By JUDITH NAMUTOWE  and CHATULA KANGALI –
THE Private Enterprise Programme-Zambia (PEPZ) has urged large firms to source products and services locally to support the local economy.
PEPZ Team leader Bayo Akindeinde said using reputable local companies helped the local economy, supported local employment and created strong inter-business relationships which often resulted in mutual business coming through the doors.
Mr Akindeinde said this during a business seminar hosted by the Zambia Association of Manufacturers (ZAM) in partnership with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) Business Council and PEPZ.
This is according to a statement issued by Langmead & Baker Limited and made available to the Times of Zambia in Lusaka yesterday.
“Greater business linkages between large firms that dominate the economy and local suppliers can help to link lead industries to sectors in which the poor are employed. That way, everybody wins,” Mr Akindeinde said.
PEPZ runs a Business Linkages Programme (BLP), that takes account of the findings of its extensive consultations with stakeholders and research to learn lessons from past and present business linkage initiatives in Zambia and internationally and to identify the forces for change and key success factors.
“There is a strong commercial case for large companies to purchase more locally to shorten extended, import dependent supply chains, purchase products better produced locally and to reduce costs in products where Zambia is competitive,” he said.