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Law to benefit locals coming
By KATONGO CHISUPABOB2

GOVERNMENT will soon tighten employment rules to deliberately favour Zambians in the job market, Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Bob Sichinga has said.
Mr Sichinga said there is a law which favours positive discrimination for Zambians and that soon, the government will restrict certain jobs at certain levels to Zambians only.

“It is important for us to discriminate positively in favour of Zambians,” the minister said during a meeting with members of the North-Western Chamber of Commerce held in Solwezi at the weekend.

“We are aware that there a number of people from outside (foreigners) taking up jobs which Zambians can do. We are tightening that law,” he said.

The Minister was responding to concerns by some workers at Kansanshi Mining Plc, that some Zambians are more qualified than some of the expatriates employed in the mine.
They complained that Zambians perform duties for inexperienced and unqualified expatriates who get huge salaries at their (Zambians) expense.

Mr Sichinga said every citizen must benefit from the country’s resources since the mines operate in the country. He said Government is seeking to ensure that citizens have opportunities by creating more employment and wealth.

He said the mines should not discriminate on political party lines, but give contracts to Zambian companies on merit.

He said government will in the near future create industrial clusters to take care of micro, small and medium size businesses adding that several institutions such as the Citizens’ Economic Empowerment Commission, the banks and Technical Education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training Authority will be part of the clusters to help those businesses grow.

He said Government will put up deliberate structures for entrepreneur training in the country and promote five products in the North-Western region which have potential on the market.

These include honey from Kabompo, beans from Solwezi, and pineapples, sweet potatoes and timber from Mwinilunga.

Mr Sichinga said the strategy will be replicated in all provinces, taking into account, the resources found in the respective area.

Meanwhile, the minister is expected to travel to Vienna this week to meet with officials from the United Nations Development Organisations (UNIDO) and seek support for this venture.

The minister also said that he met with Australian businessmen during the Commonwealth Summit in that country, and that they pledged to invest 1.5 billion Australian dollars in Multi Facility Economic Zones in the country.