B y NATASHA KANA –

ZAMBIA Development Agency (ZDA) has launched the third strategic plan for 2016 -2020 aimed at transforming businesses for the full benefit of Zambians.
The five-year plan acknowledges the changing economic environment and the need to convert the agency from a mere promoter of trade and industry into a customer-centred facilitator.
Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe said the strategic plan was an important turning point in refocusing  businesses to match the changing environment domestically and internationally.
The plan puts forward an ambitious programme to transform business for the benefit of Zambians.
“Government is working aggressively towards diversifying the economy to other sectors such as agriculture, tourism, manufacturing and construction in order to cushion the economy against the effects of international shocks,” she said.
Ms Mwanakatwe said the Zambian economy had seen steady growth over the past 10 years at an average rate of between 6.3 per cent in mining, agriculture, construction, transport and information technology sectors.
She urged ZDA to work with all stakeholders to continuously implement investment policies that are favourable to the investment climate to meet the needs of both local and foreign investors.
ZDA board chairperson, Mary Ncube said the agency recognised the importance of providing an enabling environment for industry and trade sector development.
She said while modernising the institutional capacity, the agency was facilitating sector infrastructure, service development and promoting sector market development.
Ms Ncube said the agency wanted to make opportunities real for Zambians, especially the young people who were already shaping their future through enterprise development.