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Swedish envoy calls for more trade

COMMENT - Sweden, a fount of neoliberal economic advice: " She said developed countries like Sweden could never have developed during the last hundred years if they never opened for trade and improved the time of doing business. " That's right, Sweden developed because of 'free trade'.

Swedish envoy calls for more trade
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Fri 15 June 2012, 13:23 CAT

SWEDISH Ambassador to Zambia Lena Nordstrom says the country needs to trade more to end poverty and enhance economic development.

In an interview after an export seminar in Kitwe organised by the Open Trade Gate of Sweden, the Embassy of Sweden and the Zambia Development Agency, Ambassador Nordstrom said strengthened partnership in export would bring meaningful income for various entrepreneurs thereby enhancing economic and human development.

She said developed countries like Sweden could never have developed during the last hundred years if they never opened for trade and improved the time of doing business.

"Today in Sweden we need both to import and export in order to develop and survive as a country and as an economy. We have seen the economic development of Zambia being steady, between five and seven per cent since 2004; that's fabulous. We have seen Zambia improve in doing the business index that we all follow; that's also good news," Ambassador Nordstrom said.

She said facilitating growth of business particularly in import and export required clear policies and regulations for the business growth to be translated into tangible economic development.

Ambassador Nordstrom said many Swedish companies were interested in doing business with Zambia hence the need to strengthen trade ties for the benefit of both countries.

"We want to see more products organised by Zambians doing business in that direction because it is also beneficial for both of us. Swedish companies are interested in the mining activities as well. We have a project called Meeting Points Mining where we are working with the Zambian Geological Survey and the University of Zambia to see what we can share for skills training and many more activities," Ambassador Nordstrom said.

She said Sweden and Zambia had common interests as they were both mining countries and had continued to share ideas on sustainable mining.

"If you look at iron ore at the world market, we all thought it was gone but there is a new boom and we are mining for iron ore in the north of Sweden. These are ideas we should continue sharing and see how development could be attained through copper mining in Zambia," said Ambassador Nordstrom.

Labels: NEOLIBERALISM, SWEDEN, TRADE

posted by MrK @ 3:52 PM