By SYLVESTER MWALE –
CENTRAL Province Permanent Secretary Chanda Kabwe says more than K6 million will be spent on the preparations for the provincial investment expo set for October this year.
Mr Kabwe said more than 500 investors are expected to attend the exhibition which is expected to showcase the investment potential of the region’s 12 districts.
He said in an interview that the event would mainly focus on the four key sectors – agriculture, tourism, manufacturing and mining- which have been identified in the country’s Seventh National Development Plan (7NDP).
The Permanent Secretary said the region had witnessed increased interest from various investors who wanted to start different businesses in the province.
“For instance, we have been approached by a company from Namibia in partnership with an American company that wants to establish a solar farm in Ngabwe to produce 100 megawatts; as you know Ngabwe is a new district and taking power there will open economic activities to the district,” he said.
He noted that electricity was crucial to the development of the region and expressed confidence that the establishment of a solar plant in the remote district would boost several economic activities.
Additionally, the Government is in discussion with some Chinese company with the aim of setting up a water melon processing plan in the region while a Swedish firm has expressed interest to establish an agriculture university.
There is also another Chinese company interested in setting up a coal plant in Chief Chisomo in Serenje district and the company has invited the administration to visit China.
“This will make us the second province to have a coal mine after Southern Province and the chiefdom will no longer be a rural area, so this is what we are doing we want to expose the province to the who world,” he said.
Mr Kabwe revealed that the Chinese government had also invited the provincial administration to attend a third forum on China Africa Local Governance Cooperation next month which would focus on poverty alleviation.
He said the administration had also engaged traditional leaders so that they remained willing to release parcels of land for development whenever it was needed.

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