The Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) has applauded the reopening of the Mulungushi Textiles in Kabwe district which has been abandoned for over 30 years.

ZDA Director General Albert Halwampa said the Agency is proud to have been part of the process in revitalising Mulungushi Textiles.

Mr. Halwampa said ZDA issued Mulungushi Textiles an investment licence in line with the provisions of the Investment, Trade and Business Development (ITBD) Act No. 18 of 2022.

“We issued Mulungushi Textiles an investment license and because of the licence, they were able to start the process of shipping this equipment without paying customs duties as provided for in the ITBD Act No. 18 of 2022,” he explained.

“We appreciate the government for the stable macroeconomic fundamentals and also having restructured the debt which has led to investors start trooping into the country like never before. And we give credence to the Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Chipoka Mulenga for having provided leadership with his ZDA team, Ministry of Finance and Zambia Revenue Authority team that worked together to ensure that these 400 containers of machinery started docking and coming into Zambia,” he said.

Mr. Halwampa noted that Mulungushi textiles is going to create over 500 jobs and in an excess of $250 million of investment.

He added that farmers in central province and the country at large growing cotton will provide raw materials for the value chain to be produced in the factory.

He clarified that new machinery will not take away people’s jobs adding that there will be more employment, because the factory is looking at not just producing for Zambia, but also producing for the surrounding markets.

Mr. Halwampa said ZDA will make sure that Mulungushi Textiles will be able to export to all these neighbouring countries plus to the rest of the world, like America, even China itself, Asia, India and others.

“ZDA will be with Mulungushi Textiles all the way through as a government agency, on the investment side and also on the trade side,” he stated.

The Director General reiterated that the Agency announces committed investments based on statistics and not hearsay.

“We recently announced the interim actualized US$8.9 billion between 2021 and 2024 from 440 companies that responded out of the 1048 registered investments. We are still waiting for more data from 600 companies.

Recently, the Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry unveiled the first batch of machinery for the Mulungushi Textile.