President Hakainde Hichilema has discussed digitalisation of Government services with senior United Arab Emirates officials and fuel price stability with the chief executive of ADNOC Global Trading during his working visit to the UAE.
The bilateral meeting with a UAE delegation led by Minister of State Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan and Minister of Cabinet Affairs Mohammad bin Abdullah Al Gergawi focused on strengthening relations between the two countries.
The President said the meeting reaffirmed Zambia and the UAE’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations and thanked UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for constituting a team to work with Zambia.
The discussions also focused on accelerating the digitalisation of Government services.
The Head of State said digital platforms could help reduce bureaucracy, delays and inefficiencies affecting investment and service delivery.
He said digital infrastructure should be an integral part of Government’s efforts to improve services for citizens and create a more conducive environment for investment.
In a separate engagement, the President met Ahmed Bin Thalith, chief executive officer of ADNOC Global Trading, the trading arm of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC).
The meeting focused on ways of stabilising fuel prices and moving away from monthly price adjustments.
He said frequent changes in fuel prices created uncertainty for businesses and households, making planning difficult and complicating economic management.
The President said the Government was keen to work with partners such as ADNOC on long-term supply arrangements to bring greater stability to fuel prices.
“While we cannot control some of the factors that drive fuel prices, such as global conflicts that disrupt international oil supply chains. We can make our pricing mechanism more predictable and business-friendly,” he said.
President Hichilema said the Government was determined to deliver the Grow Zambia Agenda for the benefit of the people.
