LOCAL manufacturers in the country need continuous support for them to increase their production and be able to trade effectively with other countries, Southern Africa Cross Border Traders Association (SACBTA) Secretary General, Jacob Makambwe has said.
Mr. Makambwe told The scoop that protecting the local industries from unfair competition from foreign entities with the view to boost their growth was critical.
He said that continued engagement of the players in the manufacturing sector to understand the challenges they are facing and to ascertain the opportunities available in the sector would build a more resilient manufacturing sector.
He said that expanding investments, facilitating access to the export market for various products and ensuring financial training for the producers would enable many businesses to grow and increase their disposable income.
“Zambia needs to boost its manufacturing base. To achieve this, there should be the right mind-set and investments going into the productive sectors. Empowering local entrepreneurs and producers to add value to goods that we produce as a country is critical in a bid to have more products to export apart from the copper that we talk about.
“There should also be many forms of incentives in the industrial development yards so that the local producers could have centres where they could take their products for value addition in readiness for the export markets,” Mr. Makambwe said.
He said that local businesses were key drivers of the country’s diversification and industrialisation process hence the need for adequate support.
He added that providing opportunities for home-grown companies to grow and fill in the gaps left by foreign companies was the way to go in increasing the country’s manufacturing and export base.
He explained that protecting the local industries and sustaining their growth momentum was vital in ensuring that companies rise to the occasion in achieving an industrialised Zambia with consumers gaining easier access to affordable, quality food products.