The Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) says accelerating light manufacturing at district level through the establishment of industrial yards for value chain development is part of the Commission’s resolve to fast-track the industrialization of Zambia in an inclusive manner.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Public Private Dialogue held in Lusaka, CEEC Director General, Likando Mukumbuta said the commission is confident that the development of the yards will facilitate the creation of sustainable jobs for the citizenry in order to create wealth and reduce poverty amongst the targeted population.
Mr. Mukumbuta said completed the industrial yards will result in the creation of more than 4, 000 light-manufacturing jobs in the 7 target provinces of the country.
He says his organization on course to bring a new era of light manufacturing that will create wealth and new opportunities for industrial employment in the rural parts of the country.
Mukumbuta said the Commission is focused on developing competitive MSME value chains and clusters that are the principal drivers of broad-based local participation in value addition in all regions of Zambia.
“In order to increase the participation of citizens across the country in productive industrial enterprise, CEEC adopted new reforms in 2013 that have prioritised district value chain development, based on the natural resource and agricultural strength to be subjected to value addition by citizens, and this has since improved the Commission’s loan repayment rate from 21.6% in 2013, to 63%, as at 31 December 2018”, He said
Construction of Industrial Yards is on course in Luapula, Western, North-Western, Copperbelt, Northern, Lusaka and Eastern Provinces, with completion expected as early as August 2019.