. Dr Scott

By KENNEDY MUPESENI –
ACTING President Guy Scott has assured local and foreign investors of a peaceful transition as the country prepares to usher in a President.
Dr Scott said Zambia has managed to maintain peace and stability despite having five government transitions and that their investments were  safe.
“Succession wrangles happen everywhere when the head of State passes on. As a country we have undergone five transitions but Zambia has remained stable, which is a testimony enough for investors to have confidence in the country,” he said.
Dr Scott was speaking at the opening of the Zambia Investment Conference organised by the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) and Pangaea Securities in Lusaka yesterday at Radisson Blue Hotel.
He said Zambia was an oasis of peace and that it shall remain so despite succession wrangles in the ruling party.
The Acting President said Zambia was surrounded by countries that were undergoing liberation struggles and racial tensions but the country stood firm and maintained peace and stability.
He said the Government was keen to address most of the challenges investors faced by putting up mechanisms to reduce the cost of doing business.
Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Robert Sichinga also assured investors of protection of their investments, adding that the country had good business and investment laws to protect their investments even if there was a change of Government.
ZDA Board chairperson Songowayo Zyambo said Zambia had continued recording an increase in investment pledges.
“The country has continued attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows. For example, at the end of September 2014, we recorded US$4.25 billion of pledged investment and related employment generation of 18,190 jobs against the target of $4 billion, representing 106 per cent of our target,” Mr Zyambo said.