Minister of Mines Christopher Yaluma says Zambia has remained one of the best investment destination in the World.
Speaking when he gave a key note speech to market Zambia's potential in the Mining and other sectors at the Indaba mining, Mr. Yaluma said Zambia's peace and stability and a well developed Rule of Law, remained attractive features for investors.
He said government had developed a mining policy and laws that sought to increase and drive private sector investment to develop the mining sector.
He also said the stable policy environment sought to increase participation of Zambians in the mining sector as owners, suppliers and skilled managers and employees.
He said the good and stable policy environment would spur industrial growth and foster the local manufacturing sectors hat has stagnated.
He said government was seeking mining to be done in an environmentally fair manner.
Mr. Yaluma also took time to give a landscape tour of the mining sector on Zambia.
He said Zambia's economy would be driven by sectors such Agriculture, Tourism and Trade and government was optimistic that Zambia would achieve its Vision 2030.
He said the new mining act, was aimed at fostering a responsible management of natural resources.
He said the mining sector presented a vibrant opportunity for Zambia to achieve the Vision 2030.
He said that Zambia would become a prosperous middle income country by 2030.
He also informed the Indaba that the Oil and Gas sector remained untapped and hoped that a breakthrough would emerge from the blocks that government had given for exploration.
He said the aerial oil and gas. survey and exploration was underway and the picture was looking good.
He said Zambia continued to enjoy a favourable investment climate as seen by recent investments to develop new mines.
He also assured that government would resolve the energy deficit that affected recent industrial activities in the sectors such such as mining and agriculture by investing in new electricity generation projects.
Meanwhile South Africa's Minister of Finance, Pravin Godham has emphasised that Africa will produce the biggest economic growth as China and India did in the recent years.
Godham said the new growing middle class and new jobs will come from Africa.
He urged the private sector to recognise that nationals were now more aware of the positive role that corporates and public sector should play to bring about development.
He says South Africa's local debt stood at R2trillion but was borrowed from local capital market.
He welcomed the vision of Africa Union and urged a mindshift by the private sector that Africa had changed and would not allow exploitative processes.
He said Africa was now concentrating on developing capacity in infrastructure and the energy sector in order to drive the anticipated economic growth.
He also recognised that countries needed to attend to youth unemployment, transforming economies and drive inclusive programs that benefited nationals.
He said the upcoming years there could be uncertainity with the advent of President Donald Trump in the United States of America and his new policies.
