CHARLES CHANDA BACKS PRESIDENT HICHILEMA’S UAE INVESTMENT DRIVE, CALLS FOR MORE LOCAL BENEFITS
By: Augustine Kapambwe
president Hakainde Hichilema’s visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to attract investment, create jobs, and promote local processing of raw materials.
Mr. Chanda, who leads the United Prosperous and Peaceful Zambia (UPPZ), said Zambia needs strategic partners capable of supporting investment, opening markets for local products, and transferring skills and technology.
He pointed to existing trade links between Zambia and the UAE, including reported purchases of gold and emeralds, as a foundation for expanding cooperation.
Mr. Chanda further noted that Zambia can draw lessons from the UAE’s economic diversification, particularly its efforts to reduce reliance on a single product.
President Hakainde Hichilema this afternoon met with Ali Rashed Alrashdi, Chief Executive Officer of International Resources Holding (IRH), which jointly owns Mopani Copper Mines with ZCCM-IH.
The discussions, held on the sidelines of the President’s working visit, focused on raising copper production to three million tonnes annually under the Grow Zambia agenda.
President Hichilema emphasized that Mopani Copper Mines is central to achieving this target, which is expected to benefit shareholders and citizens alike.
He underscored the importance of mining companies fully implementing Zambia’s Local Content Law to ensure greater participation and benefits for Zambians in the sector.
The President reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to ensuring that natural resources, particularly copper, deliver tangible gains for the people as part of the national growth strategy.