Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Chipoka Mulenga says Zambia has the potential to increase its exports to Israel to at least 1 billion United States dollars.
Speaking in Lusaka yesterday when he officially opened the first ever Israel-Zambia economic conference, Mr. Mulenga observed that Zambia currently imports 163 million United States dollars from Israel and exports to that country 3 million dollars’ worth of trade and investment.
He however, said this represents a trade imbalance between the two countries.
Mr. Mulenga stated that the two countries have potential to resolve the trade imbalance.
“I have seen the trade imbalance that has continued to be between our two countries. Indeed, we have continued to do business together, over 163 million dollars’ worth of imports from Israel and 3 million worth of exports. I feel the two countries can increase this to over a billion or more. A time has come that we did this together,” he said.
Mr. Mulenga encouraged Israeli investors to take full advantage of the enabling business environment in Zambia.
He said government is keen to learn from Israel regarding technology and innovation.
“Zambia has got a youthful population which is so eager to be productive. The spirit of creativity and innovation that Israel has demonstrated to the world where they export innovation, where they export technology is what we want to tap in,” he said.
Meanwhile, the minister said he will engage his Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation counterpart, Stanley Kakubo on the possibility of having an Israeli embassy located in Zambia.
Speaking at the same event, Israeli Ambassador to Zambia, Ofra Farhi, said Zambia’s private sector-driven economic agenda will attract Israeli investment.
Ms Farhi said this is because both countries have placed the private sector at the centre of economic growth.
The diplomat said Zambia can be an example to other African countries regarding trade and investment relations with Israel.
Ms Farhi said Israeli innovation can contribute significantly to Zambia’s quest of rebuilding its economy.
“We would like to look at Zambia as a case study, maybe for other African countries, on how to build connections with Israel, increase trade & investments, and have an open bilateral economic communication channel between the two countries. I know that Israeli innovation and know-how have gained a big success and they can be an essential part of the rebuilding of Zambia’s economy,” she said.
This is the first ever business conference between the two countries and was held under the theme: ‘Israel in Zambia: spirit of creativity.’
While the rest of the world calls for the boycott of Israel due to it’s human rights violations and status as an APARTHEID STATE, Zambia seems to be undoing everything that it’s forefathers fought for…. Freedom from colonialism and apartheid. Wake up my dear Zambians you will be screwed over!
With a very weak manufacturing base it’s not possible for Zambia to increase its exports to Israel. The Minister must focus on human capital. Israel can take advantage of the many educated Zambian youths to feed its industry. That’ll be easiest way to benefit from this cooperation. They only problem is that the Israel community isn’t very receptive to people of colour. Once it deals with that then there’ll be no problem
Zambia can definitely benefit from Israeli technology and innovation , especially agriculture and water purification……..
The only problem is increased security that will need to looked at with increased relations ………
We hope the isrealis realise and factor in the increased security cost when dealing with zambia………..
Other wise a very good move by zambia
For Spaka anything a white Westerner does is correct
ZAMBIA has exported many of its top brains, who are in diaspora now. Therefore, “human capital” Strategy is NOT the right way to go!
And its VERY contradictive and counterproductive and myopic !!.
If we have a WEAK manufacturing base, shouldn’t that be OUR focus , to create wealthy for our next generations? BA PF you ONLY THINK to fill your tummies today, but don’t think about the future of your children !! 57 years after independence, we have no sound Manufacturing base…..WHY??…..Only what KK build, still reigns. What did ba PF do?? Pompwees enriched themselves, today the same Pompwees are celebrated as HEROES.
Please, let’s utilize ISRAEL technonology to BUILD manufacturing base, even if it means just benefiting the future generation.
KK was against Israel, was a friend of the PLO’s Yasser Arafat. I remember Arafat’s visit to Zambia in the mid 1980’s.
