The Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) facilitated a familiarisation tour of the Lusaka South Multi Facility Economic Zone (LS-MFEZ) in Lusaka and the Jiangxi International Corporation Multi Facility Economic Zone, in Chibombo, for the Namwala District administration led by the southern Province Permanent Secretary.
Speaking when the team visited LS-MFEZ, ZDA Director General Albert Halwampa said in view of government aspirations to develop crop and beef Special Economic Zones (SEZ) in the Kafue plains and Copperbelt province, it was imperative for stakeholders to familiarise themselves with operations of the zones.
Mr Halwampa said government through a steering committee comprising the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Zambia Development Agency (ZDA), Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Livestock, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Ministry of Finance and National Planning and the Industrial Development Corporation has been engaging and consulting various stakeholders including government departments and the private sector with regards to the creation of Special Economic Zones.
“The Namwala District Administration in the Kafue Flats is one group that has been engaged on the identification of land and as potential developers of the beef zone working with the private sector,” he said.
Mr Halwampa stated that the tour was meant to give first-hand information to the Namwala District Administration on the concept of Special Economic Zones, the infrastructure requirements and management as they plan to set up a Beef Special Economic Zone in the area.
He said Zambia can learn lessons from Botswana and other countries that have taken advantage of their beef by developing a proper beef value chain and gained entry into the European and American markets.
He hoped that the Special Economic Zones programme will be taken seriously and that by next year, things should start happening.
Meanwhile, Southern Province Permanent Secretary Dr Namani Moonze, who was leading the delegation from Namwala, said rural industrialisation is one of government’s outputs.
Dr Moonze noted that government has identified endowments and capitalised them in order to create jobs and increase incomes in households.
And Namwala Council Chairperson Abel Moonga said Namwala has a lot of animals that can uplift the standards of living for the people and meaningfully contribute national Gross Domestic Product GDP.
Mr Moonga said the creation of a Special Economic Zone in the area will help standardise the prices of cattle and beef products for the benefit of the locals.
He stated that the familiarisation tour will help Namwala District Administration to see how Special Economic Zones are structured and managed.
“We want to replicate the concept of Special Economic Zones in Namwala and work with various stakeholders to create a beef value chain to create jobs and contribute to the national GDP through export of beef products,” Mr Moonga said.
