PRESIDENT EDGAR LUNGU AND PF GOVERNMENT: CONTINUED AND SUSTAINED - TopicsExpress

PRESIDENT EDGAR LUNGU AND PF GOVERNMENT: CONTINUED AND SUSTAINED DEVELOPMENT VISION 2014-2015 FOR MANUFACTURING VOTE FOR PRESIDENT EDGAR LUNGU In the year 2014-2015 Government intends to strengthen the manufacturing sector. Just this year, 2014, alone, The PF Government has released over K106.9 million to the Development Bank of Zambia to support the financing needs of industry, particularly Small and Medium Scale Enterprises. These enterprises also have continued benefiting from the resumption of funding through the Citizens Economic Empowerment Fund (CEEF). The PF government also is strengthening linkages between the manufacturing and agriculture sectors through the rehabilitation of Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia. The company has resumed ammonium nitrate production which ceased in 2002, allowing it to respond to the immense business opportunities presented by the ever increasing demand for the product from the mining sector. This will improve the company’s financial viability by widening its product range. The removal of customs duty on most electrical and mechanical industrial equipment in 2013, allowed manufacturers to import major capital items at relatively lower costs. As a result of this measure and other initiatives under the Private Sector Development Programme, the manufacturing sector is expected to continued growing on at average of over 7% per annum next 3 years The PF government will continue to promote the diversification of manufactured products, especially those with export market potential by, among other things, accelerating the development of the Multi-Facility Economic Zones. The Government remains committed to facilitating value addition in manufacturing with a view to exploiting regional and international export markets and creating more jobs for our youths.