Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda has said that Government has put in place measures aimed at promoting value addition to the country’s natural resources.
Mr. Chikwanda said that this was why Zambia is an active participant in the COMESA adjustment facility that is aimed at fast tracking the diversification of exports in the region.
The Minister said that the facility will help maximize the regional value chains in various economic sectors to foster economic transformation.
Mr. Chikwanda said that the facility must be used as a tool for joint sourcing of finances at regional level.
The minister noted that through COMESA, countries in the region can accelerate efforts in economic diversification and macroeconomic stability which will foster improved living standards of the people.
Mr. Chikwanda was speaking at the opening of the inaugural convergence council and 11th meeting of the COMESA fund Ministerial committee.
And COMESA Secretary General Sindiso Ngwenya said that countries in the COMESA region should shift from commodity orientated economies to other economic activities.
And EU head of delegation for Zambia and COMESA Alexander Mariani says the EU will continue to support economic integration in the COMESA region.
This is all hot air…they don’t even know what value addition means!!
I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU JUST READ MY MIND, JAY JAY. AFTER READING THE WHOLE ARTICLE THE FIRST WORDS THAT CAME TO MY MIND IN THE FORM OF A SENTENCE WAS, “DO ZAMBIAN TECHNOCRATS REALLY KNOW WHAT VALUE ADDITION, MEANS”. THIS IS BECAUSE VALUE ADDITION HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT RIGHT FROM THE WORD ’24TH OCTOBER 1964 INDEPENDENCE DAY’, BUT UP UNTIL NOW NOTHING ONE CAN COMPOSE A SONG ABOUT HAS REALLY HAPPENED. ZAMBIA STILL EXPORTS ALMOST EVERY OUNCE OF COPPER IT PRODUCES WHEN THE CASE SHOULD HAVE BEEN 20 TO 30 % OF RAW COPPER EXPORT AND THE REST IN MANUFACTURED COPPER ELECTRONIC GOODS. ZAMBIA CAN’T DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE A STOVE AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS AND YET THE ELECTRICAL OR ELECTRONICS PART OF A STOVE AND FRIDGE IS COPPER.
DESPITE ABUNDANT COPPER WIRES AND MANY OTHER METALS HAS ZAMBIA EVER DESIGNED AND MANUFACTURED EVEN A SIMPLE LAND-PHONE? DID WE EVER PRODUCE ANY JUICY DRINK FROM PINEAPPLES, MANGOS, BANANAS, AMASUKU, IMPUNDU, INSAFWA, MASAU, INSONGWA, ETC? DID WE START PRODUCING CLOTHING FROM ANIMAL HIDES. DID WE START PROCESSING AND PRE-PACKING INSEMWA AND PRESERVED IFIPUSHI? CAN ZAMBIA MAKE FLOUR FROM SWEET POTATOES. CAN ZAMBIA DESIGN AND PRODUCE A POWER TOOL? THERE ARE SO MANY GREY AREAS FOR VALUE ADDITION WHICH ZAMBIA, SINCE INDEPENDENCE HAS JUST BEEN YAPPING ABOUT WITH NO ACTION. NOW WHAT ARE THOSE MEASURE? ARE THEY A SECRET. HOW DO WE VENTURE INTO VALUE ADDITION IF WE DON’T KNOW THEM?
Give us examples, or are lying as usual.
“Measures”? Can we somehow be told what these measures are? Or is it enough to just know someone has “put measures”
Bwana Chikwanda,
either you are laying as usual or so called “Measures” are product of your senile imagination.
Where are the amendments of Customs and Excise Act or Statutory Instruments?
Old man, please stop insulting intelligence of the majority of Zambians. After all, majority are not PF supporters and are enough educated to know how “added value” can work.
May be you are referring to availing illegal tax incentives which you be peddling for past four years in order to satisfy your corrupt greed for real estate in RSA?
I Can’t believe comments from the educated fools writing here, His hon. ABC has stated that VALUE ADDITION and measures are in place, this is an abstract, if you wanna know about the measures please go to Comesa website or visit their office, it seems many of you graduated without a professional paper/thesis otherwise you wudnt be yapping like this. ABC is very passionate for zambia and he does things in good faith, VOTE PF 2016
Why come on air to announce measures if you want pipo to check on other Web sites?? You must be the learned f.ool who does not quarry anything. Ati this is an abstract , who told you we want abstracts as facts?? or we wait time reading abstracts??
@ anyoko
Which measures? Please, you want to believe that the pigs can fly? Good, it is your choice. But, please do not comment on issues way above your limited understanding of trade.
It’s people like @Anyoko that bring this country down. Blind loyalty that is sickening.
If your doctor just says have given you medicine for your problem, won’t you ask “what medicine?”.
So Chikwanda is being verge. What measures? Where is the evidence?