• Government must reduce regulatory costs for the private sector so that more Zambian businesses formalize and operate in a supportive environment.
• Regulatory costs among other challenges are negatively affecting the private sector.
• Follow President Hakainde Hichilema’s vision to work with the private sector.

An Economist has called on Government to reduce regulatory costs for the private sector so that more Zambian businesses can formalize and operate in a supportive environment.
Emmanuel Zulu told Money FM News that regulatory costs among other challenges are negatively affecting the growth of the private sector.
Mr. Zulu said it was encouraging to hear President Hakainde Hichilema at the launch of the Private Public Dialogue Forum (PPDF) open a window for the private sector to freely dialogue with Government on their concerns.
He stated that there is need for history makers starting from the lowest government level to not only be responsive but innovators who will be able to effect the important vision President Hakainde Hichilema wants to achieve through the Public Private Dialogue Forum.
“My appeal is that we ensure that the agencies responsible for promoting private sector participation in the economy revisit their regulations, mandates or just their conscience to respond to the concerns of the President Hakainde Hichilema as he addressed the business community at the PPDF launch,” Mr. Zulu said.
Mr. Zulu noted that Zambia has a lot of advantages and potential to grow its private sector business due to its positioning but what is strange is that Zambians who venture into private businesses seem to face a lot of bottlenecks which must be urgently be addressed.

“If we are to call anything a “new dawn” we have to be new about everything that was not working starting with our mindsets and systems. Most of the good recommendations end up on files and gather dust due to lack of courageous personal who are ready to take a new path regardless. Most of the people we call academically qualified in our pool of public officers may not be mentally ready to challenge long existing systems and break away from the red tapes that have failed to take us to a better status as a country in terms of private sector growth. We can’t be continuously talking about failing to have our own citizens flourish in business like we are still fighting to get Independence from colonial masters, We need to act” he added.
On Wednesday, President Hakainde Hichilema launched the Public Private Dialogue Forum with a call for partnership with the private sector to drive economic growth in the country.