Speed up licence issuance process, Luapula business body tells govt
By ANNIE ZULU in Mansa THE Luapula Chamber of Commerce and Industry has appealed to Government to speed up the process of issuance of licences and land clearance for investors who have shown interest to invest in the province.
The Chamber’s President Jonathan Mukabila noted that the continued delay and long process for the investors to start the investment was delaying development in the Province.
He told the Daily Nation in an interview that after the Luapula Expo, there had been an influx of investors coming to the province with interest in sectors such as agriculture, tourism, energy and infrastructure among other.
He however, stressed that issuance of licences and land clearance had been the biggest hindrances for investors to fully invest in the province.
“There has being a lot of appetite that has been raised after the Luapula Expo, so many investors have shown interest in various sectors, but however there has been a lot of issues that are delaying them to start the investment.
“For example land Clearance, you will find that most of them have not yet been cleared by some Government agencies for them to start the investment and this is delaying development for the province. Because they cannot start investing where land has not been legally given to them,” he said.
And Mr Mukabila has expressed con- fidence that Luapula Province’s contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Profit (GDP) would increase in the few years to come.
He attributed this to the rich resources and potential, which had been realised after the Expo.
He also said the high poverty levels in the Province would drop, as it would become one of the richest provinces in the country.
“Luapula has been known as the poorest Province in the country, but that will be a thing of the past because people here have now realise the potential that this province has after the Expo. We also expect our contribution to the GDP to increase in a few year to come,” Mr Mukabila said.