Maravi

Don’t abuse employees, Mutati tells investors

Don’t abuse employees, Mutati tells investors
By Edwin Mbulo in Livingstone
Fri 27 Nov. 2009, 04:00 CAT

COMMERCE minister Felix Mutati has appealed to investors not to abuse their employees. And Shoprite chief executive officer Whitey Basson said the chain store has invested over US $900 billion in Africa and has employed 3,173 people in Zambia.

Opening the Shoprite Musi-o-Tunya square in Livingstone on Wednesday evening, Mutati urged investors not to have a big appetite for profits.

“I am happy that you are supporting Zambian suppliers. To the little farmer in Kasiya, this will support to increase the gap between poverty,” he said.

Mutati said Zambia was a birth place of Shoprite.

“Livingstone being the 19th shop will be 100 per cent expatriate free, employing over a 1,000 people,” he said.

He added that next month, ministers of trade and commerce would meet to break down the barriers of trade.

Mutati said there was need to organise trade in order to move the world.
He further said the retail sector would grow by eight percent by 2010 and that government's aim was to stabilise the economy and bring down the cost of doing business.

Mutati said said that the government would support the expansion of retail shopping malls in the next two years to at least 600 malls in Lusaka, Kitwe and Livingstone so as to support the local Small to Medium Entrepreneurs (SME's).

And Basson said Shoprite has spent US$9 billion in Zambia and US$900 billion in Africa to open up outlets.

Labels: FELIX MUTATI, SHOPRITE, WHITNEY BASSON

posted by MrK @ 1:43 PM