The Eastern Province Development Symposium has officially started in Chipata, to promote investments in the province, both local and foreign, especially in agriculture, tourism and mining.
The Zambian Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Margaret Mwanakatwe, the Minister of Agriculture Dora Siliya, the provincial Eastern Province administration as well as officials from Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) are among some of the participants at the forum.
Speaking at the event, Minister of Mwanakatwe said the job of her ministry is to create a conducive environment for small, medium and large enterprises to flourish in the province, whether it is in poultry, tobacco, groundnuts, tourism or other sectors.
Minister Siliya stressed that agriculture continues to be the backbone of the country and that the government is doing everything possible to support the sector in the province as it has a competitive advantage compared to other provinces.
Meanwhile, Mr. Chisanga of ZDA revealed that the agency has already been working with enterprises in the province such as COMACO, Cargil, China Cotton and Japan Tobacco International.
He also disclosed that there are investors from Korea who are looking for partners in total waste management, manufacturing of medical syringes and LED bulbs.
ZDA will continue to market the various investment opportunities in the province such as tourism, agro-processing and gemstone mining sectors, Chisanga stressed.
The Zambian Eastern Province
Eastern Province is one of Zambia’s ten provinces. The province lies between the Luangwa River and borders with Malawi to the east and Mozambique to the south, from Isoka in the northeast to the north of Luangwa in the south.
The province has one of the best-managed wild life areas in Zambia, with the South Luangwa National Park, the Luambe National Park and Lukusuzi National Park.
