of the struggle for Zambia’s independence.

Mr. Kunda was responding to a question raised by Choma central Member of Parliament, George Chazangwe in parliament today.

Mr. Chazangwe asked whether the government would consider offering material assistance to people who became handicapped as a result of the struggle for independence.

The Vice President, who is the leader of government business in parliament, said it was not necessary to render material to freedom fighters that were injured because they were receiving awards with Zambian honours on Independence day and African freedom day respectively.

He said the freedom fighters that were detained or tortured during the struggle should have made such claims immediately after attaining independence.

Mr. Kunda further said it was not possible to set aside a day other than independence and African freedom day to commemorate Zambians who died in the struggle for independence.

ZANIS/AC/KSH/ENDS

Zambia and Malawi have renewed their commitment to work together in developing the economies of the two countries.

President Banda said he and his Malawian counterpart Dr. Bingu Wa Mutharika have agreed on various developmental issues which need urgent implementation for the benefit of the two countries.

The two leaders agreed that priority should be given to infrastructure development such as roads, telecommunication and electricity which they emphasized should be achieved as soon as possible to better the lives of the people in the two countries.

President Banda also stressed the need for the two countries to grow more food so that they help each other in times of poor harvests by one of them.

“It is important that Malawians grow more food to feed us and vise versa in times of food deficit,” he said.
This was said at a joint news conference yesterday to mark the end of his two-day official visit to Malawi.

President Banda said the concerned technocrats and ministers have to work hard in translating the resolutions of the two heads of state into tangible results in order to speed up development in the two neighbouring countries.

On the closure of some companies and resultant job losses, President Banda said Zambians should understand that this is not a fault of government as the problem is a result of the on-going economic crisis which has engulfed the whole world.

He called on Zambians to be prudent and be less extravagant in the wake of the current economic challenges.

The President said the late President Mwanawasa had succeeded in attracting huge investment in the mining industry which helped rekindle the growth of the country’s economy.

Unfortunately, the current global crisis has reversed the positive economic strides with the country losing up to 60 per cent of revenue from copper.

But government is working hard to see to it that where jobs have been lost, alternative ways are found to keep the people in employment.

The President disclosed that to this effect, government has found an investor wishing to take over Luanshya Copper Mines which has been placed under care and maintenance with thousands of workers laid off.

But he said long term solutions lie in he diversification of the country’s economy from dependence on cooper to other sectors such as tourism, manufacturing and agriculture.

Earlier, President Banda visited the Mausoleum located in Lilongwe City centre where Malawian founding President, the late Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda is buried.

President Banda was accompanied to the Mausoleum by Foreign affairs Minister, Kabinga Pande, Transport and Communications Minister Dora Siliya, Energy and Water Development Minister, Kenneth Konga, Political Advisor Akashambatwa Mbikusita Lewanika, Zambia’s High Commissioner to Malawi Joshua Simuyandi and other Zambian and Malawian government officials.

He laid a wreath on the grave of the late Kamuzu Banda and later signed a visitor’s book against a backdrop of solemn music by the Malawi defence force brass band.

He said he was deeply touched by what the people and government of Malawi have done by erecting a mausoleum in honor of their late founding President.

President Banda said government wishes to replicate the same on the late President Mwanawasa’s grave at the Embassy Park in Lusaka.

President Banda has since returned home after a two-day official visit to Malawi.

He was seen off at Kamuzu International airport by his host, Dr. Wa Mutarika and scores of enthusiastic Malawian and Zambian nationals.

ZANIS/PK/KSH/ENDS.