SADC region has potential, says Chilipamushi

SADC region has potential, says Chilipamushi
By Fridah Zinyama
Thursday May 15, 2008 [04:00]

COMMERCE permanent secretary Davidson Chilipamushi has said there is need for the region to build its infrastructure if more markets in the region are to be opened up. During the EU SADC Investment Promotion Programme (ESIPP) workshop held at Cresta Golf View on Tuesday, Chilipamushi said the SADC region had a lot of potential which was yet to be exploited.

He said infrastructure development would go a long way in ensuring that the countries in the region had better access to each other’s markets.

He cited Congo DR as Zambia’s second largest trading partner after South Africa and said trade between the two countries would improve if infrastructure linking the two countries were improved.

Chilipamushi added that there was also need to have a railway system built up to Angola, as it would equally open up more markets in that country.

He said it was important for countries to start adding value to their products if they were to fetch more on the international market.

And Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) director general Andrew Chipwende said the agency was building its capacity through joint ventures that would enable it continue to promote investment in the country.

In an interview on Tuesday, Chipwende said ZDA was working with its cooperate partners like the ESIPP in order to help build and develop the capacity of the agency.

He said ESIPP brought potential partners together through sectoral business to business meetings at which one on one contacts could be made between SADC and EU/third country entrepreneurs.

Chipwende said that gave investors the opportunity to sign highly profitable inter-enterprise co-operation agreements where companies with complementary skills collaborated on a project.