Local Private Sector Meeting With the President, a Meeting of -Not-So-Local
By Amb. Emmanuel Mwamba
The invitation list has made news, not for its noble intention, but for it’s lack of proper representation, lack of inclusiveness and many have commented that the list is not “local”.
None of the local and home-grown well-known businessmen such as Stephen Mikalile, who is a pioneer in hospitality, or Fisho Mwale who has helped pioneer fish farming, have been invited.
Football Association of Zambia President Andrew Kamanga, who is a local pioneer in the Energy sector has been left out.
You have young, thriving entrepreneurs that have been left out such as Oscar Chavula from Hot FM Media Group or Costa Mwansa from Diamond Television.
It has also left out key sectors’ representation especially from the small and medium enterprises.
Well-known local industrialists and manufacturers such as Monica Katebe Musonda of Java Foods have been left out.
Then you have mischaracterisation or misrepresentation. Take for example Prof. Oliver Saasa representing the mining sector.
Prof Saasa is a consultant. Inviting local miners such as Dr. Sixtus Mulenga and other known local miners would have made sense.
Recently Prof. Saasa was awarded the First Quantum Minerals (FQM) Ltd.’s US$1.3 billion expansion investment evaluation consultancy through his consultancy firm, Premier Consult. How does he become a miner?
This is a President that has refused to pay local contractors, suppliers and consultants under the pretext that their claims were being audited. The audit exercise has gone beyond the two months time frame, audit firms were given in July 2022.
Government owes them over $4.5billion, a matter that has seriously and adversely affected their business and money supply in the economy.
This is a President who is constantly accused of promoting foreign interests and foreign businesses.
If the aim is to drive economic growth and job creation, the list would have been more representative and the President would have benefited from the perspective, opportunities and challenges facing genuine local private sector.
The State House Special Assistant for Finance and Investments would have consulted sector ministries to come up with the invitation list as they have on their data list business persons thriving to succeed in a harsh economy.
But it appears to be a meeting of supporters than a representation of local private sector.
