. SIMUUSA

By CLEVER ZULU –
FOREIGN Affairs Minister Wylbur Simuusa says he is disappointed with the under-utilisation of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) by Zambian businesses despite having the secretariat in Lusaka.
He said Zambia should lead by example as the host nation and take advantage of COMESA  programmes aimed at benefitting member States.
Mr Simuusa was speaking in Lusaka yesterday when he toured the COMESA secretariat which was rehabilitated at a total cost of US$2.8 million after being gutted by fire in 2011.
“Business houses should take advantage of COMESA programmes and the fact that the secretariat is here should make the work easier,” he said.
Mr Simuusa said he was disappointed with Zambia’s performance during the innovations awards at the just-ended COMESA meeting in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Zambia only collected one award while Kenya received five, followed by Egypt which got four.
The minister also noted that the criticism by President Michael Sata and other Heads of State of the slow pace in implementing programmes should make the organisation work hard and improve its operations.
COMESA secretary general Sindiso Ngwenya reiterated the regional body’s support to Government by helping in designing and evaluation, as well as helping in the tendering process for different infrastructure development.
Some of the projects COMESA is involved in include designing of the Kafue weighbridge being funded by the Department for International Development (DFID), the road turn-off between Chirundu and Siavonga being funded by the European Union, and construction of the Serenje-Nakonde Road, also being funded by DFID.