GOVERNMENT, PRIVATE INVESTORS MUST DIALOGUE - KOPULANDE
GOVERNMENT and private investors need to dialogue to agree on common positions that will create a win-win situation for trade to flourish for their benefit and that of society, Zambian International Trade and Investment Centre (ZITIC) Chief Executive Officer, Sebastian Kopulande has said.
Dr Kopulande said there were two key stakeholders in matters of trade namely, the Private Sector who were the investors in all key areas and the Policy makers who were responsible for determining the conditions under which trade takes place.
He however said the principal player was the private sector who invest their money and bring the policies to implementation.
Dr Kopulande said at the 12TH African Union Private Sector Forum in Cairo, Egypt, that in Africa thus far, there was an understanding that seems to reverse the ranking.
He said this was the reason policy makers make rules and regulations, sign trade agreements that they sometimes least understand and negatively impact the private
sector.
Dr Kopulande said Governments wanted control and to be in charge because they believed this was the reason they were elected.
“Nonetheless, if the two are the key players in the trade arena, then they need to dialogue to agree on common positions that will create a win-win situation for their benefit and that of society,”
he said.
Dr Kopulande said it was critically important in Zambia which was in a situation where it was implementing a new trade regime, the AfCFTA, that would impact the fortunes of the continent and indeed the whole world to dialogue with the private sector.
He said it must be dialogue that would address issues key
to private sector growth and key to the enhancement of intra-African trade.
Dr Kopulande said the Private sector must demand from the Government the promulgation of Policies that Guarantee a Stable Political System, Policies that Provide Investment Guarantees and Security and Policies that ensure a thriving Private Sector among others.