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The Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Development Minister Elias Mubanga has launched the Mansa Industrial yards.
Mubanga said the industrial yard are meant to promote the use of the diverse resources of Luapula Province for industrialisation.
About eight Industrial Yards have been constructed in the province to serve as hubs to support the development of small businesses across the country by Ministry of SMS Development through the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC).
Of the eight industrial yards, three namely Mongu, Chipata and Kasama are operational.
Mubanga said the construction of the yards was meant to help actualise Zambia’s strategy to promote economic diversification, industrialisation and creation of more jobs.
He said the Mansa Industrial Yard was a strategic infrastructure that would avail the citizens of Luapula Province an opportunity to conduct business in an environment that not only met their business needs, but afforded them a chance to enjoy the many benefits that came with operating in them.
Mubanga said at the commissioning of the Mansa industrial yard on Monday in Mansa that more yards would be constructed in the remaining provinces soon.
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“By establishing common infrastructure country wide, Government will be driving broad-based local participation in value addition to Zambia’s natural resources and unlocking the country’s potential in all sectors of the economy,” Mubanga said.
He also said the some of the key elements in the Mansa Industrial Yard were rice processing and packaging, fish farming and preservation of fresh Fish and cassava processing for exports.
“Through the use of available local resources, we will generate more wealth for ourselves and the country at large. This will result in better-paying Industrial jobs being created and we will be able to achieve development of our rural areas, “he said.
At the same function, CEEC board Chairperson Jason Kazilimani, said the commission aspired to become the leading arm of Government in rural industrialisation.
Kazilimani said the development of industrial yards had been re-conceptualised to ensure their full operationalisation so that more Zambians were economically empowered to the level of competitively accessing regional and international markets.
This will be done through the production of high value products that meet globally acceptable quality and standards.
“For CEEC to attain a desirable level of impact through the operationalisation of industrial yards, the selection process of entrepreneurs to occupy the workshops in the yards will take into account equity, job creation, productivity, and value proposition for impactful contribution to the country’s gross domestic product.
“Currently, the commission has reached an advanced stage of assessing applications from small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) who wish to occupy the 12 workshops in the Mansa and other seven industrial yards. Once assessment is completed, communication will be made to the successful SMES,” Kazilimani said.
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