By KENNEDY MUPESENI –
THE World Bank (WB) has urged Zambia to forge trade blocs with neighbouring countries to help tackle the rising cost of agricultural inputs.
Country director for Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe Kundhavi Kadiresan said Zambia had the capacity to increase non traditional exports (NTEs) looking at the potential,  but needs more trade engagements with neighbouring countries.
“Zambia has a lot of opportunities to increase NTEs through agricultural products like maize, soya-beans and other products which calls for building trading blocs for  integration, especially that it is a landlocked country,” Dr Kadiresan said.
Speaking at the discussion forum organised by Consumer Unit Trust Society (CUTS) International Zambia on Monday night, Dr Kadiresan said Zambia and other countries needed to  unbundle trade barriers by simplifying trade procedures, especially in the area of using multiple paper work.
Dr Kadiresan said the World Bank had engaged cross-border traders from Zambia and Malawi to train them on various aspects of trade.
Speaking at the same forum, former Bank of Zambia governor Caleb Fundanga said countries in Africa should endeavour to remove tariff barriers to international and regional trade.
Dr Fundanga said despite commitments by member countries in the regional bloc,  most countries were still protecting their domestic products which calls for more efforts by the regional groupings.
“Zambia has started growing grapes on a  larger scale but South Africa for example, is refusing to buy our grapes giving various excuses despite belonging to Southern African Development Community which is one of the barriers countries should tackle,” he said.
He called for the harmonisation of policies in order for the countries to benefit from the trade treaties they sign.
Dr Fundanga added that Zambia had a variety of products to export apart from copper, like wild fruits from the forests, mushroom which neighbouring countries could buy from Zambia looking at the variety the country has.