By KELVIN MUDENDA –
GOVERNMENT  has reiterated its commitment to transform the leather industry to generate value in the country’s economy and contribute to the Vision 2030 realisation.
Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe said Government was aware of the great potential that the leather sector holds as regards to job opportunities and wealth creation.
Ms Mwanakatwe said various measures were being undertaken to ensure the sector was developed.
She said the Ministry of Commerce in collaboration with Africa Leather and Leather Products Institute (ALLPI) launched the first ever Zambia Leather Value Chain strategy to transform the sector.
The Minister was speaking  in a speech read for her by acting Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Commerce,
Trade and Industry John Mulongoti during the ALLPI’s Annual Consultative Forum for 2017 in Livingstone on Wednesday.
Ms Mwanakatwe  said the Zambia Leather Value Chain strategy had seven objectives as a roadmap for transforming the leather  industry  into a robust sector that would generate value in the  economy, consequently contributing to the realisation of the Vision 2030.
“It pleases me to note that the strategy is now guiding the required specific interventions in human skills development and support systems for each stage of the supply chain – from recovering hides and skins, to converting them into leather in ternaries, to manufacturing and marketing leather products,” she said.
Zambia had 11 crocodile farms operating with a population of more than 170, 000 crocodiles which created an opportunity to diversify the leather sector from cattle and goat hides and skins.
Ms Mwanakatwe said it was saddening to note that Africa accounts for only less than four per cent of the estimated US$ 200 billion annual global trade mainly because of low productivity and low value addition.
“Despite thus gloomy picture, the leather sector has potential and can be a catalyst for Africa’s development.
“It is worth noting that activities in the leather industry are labour-intensive that could contribute significantly to employment creation and poverty reduction,” she said.
Ms Mwanakatwe said the livestock sector in Zambia was worthy more than 35 per cent of agriculture’s share of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
And Sudanese State Minister of industry Abdo Daoud Suliman said the global leather and footwear industries were facing new and rapidly accelerating changes, challenges and opportunities.
Dr Suliman was hopeful that the forum would play a bigger role in addressing the challenges and making use of the opportunities in devising the way forward for the leather sector.
ALLPI executive director Mwinyikione Mwinyihija expressed confidence that the consultative forum would create a dynamic platform that would continue to deliver an integrated approach to the provision of marketing and technical assistance to the export promotion initiatives of leather.