Fri, 07 Apr 2017 11:53:25 +0000
By ANN ZULU
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has directed the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry to set up an inter-ministerial council to facilitate trade and investment in the country.
Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Margaret Mwanakatwe confirmed the development to journalists yesterday shortly after she presented her quarterly report to President Lungu at State House.
Ms Mwanakatwe said Government recognised that trade and investment were key drivers of the economy.
She said Government was working towards scaling up trade within the country and also with other countries.
“The inter-ministerial council will have all the necessary ministries so that investment coming in the country can run smoothly,” Ms Mwanakatwe said.
Ms Mwanakatwe said the President encouraged her ministry to continue promoting trade and investment to make Zambia an attractive destination for investment.
She said President Lungu urged the ministry to encourage Zambians to participate in the country’s economy.
She also disclosed that the President had directed her ministry to create economic zones at border posts to make trade more efficient.
And President Lungu said there was need to employ more staff in ministries that had potential to contribute to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
President Lungu said the ministries of Agriculture and Tourism were understaffed.
The President said this when he received quarterly report from the Ministry of National Development Planning presented by its minister Lucky Mulusa.
And Mr Mulusa said the President directed that ministries that were understaffed and with potential to contribute to the country’s economy should employ more staff.
He said the Head of State noted that the ministries of Agriculture and Tourism had remained understaffed despite their potential to increase the country’s GDP.
He said the ministry was also implementing the Performance Management System (PMS) that would be linked to rewarding civil servants, to motivate and encourage them to work hard.
Mr Mulusa added that the President was not happy with the attitude of some new leadership staff in various institutions who fire people immediately they join.
He however said through the PMS, workers would be protected.
And Ministry of National Development Planning permanent secretary Chola Chabala said the ministry was rolling out milling plants to all provinces in the country to reduce the cost of mealie meal.
And Minister of Finance Felix Mutati said Government had put in place difficult measures to ensure the country’s economic stability. Speaking after presenting his quarterly report, he said:
“”In terms of expenditure, we have removed subsidies and minimised the extent to which we borrow on the market, because excessive borrowing will have an impact of distorting the market by way of increasing cost of money and therefore minimising the participation of the private sector,” Mr Mutati said.
