By KENNEDY MUPESENI –
IMPERIAL Southern Cross Motors, trading as Nissan Zambia, has invested more than US$34 million in the last 10 months it has been operating in the country.
The company has called for an increase in the production of low sulphur diesel to accommodate new motor vehicle models.
Principal dealer George Roberts said in an interview in Lusaka that the company had pumped more than US34 million investments in the Zambian economy.
“It is now 10 months since the company started operations in Zambia, and in terms of investment, I can safely say that the investment in Zambia stands at more than US$34 million, that is on infrastructure and the cost of vehicles  plus other facilities,” Mr Roberts said.
He said this was just the start as the company was planning to increase the number of vehicle selling points which would see more investments.
“We are looking at areas far from Lusaka like Solwezi in the North-Western, Mongu in Western, Kasama in the Northern and Chipata in Eastern Provinces  because we want vehicles to  be accessed in these
areas,” he said.
Mr Roberts said the Government should look at the duty structure for certain types of vehicle.
“Regarding the regulatory regime for the industry, I can describe it as heavy to some vehicle types, I think it needs harmonising to encourage investments in the motor industry,” he said.
The authorised dealer for Nissan vehicles in the country plans to capture 20 per cent of the country’s market in the next three years from the current seven per cent.