By JAMES KUNDA –
PREPARATIONS for Zambia to host the African Development Bank (AfDB) annual meeting in Lusaka this year have advanced, the Government has said.
The event, slated for May will attract more than 4,000 delegates from 54 African countries and beyond.
This would be the second high profile event for Zambia to host in the first half of this year as the country will in March also host the 134th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) conference in Lusaka.
Cabinet has since appointed a committee of permanent secretaries chaired by Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba, to spearhead preparations for the hosting of the indaba scheduled for May 23 to 27.
Zambia is one of the 54-member states of the AfDB and is currently the chair of the Bank’s board of governors through Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda.
The committee held its inaugural meeting at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre in Lusaka on Tuesday, this week, at which Mr Yamba urged members to do their best in delivering a successful conference.
This is according to a statement released in Lusaka yesterday by the publicity sub-committee for the hosting of the annual meeting.
“Over 4,000 delegates from all the 54 member states of the AfDB and beyond, are expected to attend the forthcoming AfDB annual meeting here in Lusaka. You are all called upon to do your best in preparing for this important meeting,” Mr Yamba said.
He called for thorough preparations to ensure that the invited delegates were well looked after and the country was properly marketed to investors.
Mr Yamba said players in the hospitality, transport and other sectors should position themselves for the huge influx of people so that service delivery is efficient.
During the meeting, the committee received progress reports from the inter-ministerial sub-committees on the ongoing preparations.
The committee was also updated by representatives from the National Assembly on preparations for hosting the IPU conference.
Apart from Mr Yamba, the committee drew membership from the permanent secretary, policy analysis and coordination division at Cabinet Office and the permanent secretary, economic management and finance at the ministry of Finance and their counterpart for budget and economic affairs at the same ministry.
Other ministries represented by permanent secretaries were, Information and Broadcasting Services, Works and Supply, Transport and Communication, Commerce, Trade and Industry, Tourism and Arts, Foreign Affairs, Home Affairs and Health.
Clerk of the National Assembly Doris Mwinga, Zambia Revenue Authority commissioner general Berlin Msiska and Bank of Zambia governor Denny Kalyalya are also members of the committee.