By MOFFAT CHAZINGWA –
GOVERNMENT through the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) is facilitating the setting up of a processing plant for copper and related industries in Mufulira district, Copperbelt Permanent Secretary Stanford Msichili has said.
Mr Msichili said in Mufulira that the earmarked processing plant would be set up under ZDA’s programme of channelling foreign direct investment (FDI) to various localities in the country.
He said this on Tuesday when he ushered into office newly appointed Mufulira District Commissioner Chanda Kabwe at a ceremony held at the
civic centre and attended by heads of Government departments in the district.
President Michael Sata a week ago appointed Mr Chanda to replace late Mufulira District Commissioner Beatrice Mithi.
The permanent secretary said ZDA, a Government institution entrusted with the responsibility of coordinating investment in the country, had
embarked on a mission to ensuring that there was evenly distribution of FDIs.
“ZDA has come through to the Copperbelt to make sure there is evenly distribution of investment and the first place the agency has picked
is Mufulira where they have proposed the setting up of a processing plant for copper and related industries probably because of the sulphur-dioxide emission,” he said.
Mr Msichili said ZDA had already requested Mufulira Municipal Council (MMC) to provide land for the investment of the processing plant and
that the council had since submitted all needed statistics.
He urged other districts in the province to be on alert for these initiatives by ZDA by ensuring that land for such investments was secured well in advance.
Meanwhile, Mr Msichili called for cooperation and coordination between Mr Chanda and all heads of Government departments to ensure effective implementation of development programmes in the district.
He called on the heads of Government departments to give maximum cooperation and respect to Mr Chanda as a direct presidential appointee in charge of Government’s line ministries in the district.
And Mr Chanda said his office was open to advice and called for team work in championing the development agenda for Mufulira.
“The programme for bringing development to Mufulira is a collective one which we all need to actively participate in,” Mr Chanda said.
