By JUDITH NAMUTOWE –
INVESTORS around the world need to take advantage of Zambia’s investment profile to increase their presence in key economic sectors, the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) has said.
ZDA acting director general Henry Sakala said it was encouraging for investors to note that Zambia was rated the best investment destination in the sub-region and this was an indication that the country was suitable.
For this reason the Government was seriously engaging in economic diversification to reduce over dependence on copper exports.

. Chimanse

Mr Chaila said this in a statement issued by ZDA communications and public relations manager Margaret Chimanse in Lusaka.
Mr Chaila said Government had already set the tone for diversification by identifying manufacturing, tourism, and agriculture as well as in mining and construction sectors as key to help achieve the goals of economic diversification.
In the agriculture sector, the setting up of farming blocs in all the 10 provinces was a major impetus to boost performance of the sector.
“Government has secured about 100,000 hectares of land for industrial development in all the 10 provinces to provide marketing thrust by purchasing the major products in the farm bloc and adding value to local and export markets and the Government will facilitate such things such as power, roads and water,” he said.
Mr Sakala said in the manufacturing sector, Government had among others introduced the Multi-facility Economic Zones (MFEZ), which would be rolled out to all the provinces.
He said Government was inviting the private sector for a partnership and onward investment in the MFEZ such as the Lusaka South and Lusaka East zones.
He said positive strides had already been recorded in the road sector improvement as well the upgrading of the railway system.
“Government is working on the rail line that will link Zambia to the port of Lobito Bay in Angola which is a shorter access to the sea. It is also working on linking Tazara Railway to the port of Nacala in Mozambique through Chipata,” he said.
The airports were also being improved to international standard so as to make Zambia a business hub and the same vigour was being attached to improving power supply through various hydro power projects.