By HELEN ZULU –
GOVERNMENT will continue to create a favourable business environment in order to foster export growth and stimulate companies to participate in the country’s economy, Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe has said.
Ms Mwanakatwe said that Government was mindful of the fact that it should create a favourable business environment in order to foster export growth as well as stimulate companies to participate in the economy.
She said it was for this reason that the Government had been formulating and implementing policies and reforms to not only stimulate the growth of the private sector, but to also ensure a broader spectrum of Zambians had access to export markets.
Ms Mwanakatwe said the Government was committed to providing an enabling environment for export-oriented business growth.
She said this in a speech read for her by the her Permanent Secretary Kayula Siame at the launch of the 2015 Exporter Audit Results dissemination workshop organised by the Zambia Development Agency in Lusaka.
“Government has been implementing policies and programmes aimed at improving the business climate such as the business licensing reform programme, creation of a one-stop shop facility and establishment of a single window for trade.
“Others include the establishment of one-stop border posts in Chirundu, Nakonde and Kasumbalesa and the formulation of the National Industrial Policy, among others,” Ms Mwanakatwe said.
She said the policies and programmes were aimed at increasing the competitiveness of the private sector as these measures improved the required business climate that fostered economic growth for wealth creation, domestic employment and a more equitable income distribution.
Ms Mwanakatwe said the formulation of the National Export Strategy would be a step towards increasing Non-Traditional Exports.
Zambia Association of Manufacturers chief executive officer Maybin Nsupila said the imposition of non-tariff barriers in Zimbabwe and many countries had led to Zambian exporters losing significant portions of their export business with extended adverse effects on foreign exchange receipts.
Mr Nsupila said the imposition of non-tariff barriers also had adverse effects on employment creation and diversification at both firm and country levels.
He said these non-tariff barriers should be addressed urgently as they were hampering export trade expansion from Zambia and beyond, and subtracting from the benefits of regional integration.
“We have received numerous complaints regarding arbitrary charges on exported products and export vessels, unpredictable and costly import licensing procedures, and import bans of certain products, particularly manufacturers in many countries.
“The non-tariff barriers, if not addressed, may render the on-going integration of African markets under various initiatives an academic exercise without delivering meaningful benefits to citizens in the member States,” Mr Nsupila said.