Chulumanda calls for increased regional trade
By Pelekelo Liswaniso in Maputo, Mozambique
ZAMBIA´s High Commissioner to Mozambique, George Chulumanda has called for increased regional cooperation between Zambia and Mozambique saying the potential for trade and tourism were highly favourable in the two countries.
Mr Chulumanda who is also accredited to Swaziland and Mauritius said similar opportunities exisit in the two countries and Zambian business entrepreneurs should cast their nets wider and venture into businesses with neighbouring countries.
Speaking in an interview at the Zambian High Commission in Maputo on Thursday, Mr Chulumanda said the bilateral relations which Zambia has in the region should shift focus from being political to economic development.
Mr Chulumanda who has been in the country for the past three months, said there were a lot of joint projects between Zambia and Mozambique that require maximum exploitation.
He cited the Cabora Bassa hydro power project, which he said, will have greater economic benefits for the people in Zambia particularly those in Eastern province. Such projects, he said should be guarded jealosly.
Mr Chulumanda said President Levy Mwanawasa and his Mozambican counterpart, President Armando Emelio Guebuza have laid strong and favourable parameters conducive for investment because of their resolve to fight corruption, ensure financial discipline, create wealth and the desire to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
“We need to improve our rail transport, energy and concentrate on implementing projects that have been identified in the region as well as look for other opportunities which can benefit our people,”Mr Chulumanda said.
He has already made contacts with officials of the Mozambican airlines to explore the possibility to have direct flights between Lusaka and Maputo. He has written to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Lusaka to facilitate a business tour for Zambian business entrepreneurs to the forthcoming Mauritian Trade Fair to be held towards the end of next month.
“As a mission, we are not on holiday but working very hard to woo investors coming into Mozambique to know what we can offer as well in Zambia and I´m pleased to say that in the three months I have been here, there has been growing interest by investors to look for opportunities in Zambia,” he said.
He pointed out that real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rates improved from 2 percent in 1999 to over 5% in 2005 while inflation and interest rates also manifested a declining trend over the same period.Poverty levels in Zambia have also declined from 73 percent to 68 percent of the population “and this is what we wanted.”
“We may not have diamonds but we have other resources such as copper and other minerals… huge water resources as well as the potential to improve our industries, manufacturing and commodity trade especially that Mozambicans were rebuilding their country,”
He said SADC member countries need to develop relations which were not dependent on one country but based on regional cooperation.
He dismissed fears that language differences of Portuguese being spoken in Mozambique could be a barrier saying the leadership including the President, Ministers, and those in the private sector were conversant in English.
Mr Chulumanda has meanwhile taken a swipe at some opposition political leaders in Zambia who were bent on spreading falsehoods and ill coated promises which will yield nothing to stop misleading the nation but to direct their energies to more productive issues. The people of Zambia, he said, should instead support President Mwanawasa´s vision to develop the country.
Earlier, when he hosted a dinner at his residence for a Zambian delegation attending a
water conference in Maputo, Mr Chulumanda said now that there is global warming, the
West would be looking for a cleaner environment and even food and its time to ensure
that he country’s environment is kept clean all the time.
The Zambian delegation that is here under the auspices of the Global Water Partnership – Southern Africa and Dannida was led to his residence by Permanent Secretary - Planning and Economic Management Division at the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, Mr James Mulungushi.
Mr Chulumanda who is also accredited to Swaziland and Mauritius said similar opportunities exisit in the two countries and Zambian business entrepreneurs should cast their nets wider and venture into businesses with neighbouring countries.
Speaking in an interview at the Zambian High Commission in Maputo on Thursday, Mr Chulumanda said the bilateral relations which Zambia has in the region should shift focus from being political to economic development.
Mr Chulumanda who has been in the country for the past three months, said there were a lot of joint projects between Zambia and Mozambique that require maximum exploitation.
He cited the Cabora Bassa hydro power project, which he said, will have greater economic benefits for the people in Zambia particularly those in Eastern province. Such projects, he said should be guarded jealosly.
Mr Chulumanda said President Levy Mwanawasa and his Mozambican counterpart, President Armando Emelio Guebuza have laid strong and favourable parameters conducive for investment because of their resolve to fight corruption, ensure financial discipline, create wealth and the desire to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
“We need to improve our rail transport, energy and concentrate on implementing projects that have been identified in the region as well as look for other opportunities which can benefit our people,”Mr Chulumanda said.
He has already made contacts with officials of the Mozambican airlines to explore the possibility to have direct flights between Lusaka and Maputo. He has written to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Lusaka to facilitate a business tour for Zambian business entrepreneurs to the forthcoming Mauritian Trade Fair to be held towards the end of next month.
“As a mission, we are not on holiday but working very hard to woo investors coming into Mozambique to know what we can offer as well in Zambia and I´m pleased to say that in the three months I have been here, there has been growing interest by investors to look for opportunities in Zambia,” he said.
He pointed out that real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rates improved from 2 percent in 1999 to over 5% in 2005 while inflation and interest rates also manifested a declining trend over the same period.Poverty levels in Zambia have also declined from 73 percent to 68 percent of the population “and this is what we wanted.”
“We may not have diamonds but we have other resources such as copper and other minerals… huge water resources as well as the potential to improve our industries, manufacturing and commodity trade especially that Mozambicans were rebuilding their country,”
He said SADC member countries need to develop relations which were not dependent on one country but based on regional cooperation.
He dismissed fears that language differences of Portuguese being spoken in Mozambique could be a barrier saying the leadership including the President, Ministers, and those in the private sector were conversant in English.
Mr Chulumanda has meanwhile taken a swipe at some opposition political leaders in Zambia who were bent on spreading falsehoods and ill coated promises which will yield nothing to stop misleading the nation but to direct their energies to more productive issues. The people of Zambia, he said, should instead support President Mwanawasa´s vision to develop the country.
Earlier, when he hosted a dinner at his residence for a Zambian delegation attending a
water conference in Maputo, Mr Chulumanda said now that there is global warming, the
West would be looking for a cleaner environment and even food and its time to ensure
that he country’s environment is kept clean all the time.
The Zambian delegation that is here under the auspices of the Global Water Partnership – Southern Africa and Dannida was led to his residence by Permanent Secretary - Planning and Economic Management Division at the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, Mr James Mulungushi.
posted by aydpels @ 8:04 AM
1 Comments:
At 11:56 PM,
Mulenga Maximillian said…
Regional trade is one way that can help the nation to better the life of the people in Zambia and the neighbour countries. Zambia should strive to engage in Bilaterial trade with Mozambique. The two Nations have stratergic strength in trade, one Zambia is central and the get way to the interior Africa but also Mozambique as the inlet to the continent. With this two strength the two Nations should work hand in hand in economic planining to enhance mutualtrade. Zambia should work on implimenting the agreement signed between the Central Bank of Zambia and Mozambique interms of Money exchange in trade .(4th February 2009)
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