Africa-Press – Zambia. Kabwe Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) president, Andrew Sinyangwe, has advised government to actualise the proposed Kabwe Multi Facility Economic Zone (MFEZ). Mr. Sinyangwe says the province has the potential to contribute up to 25 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) once the MFEZ is actualised.
Mr. Sinyangwe said this when his team met Central Province Permanent Secretary (PS), Milner Mwanakampwe, to discuss various issues among the council levies, the MFEZ and farming inputs.
Stressing that the MFEZ hinges on transport, mineral beneficiation and value addition, Mr. Sinyangwe observed that the actualisation of the facility will help to address the high unemployment levels in not only the province but the country at large.
The move will also help to address the shortage of housing and accelerate the attainment of the city status for the municipality. “This will help to address the shortage of housing and accelerate the agenda of attaining the city status. It will further help in addressing the high levels of unemployment especially among the youths and women,” Mr. Sinyangwe said.
And Central Province Permanent Secretary (PS), Milner Mwanakampwe, has re-affirmed that the government would want to thread the Public Private Partnership (PPP) route to achieve for sustainable development.
Mr. Mwanakampwe said there is need for the provision of leadership and teamwork in order to stir sustainable development to the benefit of all the people.
He has assured the KCCI that President Hakainde Hichilema has directed that critical offices such as the chambers of commerce must be tagged along in the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) issues.
“We need to provide leadership and work as a team. Indeed, many critical offices were not tagged in the CDF guidelines, but the president has given direction that these critical offices must tagged in,” Mr. Mwanakampwe said.
Meanwhile, responding on the issue of the proposed MFEZ, Mr. Mwanakampwe said the provinical administration will be glad to look at the MFEZ white paper.
He said the provincial administration is already doing PPP with Lloyds Finincials to undertake various projects and programs in the region. He urged for a tripartite meeting between the provincial administration, Lloyds Finincials and the KCCI in order to have a shared common ground.
And Mr. Mwanakampwe has assured that the over 162-thousand targeted farmers under the 2022/2023 Farmer Input Support Program (FISP) will receive their inputs before the end of this month.
He said there will increase inflows of truckloads bringing the inputs by Monday next week and has warned that the provincial administration will not entertain any failure by suppliers to honour their contractual obligation.
And Kabwe Chamber of Commerce and Industry says it will not accept outrageous levies proposed by Kabwe Municpal Council (KMC). Mr. Sinyangwe said during the same meeting that, just like any other, Central Province is just recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 and that a lot of people are still affected.
“We are not refusing to meet our obligations. We asking the government to bear with us. Let there be regulations and the government should listen to the business community,” he said.
Following its failure to remit Tax amounting to K536, 483 to the Treasury in the recent past, the Kabwe Municipal council increased its revenue base through levies to enable it to clear all the outstanding obligations owed to various statutory bodies.
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