North-West gets $750m growth pledges

ABOUT US$750 million worth of investment pledges have been made to North-Western Province.

The pledges were as a result of the investment exhibition dubbed 'Expo North-West Zambia 2019' held in August last year.

This came to light during the First to Third Quarter of the Provincial Development Coordinating Committee (PDCC) held in Solwezi.

Expo coordinator, Christopher Bwalya, said sectors of interest included agriculture and agro processing, carbon trading, forestry, energy, infrastructure development, border posts facility development and mining.

Mr Bwalya said a lot was happening in the agriculture and processing as well as in infrastructure development.

He said that under the agriculture and processing sector, about US$128.5 million had been pledged.

He said in Manyinga, a US$32 million plantation was coming up while in Mwinilunga a Kalene Fruit Canery plant was being set up under the auspices of the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC).

The project, he said, was at 75 percent completion.

In Kalumbila, Mr Bwalya said that a horticulture plant was being set up by PG Farms while discussions to set up a One stop Border post at Kipushi border in Mushindamo was underway with a local company.

Meanwhile, provincial minister, Nathaniel Mubukwanu, urged the expo committee to follow up on all investment pledges.

He said Government’s desire was to see all investment pledges materialise so that people could start experiencing the benefit of the expo.

"The resources must be put in place to enable people responsible to follow up on pledges and commitments investors made so that the province can materialize tangible social and economic investment benefit for the people," he said.

Mr Mubukwanu said the overall objective of the Expo was to realise increased inflow of investment in various sectors and encourage investment.

North-Western Province last year held an investment exposition under the theme “unveiling the hidden treasures”.