Yeah KK was a principled man. He severed ties with Israel because they were cooperating with South Africa to oppress the black man. Talk of Africans deciding to invade South Africa as a united force was very big amongst the CIA and European intelligence cirlces so the Israelis who faced a similar threat with the Arabs were natural allies with Pretoria. They aided South African army to create nuclear weapons meant to kill Africans if the Africans decided to invade South Africa. The ANC knew the purpose of the nuclear weapons was to annihilate the Africans that’s why they quickly abolished them when they took over power.
In my opinion kalingalinga compound should be relocated and that large water body there should be utilised as a water source for Lusaka…………
Such water bodies close to large cities are usually and should be commercialised for pleasure and as a water drinking source………
Spaka – Kalingalinga is a low-income, very high-density settlement east of Lusaka. As of 2013, it comprised 25,000 to 30,000 residents…today that number may be 40,000…you think the govt has the capcity to relocate all those people or pay them off. I remember 40 years ago there was a dam called Kalicklick it was also a water recharge or resorvoir collecting excess water from NRDC aquifer separating Kalingalinga and Ibex Hill. We used to go there to play once in while when we we young …I passed throw the place in 2015 and the whole place was filled up and had residential housing. The last 30 years was a terrible especially last 10 as there was no planning anyone could build anywhere.
Very right. Ndola had parks whch the original City Engineer had earmarked for relaxation and fresh air ‘vents’ I went there recently and found they have all been allocated to property owners. In Hillcrest crescents have been closed off by new dilapidated buildings. One can obviously see City council employees corruptly offered these plots to corrupt citizens who wanted these lowdensity potentially high income plots. Its a corrupt country. And when the corruption stretches to leadership you end up longing for a Kagame because he will stop the rot.
This govt like the last has no foreign policy whatsoever…you can not be talking to Saudi Arabia one week, Turkey the other, next you are with Israel..you dont need a talk shop to trade with Israel what are you talking about. If anything I see Israelis benefiting here set up commerical farms to supply their own backed by their rich banks.
Look at them in a small hotel room wearing masks after that they go for drinks and lunch…if you are serious about covid book a large conference.
#6 Tarino Orange
June 2, 2022 At 10:37 am
“Spaka – Kalingalinga is a low-income, very high-density settlement east of Lusaka. As of 2013, it comprised 25,000 to 30,000 residents…today that number may be 40,000…you think the govt has the capcity to relocate all those people or pay them off……..”
Lusaka needs to be expanded and those compounds like kalingalinga, John Howard, John lang need to be remodeled with relocations and make way for the expansion of lusaka……….
Inanycase those compounds are breeding grounds for crime and better housing with schools can ne provided. Zambia has plenty land.
Kalingalinga sits on a water body that can be used to supply Lusaka…………..
The UPND can’t create industries because their agenda is to create wealth for their sponsors and in return individually get crumbs of Shares in the new Companies. This is the reason they don’t want to drop the narrative of “Foreign Investors”. There are many Zambians of pride who have resisted to go into the diaspora, so it’s not correct for anyone to claim that the cream has gone out. The thousand that are responding to job adverts are an indication that we are producing more human capital than we can employ. In the short term we can consider to export that resource. Zambian teachers are doing well in Seychelles just like their colleagues in Botswana, RSA & Namibia.
There is nothing like “short term” sending Human Capital into diaspora, the short term has been in place since independence.
Let’s utilize the available capital by building Zambia. Force these investors to
1) partner with Zambians upcoming entrepreneurs
2) Revise labour policies, so that these investors, employ Zambians.
I am not sure if the ministry of labour owns a database of all graduates and unemployed. The law should be that these new companies, should advertize all open position via Ministry of Labour, the ministry of labour wil be responsible to provide suitable candidates. If no candidate is found, only then a foreignor can be brought in.
#3.1 Jayzee
June 2, 2022 At 5:50 pm
“For Spaka anything….”
Go back to wearing skins then…………
It’s only in Israel you find all races, mixed religion , you have moslems, christians and many more even parament is of mixed people, please don’t mislead Zambians
Very nice body on this woman.chilimo