Government says the cost of doing business in Africa is high and needs to be addressed coupled with the several barriers that African countries encounter which may affect growth.
Finance Minister Dr. Bwalya Ng’andu says there is a growing need to improve market access for African goods, increase Foreign Direct Investment and making Africa a tourism destination.
“We are living in a world where the rate of scientific development doubles every second year, and underdeveloped countries are finding it difficult to match the technological development of the advanced world. The past decade has witnessed an adverse movement; the gap widened in a way that contradicts the principle of globalization” said Dr. Ng’andu.
He says the establishment of the Smart Zambia Institute is meant to ensure that the Country fully migrates towards electronic services such as electronic payslips, e-Cabinet, shared services, the mineral portal and champion the implementation of ICT in order to contribute to the socio-economic development for the people of Zambia.
“We are living in a world where the rate of scientific development doubles every second year, and underdeveloped countries are finding it difficult to match the technological development of the advanced world. The past decade has witnessed an adverse movement; the gap widened in a way that contradicts the principle of globalization” he said.
And Dr. Ng’andu notes that African Union Agenda 2063 which is a blueprint and master plan for the transformation of the African continent into a global powerhouse of the future.
“Additionally, the Government is investing in infrastructure development to promote accelerated sustainable development and inclusive growth. This is being implemented through the construction of new, and expansion of existing airports; rail; and road infrastructure to ensure that Zambia is land linked and becomes a true regional hub in the Southern Africa, Development Community (SADC), and the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA regions” he said.

The Minister was speaking during the official opening of the 2019 Annual Business Conference today in Livingstone, Southern province.