200 SMEs for Mazabuka exhibition
200 SMEs for Mazabuka exhibitionBy NANCY MWAPE
ABOUT 200 Small and Medium Entrepreneurs (SMEs) from across the country are expected to attend the Zambia Chamber for Small and Medium Business Association (ZCSMBA) exhibition scheduled to take place in Mazabuka this week.
And Mazabuka central member of Parliament, Gary Nkombo says the industry in the district was ripe for development.
The exhibition organised by Mazabuka District Business Association and ZCSMBA would run from May 9 to May 11, 2007 under the theme: Getting money from exhibitions.
The exhibition was aimed at allowing SMEs network and exchange information.
Speaking in an interview, Mazabuka District Business Association, chairman, Patrick Musweu, said the district had a lot of resources that had remained untapped.
Mr Musweu said there was need for Government and the private sector in the district to work together to create wealth.
Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister, Felix Mutati, is expected to officiate at the three-day exhibition that would attract financial institutions in micro finance and commercial banks.
A variety of agricultural products, handicrafts and manufactured goods would be exhibited by SMEs.
Mazabuka business association has a membership of 431 from different businesses ranging from poultry, livestock, dairy farming and trading.
And Mr Nkombo speaking in a separate interview said Mazabuka district had a multi-sectoral economy pre-dominated by agriculture.
He added that with opening of Munali Nickel Mine, this had diversified the economy of the district.
“Promotion of trade in the district becomes easy when you have an industry.
Mazabuka district is ripe for development of trade now," he said.
Mr Nkombo said the district had a lot of Sugar plantations with Zambia Sugar Plc as the major company, a growing beef industry that feeds the nation and untapped potential in the fish industry.
He called on Government to promote the fish industry in the district that had been left in the hands of small traders by developing a can factory in the
area.
“ If SMEs could be helped with access to financing, it would help the business community.
Banks have no confidence in the people to grant them loans,’’ he said.
Labels: MAZABUKA DISTRICT, SMEs
posted by MrK @ 4:17 AM
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