By KENNEDY MUPESENI –
THE ZAMBIA Association of Manufacturing (ZAM) has urged manufacturers in the country to align their production time to Zesco load-shedding schedule to sustain production.
The association also wants industries to procure raw materials locally, a measure that will minimise costs associated with currency exchange.
ZAM chief executive officer Maybin Nsupila said aligning production to Zesco schedule would help manufacturers maintain production.
“The time we are in terms of production is quite tricky, manufacturers should play around and see how they can fit in Zesco’s  load-shedding schedule to remain in business,” Mr Nsupila said.
He was speaking on ZNBC television programme, business and enterprise on Tuesday night monitored.
Mr Nsupila said that the ability for companies to export was adversely affected due to load shedding with some of the companies failing to meet contracts as they were unable to produce.
“They are producing limited volumes, some companies are moving towards getting renewable energy to sustain production although it depends on the nature of the company, because for certain operations you need so much power, which cannot be sourced from a generator or other renewable sources,” he said.On the depreciation of the local currency, Mr Nsupila urged industries to buy raw materials that could be accessed to reduce the cost of production.
He said the Zambian manufacturing sector was dependent on imported intermediary inputs used in production processes adding that, with the depreciation of the Kwacha, manufacturers were ending up spending more, hence the need to source locally.
Mr Nsupila said the composition of the local market was largely on food products, steel manufacturing was slowing becoming one of the fast growing sectors.
“Manufacturers are now producing electricity transformers, energyefficiency bulbs and electricity prepaid metres which have huge potential for exports, the country will soon see the composition of exports changing,” he said.