By REBECCA MUSHOTA, DELPHINE ZULU and SAM PHIRI –
TANZANIAN President Jakaya Kikwete has said there is still room for more trade between Tanzania and Zambia.
President Kikwete said the two countries needed to do more in terms of trade for the benefit of people in both countries.
“President Edgar Lungu and I have had discussions on several issues today (Wednesday) and we both agree that there is need to do more to increase trade between the two countries for the benefit of both our people,” he said.
Dr Kikwete was speaking at a State Banquet hosted for him and his wife Salma at Pamodzi Hotel in Lusaka on Wednesday night.
He said Zambia and Tanzania shared many things in common like the Tanzania Zambia Railways (TAZARA) and the TAZAMA as well as trade between the people of both countries.
However, Dr Kikwete said, he and President Lungu explored new areas of possible trade to ensure that the unity between Zambia and Tanzania continued to thrive.

• President Kikwete (second from left) with first lady Salma, Zambia’s Justice Minister Ngosa Simbyakula (third) and Lusaka Province Minister Obvious Mwaliteta after laying wreaths at Embassy Park in Lusaka on Wednesday.

Dr Kikwete said the Joint Permanent Commission of Zambia and Tanzania needed to meet frequently to accelerate talks on matters that were hindering trade growth.
He said he had a successful visit and he felt privileged to have been invited to Zambia during the first month of President Edgar Lungu’s tenure.
Meanwhile, Zambia and Tanzania have agreed to meet their respective financial obligations and to restructure TAZARA in a bid to sustain its operations once revamped.
Mr Lungu and Dr Kikwete also agreed to upgrade the Zambian electricity transmission lines to Sumbawanga town in order to improve power supply.
Zambia was already implementing the upgrade from 66KV to 132KV transmission from Mbala to Sumbawabga and would be completed by June 2015.
The two leaders have also reaffirmed their commitment to the establishment of the One- Stop Boarder Post (OSBP) at Nakonde – Tunduma borders as a measure to facilitate the smooth movements of goods, services and people to be completed in 18 months.
In a joint communique issued yesterday following the outcome of bilateral meetings, Foreign affairs Minister Harry Kalaba said the two countries also agreed that there should be no political interference in the operations of TAZARA.
The two Heads of State directed that the managing director be recruited on merit basis through an open and competitive recruitment process and should be concluded within two months.
Mr Kalaba said the Presidents also resolved that the two shareholders would continue to work on the balance sheet in order to make TAZARA attractive to private investors.
Mr Kalaba said the two leaders directed that other operators such as Zambia Railways Ltd, SNCC of Congo DR and Tanzania Railways Ltd be allowed to run both passenger and freight services from Dar es Salaam into Zambia.
“The Heads of State directed that the review of the TAZARA Act of 1995 should be expedited in order to put in place a legislative framework and open the authority to private sector participation, reorganise the government structure, de-beauracratise operations, change corporate image and prepare it for full commercial and business operations within six months,” he said.
Meanwhile, Dr Kikwete has gone back to Tanzania after a fruitful two-day State visit.
Dr Kikwete in the company of his wife Salma was seen off at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport yesterday around 11:30 by President Lungu and his wife Esther, Justice Minister Ngosa Simbyakula, Mr Kalaba and other senior government officials.
Dr Kikwete earlier in the morning paid a courtesy call of First Republican President Kenneth Kaunda at his residence where he also laid wreaths on the grave of his late wife Betty Kaunda.