• Total investment cost of over Fourteen Billion Kwacha.
• The projects considered…represented a performance increase of 65% against the 2023 annual target of 1000 projects.
• ZEMA received funding from Government to facilitate migration of all its revenue related services onto GSB.

Zambia Environmental Management Agency-ZEMA reveals it has exceeded its 2023 Mid-Year Target for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) projects by 30.4% considering a total of Six Hundred and Fifty-Two projects with a total investment cost of over Fourteen Billion Kwacha.

ZEMA Acting Director General Maxwell Nkoya said this achievement sets a new record and is a demonstration of increased efficiency in response to Policy guidance of creating an investor friendly environment in the country by removing rigidities in state institutions.

Mr. Nkoya noted of the Six Hundred and Fifty-Two projects; 81 projects represented the Manufacturing and Processing sector, 173 projects from the Mining/Minerals Prospecting sector, 165 Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry projects, 90 in Infrastructure Development, 129 Energy Sector projects and 14 projects from the Tourism Sector.

“The Agency had set a Target of 500 projects to be considered during the period 1st January 2023 to 30th June 2023 and has surpassed this target by considering a total of Six Hundred and Fifty-Two (652) projects with a total investment cost of over Fourteen Billion Kwacha (ZMW 14,752,413,737) during the period under review,” Mr Nkoya disclosed.

He said the projects considered in the period under review from January 2023 to June 2023, represented a performance increase of 65% against the 2023 annual target of 1000 projects.

According to him “this, shows a significant improvement of 18% against the performance of the Agency in the first half of the year 2022 where 366 projects were considered adding that “this increase demonstrates the Agency’s continued commitment to review and consider projects timeously.”

He explained that the increased efficiency by ZEMA in the consideration of projects plays a critical role in unlocking economic potential, job creation, poverty reduction and towards the attainment of green economy.

Meanwhile, Mr. Nkoya revealed that in the second half 2023, ZEMA targeted to complete the review, drafting and stakeholder consultations on the new Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations which will further contribute to sustainable economic development by providing for reduced review periods, reduced review fees, registration of EIA Consultants among others.

He also disclosed that, ZEMA received funding from Government to facilitate and complete the migration of all its revenue related services onto the Government Service Bus (GSB).
“Currently, five services namely Emissions, Pesticides and Toxic Substances, Industrial/Commercial Waste, Hazardous Waste and Ozone Depleting licences are already available on the GSB” said Mr. Nkoya.

The EIA e-Services are currently under development stage and are set to be launched by November 2023, he indicated.