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Gaborone. — Zambia’s minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Margaret Mwanakatwe says it is time member states of the Southern African Development Community (Sadc) started putting resources together to create jobs for its people. “It is not business as usual. We need transformation within Zambia in order to better the lives of our people and this can only happen when we industrialise our economy through transformation of natural endowment and human capital,” Mrs Mwanakatwe said.
Mrs Mwanakatwe said in an interview here at the Gaborone International Conference Centre that manufacturing is key to creating jobs in Zambia and her ministry will take a leading role in ensuring that manufacturing takes place.
“An issue of critical importance to the SADC region and to Zambia in particular is the need to ensure that the regional agenda serves as the base for additional commitments at continental level,” she said.
The minister is attending the council of ministers which is preceding the 35th session of the SADC heads of State and Government scheduled to take place tomorrow and on Tuesday.
The theme of the summit is: “Accelerating industrialisation of SADC economies through transformation of natural endowment and improved human capital.”
“As SADC, we are a step ahead in promoting the industrialisation agenda. Our heads of state and government adopted the revised indicative strategic development plan for the period 2015 to 2020, which front-loads industrialisation, during the extraordinary summit held in April, 2015, in Harare, Zimbabwe,” she said.
Mrs Mwanakatwe said SADC has started costing public co-ordination activities for the implementation of the industrialisation strategy.
“We have a mammoth task ahead of us in securing funds to fully and effectively implement activities identified in the strategic plan. Most importantly, setting the conditions right for sustainable industrial development remains a critical success factor,” the Minister said.
Mrs Mwanakatwe said economic transformation can be achieved through the effective utilisation of the natural resources the region is endowed with and maintaining a stable macroeconomic environment.
And Mrs Mwanakatwe said there is need to invest in power generation infrastructure to support industrialisation.
“It is important to note that electricity demand in the region increased by a weighted average of three percent per annum during 2014/2015 compared to 2.5 percent in 2013/2015. This means that there is therefore, need to invest in power generation to support industrialisation,” Mrs Mwanakatwe said. — News24.
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