By MAIMBOLWA MULIKELELA –

ZAMBIA Association of Manufacturers (ZAM) is optimistic that legislation changes on preferential procurement of locally manufactured products will be effected in the 2016 national budget.
ZAM chief executive officer Maybin Nsupila said Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda in the 2015 National Budget presentation to Parliament instructed Government departments and public agencies to start procuring goods from local producers.
“We have been talking about preferential procurement and it was supposed to be implemented this year but little progress has been made regarding the issue so we expect to see the provisions with regard to changes in the legislations in the 2016 budget,” he said.
In an interview in Lusaka, Mr Nsupila said he was aware that the Government had been working on the legislation on the preferential procurement in order to effect the pronouncement.
“This has taken a little longer and actually we would like to believe that it might be there with regard to the changes in legislation and what has been done,” Mr Nsupila said.
He said his association expects that the 2016 budget would focus on addressing the challenges in the energy sector.
“We would like to believe that they will focus on power and some of the projects President Edgar Lungu mentioned during the opening of parliament might reappear in the budget given though some are expected to come online next year,” he said.