Minister of Transport and Communications Brian Mushimba says buying steel from Kafue Steel plant is one way of supporting local industries in the country.
Mr. Mushimba says the Kafue Steel plant produces good quality steel which competes well on both local and international markets.
He said this during a tour of the Kafue Steel plant to check on how the company is operating and to see how government can help in creating an enabling environment for the industry to succeed.
The Minister said government was committed to making Kafue town an iron and steel economic zone.
He added that government was in a hurry to support local industries in order to promote diversification in the country.
Meanwhile, Kafue Steel Plant Executive Technical Director Julius Kaoma expressed gratitude that government is eager to support the company.
Mr. Kaoma said the company is fully Zambian financed, operated and owned.
He said Kafue Steel plant produces good quality steel as certified by the Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) and the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS).
Kafue Steel plant produces about 10,000 tonnes of steel per month although it is greatly affected by intermittent electricity supply like many other Zambians.
Unless you are Safety Inspector, you don’t check on operations by walking through plant. And just in case you were a Safety Inspector, you mini star Brain Mushimba, ( am wondering actually why you are called Brain), and your host Director Julius Kaoma, I would kick you both out of my ops.. go get your respirators chaps…!!
Don’t even dream about it. Zambians have the right to use steel that they can afford from all over the world. PF should not be bought by these mwenyes to put tariffs against South African or Chinese steel.
FORCE THEM TO BUY LOCAL STEEL IF YOU MUST
Exactly my thinking, put in a law that compels them to buy locally that way u promoting local industry…urging does nothing
Why force buying local when everything else is imported, from fish to furniture?
kumvesa chifundo ..this is a kangaroo steel manufacturing plant and you call it an economic hub of a country mamama..in come to Japan and see , this so called plant is a lab. for a kindergatten
Even those in Japan started from somewhere….the bigger picture here is that we need local projects that the Government is busy borrowing money for should at least utilise local materials. Mr Mushimba is just from signing a $2.3bn railway project with the Chinese. The steel for this project could be bought from Kafue instead of getting it from your beloved Japan. Create ready market and Steel plants to rival the Japanese ones shall follow soon.
You create a policy that encourages contractors to use only Zambian Steel in GRZ and RDA contracts…instead of making hollow noises.
In Zambia everything is out of synch. The tax policy should be designed to promote local products. The Universities should also work in tandem with industry to ensure research and evolution of science are used to improve the economy of mother Zambia. Where do these ministers come from? Who are these people? Does anyone know? To me this looks like common sense
Jay Jay: That’s true advise. You don’t just make pronouncement without policy support and enforcement. You should be serious with what you are talking about and this can only can shown through policy formulation and enforcement. Everybody will forget your visit just after a week bwana Minister
Its a double edged sword Steel companies as well should also modernise and …surely that steel plant there in the photo looks like something from the 1960s; workers working in a appauling open surrounding.
“Brain”and “Brian,” are two different words, – LT, please!
Kevindeles railway line is starting January are you not contracted to produce the rail lines ?
If Kavindele is smart he should not allow it. How many times have these mwenyes supplied rails to a railways project? Don’t experiment on your own money or project.
Just ban importation of outside steel especially for local companies