Draft policies that benefit all-Mulenga tells AfCFTA

Commerce Trade and Industry Minister, Chipoka Mulenga has called on the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to craft the policies which will benefit all member states on the continent.

Mr Mulenga says when the one open market of doing business comes, there is need to treat and trade uniformly with all the member states on the continent to achieve a common goal of economic development.

Speaking in an interview with ZANIS on the sidelines of the 41st mid-term Coordinating summit in Lusaka, Mr Mulenga said there is need for the AfCFTA to craft the policies which will meet the aspirations of the African member states regardless of their economic status.

He said the coming of AfCFTA will foster intra-trade on the African continent.

“My call has always been very consistent on behalf of the Republic of Zambia to the AfCFTA to include the interests of all countries regardless of their economic status,” he said.

He said their mandate is to have a deliberate policy on how to improve the welfare of the people on the African continent.

The Minister added that President Hakainde Hichilema has been reminding him to put the interest of the Zambian people first each time he is on international engagements.

Mr Mulenga noted that there is need to ensure there is a win-win state of affairs when doing business under AfCFTA as opposed to benefiting a selected few countries.

“We want to ensure that no country in Africa is living in poverty, adding that stronger economies must support weaker ones in order to have a balanced Africa in economic activities,” he said.

He further said that the Government wants to work with everyone in its quest to foster development and save them from poverty.

And on the 30,496 recruited teachers, the Minister observed that the banking sector is yet to accrue benefits from the teacher’s transactions.

Mr Mulenga noted that the economic outlook will change as new teachers will add to the growth of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

He has since urged the media in the country to heighten sensitisation on the economic benefits the newly employed teachers will bring to the country.

And British High Commissioner to Zambia, Nicholas Wolley has welcomed the African Union for hosting the Summit in Zambia as it will spur intra- trade on the African continent.

Mr Wolley added that the United Kingdom will continue supporting Zambia in meeting the 2063 agenda to become a prosperous middle income country.

The AfCFTA was launched with a view to offer market and promote intra-trade among others to all African member states.