- Hon. Chipoka mulenga, MP, minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry;
- Hon. Ministers present;
- Acting secretary to the cabinet, Mr. Patrick Kangwa;
- Senior government officials present;
- His Excellency, Mr. Janusz Wojciechowski, European Union Commissioner for Agriculture;
- His Excellency, Mr. Albert Muchanga, Commissioner for Trade and Industry, African Anion Commission;
- His excellency, Mr. Jasek Jankowski, European union ambassador to Zambia and common market, eastern and southern Africa;
- Mr. Mark luring, representative of the European union business club;
- Dr. Chabuka Jerome Kawesha, president of the Zambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry;
- Senior government officials present;
- Zambian and European Union business communities;
- Captains of Industry;
- The media;
- Ladies and Gentlemen.
We are pleased to be here today at this European Union -Zambia economic forum being held under the theme: “economic transformation through green growth.”
We extend a special welcome to all our visitors who have come from the EU and other places.
The theme for this forum deeply resonates with our government’s aspirations to achieve sustainable development through the adoption of better, safer climate sensitive and modern methods of production.
Ladies and gentlemen,
We pay tribute to the organisers of this forum and recognise their hard work.
Our presence here is symbolic of the importance we place on this platform that will facilitate the exploration of investment opportunities between the European Union and Zambia.
We are confident that your engagements will be fruitful and will result in the creation of strong and lasting business partnerships.
Ladies and gentlemen,
We are aware that this is the first ever EU-Zambia economic forum, bringing together corporates, financial institutions and entrepreneurs from both the European Union and Zambia.
In this regard, we take this opportunity to applaud the European Union delegation through you, your Excellency, Mr. Janusz Wojciechowski for collaborating with our government in convening this important event.
Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
This forum will enable strategic economic and commercial engagement that will further strengthen the economic ties between the EU and Zambia.
We are keen to consolidate and strengthen our ties and contribute to the growth of trade and investment between Zambia and the European Union.
Ladies and gentlemen
We are informed that Zambia has attracted several EU companies, with an estimated investment of 1.6 billion euros in:
- Energy
- Environmental services,
- Construction
- Engineering services,
- Fresh agro processing,
- Among others.
It is our firm belief that domestic and foreign direct investment brings the much-needed capital, technology, management techniques and knowledge of foreign markets; the EU remains an important partner for Zambia, with significant import and export volumes.
Zambia’s major imports from the EU include machinery, transport equipment and chemical products while its main exports include primary products such as non – ferrous metals and agricultural products.
Our hope and expectation is that this forum will contribute to efforts aimed at redressing this historical trade imbalance between our country and the European Union.
Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,
Allow me to echo what was stated at last week’s mining indaba,
Zambia is back, and we are open for business.
Our investment environment is becoming
- More transparent,
- More accountable
- Anchored on policy consistency
- Ensuring the protection of private investment rights,
- An unwavering intolerance to corruption,
- A stable political environment.
This is in line with our commitment to create jobs and better livelihoods for our citizens.
Ladies and gentlemen,
In order to foster inclusive, equitable, accelerated development through the sustainable use of human and natural resources, our government has established the ministry of green economy and environment to particularly focus on the sustainable use of natural resources.
And to achieve the desired green economic impact across the various sectors of our economy, Zambia needs and shall leverage collaborative private sector partnerships, by prioritizing private sector participation as a key catalyst for our country’s economic growth and development agenda.
This is why we have designed and since launched the public private dialogue platform for development – a catalyst for private sector participation in our economic growth and reconstruction endeavours.
Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to boldly state that Zambia is among the best destinations for investment on this continent.
We are indeed, open for business, and we are proving this through deeds and not mere rhetoric.
It is time for all of you to take advantage of the numerous investment and trade opportunities available in Zambia.
Opportunities in mining, agriculture, energy, tourism and manufucturing, to name a few, are poised to yield desirable returns and positively impact our communities.
We wish to conclude by reiterating our government’s commitment to providing a conducive investment climate and sound economic policies for the private sector to thrive.
And with these remarks, i now declare the EU-Zambia economic forum officially open.
I thank you for your kind attention.
