By REBECCA MUSHOTA –
THE United States (US) Ambassador to Zambia Daniel Foote has said that he will soon engage Government and the private sector on measures to boost the tourism sector as a driver of the country’s economic growth.
Mr Foote said that tourism in Zambia had huge potential and it was important in Zambia’s drive of economic diversification from mining which was critical for the economy.
He said that coming from a wildlife conservation background, Mr Foote was aware that Zambia had one of the greatest tourism and landscapes in the world.
Mr Foote said it was unfortunate, however, that Zambia’s tourism sector was not as competitive as some of its neighbours.
“I look forward to talking with President Edgar Lungu, members Government and the private sector to see if we can help boost tourism near to its potential as it is a great driver of economic growth,” he said.
The Ambassador said this when he visited Times Printpak managing director Bestone Ng’onga at the Times offices in Lusaka yesterday.
He also said that the US government would continue supporting Zambia’s health sector to add to the good results that its health programmes had reaped so far in which thousands of lives had been saved through the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the President’s Malaria Initiative which focused on AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
Zambia was also one of the two focus countries that have received extra funding towards its malaria programmes to support its bid to end malaria by 2021.
Mr Foote said that the US government had contributed human resource and other essentials like chlorine towards the cholera epidemic that broke out last October and he was happy that the crisis was coming under control.
On media, Mr Foote said news reporting has changed over the years due to the emergence of internet which has led to many media houses focusing on opinions rather than facts.
He said it was important for the media and the public to be objective and not tag critical media as fake news to allow continuation of the freedom of the Press.
Mr Foote said that the US government supported the existence of the free and transparent Press and that it would continue to help Zambian media through the provision of journalism training.
He hoped that the Times would cover more of the development work that the US government was working on.
Mr Ng’onga said that the aim of the Times of Zambia was to remain objective and focus on objectivity.
He said the paper had the duty to defend professionalism as it was the longest serving newspaper in Zambia which started before the country got its independence.
Mr Ng’onga said he was grateful to the US government for their many efforts to promote journalism in Zambia and in particular the capacity building programmes for journalists.
He also presented Mr Foote with the cholera awareness posters that the company was distributing together with the Makeni Islamic Welfare Limited.