Government has launched a National Trade Policy and Export Strategy that aims at making Zambia a net exporter of value added goods and services through competitiveness at domestic, regional and global level.
Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Christopher Yaluma said the trade policy will contribute towards Zambia’s economic diversification by promoting and stimulating a competitive trade sector and increase the country’s market share in the global economy.
Mr. Yaluma said the national trade policy will also address issues pertaining to tariff measures, non-tariff measures and defense mechanisms which will help the country safeguard local industries from adverse effects of unfair trading practices.
‘’ It suffices to state that the National Trade Policy will serve as blue print for Government’s activities in Zambia’s trade sector,he said.
Mr Yaluma said the policy is aligned to the Seventh National Development Plan which is based on an integrated multi-sectoral development approach that seeks to accelerate development efforts towards the vision 2030.
He said the launch of the National Export Strategy will enhance export and non-traditional export sectors and targets to grow the total exports by 15 percent in value annually as well as non-traditional exports by 25 percent.
‘’With all this effort, implementation of the export strategy should lead to increased exports of service earnings by 12 percent by 2021, increased service contribution to national employment by 8 percent as well as increased services’ contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2021,’’ Mr Yaluma said.
The Minister also extended his gratitude to the European Union (EU) and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) for their financial support towards the development of the two documents, the Enhanced Integrated Framework (EIF) for sponsoring the launch as well as all stakeholders who contributed immensely towards the formulation and finalization of the two policies.