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President Hakainde Hichilema has traveled to Mozambique for the inauguration of the newly refurbished port of Nacala and the signing of the Nacala Corridor Development Agreements (NDA).
Hichilema said this paved the way to fostering economic growth that would create jobs and uplift the living standards of the people in the two countries.
A post on Hichilema’s Facebook handle reads: “We are determined to ensure that Zambia is truly connected by land to facilitate trade, investment and ease the movement of our people”.
He said this was all part of the Zambia-Malawi-Mozambique Growth Triangle which had been under discussion since the 90s.
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister, Stanely Kakubo, said Hichilema had undertaken a one-day official visit to Mozambique at the invitation of that country’s President Filipe Nyusi.
Kakubo in a statement issued in Lusaka on Saturday said during the Inauguration Ceremony, Hichilema, Nyusi and Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera, would preside over the signing of three agreements relating to the Nacala Development Corridor.
He said this would among other things, establish a framework for joint planning and decision-making.
“The expanded and modernized facilities at the Nacala Port in Mozambique will help to increase efficiency in handling larger volumes of cargo, promote safer and competitive transportation along the corridor, lower the transit transport costs and ensure faster delivery of goods,” Kakubo said.
He said the Nacala Corridor encompassed Zambia, Mozambique and Malawi.
Kakubo said it remained a significant corridor for Zambia as it presents the shortest route to the coast for the country’s imports and exports, thereby providing an avenue for reduced transportation costs.
“Through the corridor, the extractive industry and other economic activities are connected to the Nacala Port for export, feeding into the global value chains,” he said.
He said Hichilema had prioritized the development of transport corridors as they are essential to improving trade facilitation and enhancing socio-economic integration in the southern African region.
Read more :Hichilema leaves for Mozambique on state visit
Kakubo said the launch of the improved facilities at Nacala Port and the signing of the Nacala Development Corridor agreements would solidify the existing bilateral relations that Zambia enjoys with Mozambique and Malawi.
Kakubo said it would also bolster other economic subsectors such as agriculture, tourism, mining, energy, fisheries and livestock for the benefit of the people.
“Hichilema was expected to return to Zambia immediately after his engagements,” he said.
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