Zambia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia Presents Credentials to UNECA, Highlights Economic Priorities
Zambia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union, Her Excellency Mrs. Rose Sakala, presented her credentials to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) Acting Executive Secretary, H.E Dr. Antonio Pedro, reaffirming the Zambian Government’s commitment to policy reforms that foster private sector-driven development.
During the presentation ceremony, Ambassador Sakala emphasized that the Government of Zambia is actively pursuing policy reforms aimed at addressing challenges related to the high cost of doing business in the country. The government’s priority is to promote economic transformation through increased trade and investment, with a particular focus on generating job opportunities for the youth.
Ambassador Sakala highlighted the key sectors that will drive Zambia’s transformation agenda, including agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and tourism. Additionally, she emphasized the importance of investing in enabling sectors such as energy, water, transport, and technology to support and facilitate economic growth.
The Ambassador commended UNECA for its support in developing a Common Agro-Industrial Park between Zambia and Zimbabwe, which is crucial in uplifting the living standards of the people and promoting regional cooperation.
Furthermore, Ambassador Sakala revealed that Zambia is actively working to enhance its energy generation capacity and is seeking partners like UNECA to attract investments in critical sectors such as education, health, and energy to achieve economic transformation.
In addition to discussing economic priorities, Ambassador Sakala emphasized the need for increased cooperation and support between Zambia and UNECA in implementing the Continental Free Trade Area, developing and producing reliable statistics, and modernizing civil registration in Zambia.
Upon receiving Ambassador Sakala’s credentials, UNECA Acting Executive Secretary, H.E Dr. Antonio Pedro, praised Zambia for its commitment to driving economic regional integration, as evidenced by the successful hosting of the COMESA Summit in Lusaka the previous month.
Dr. Pedro commended Zambia’s stance on value addition, emphasizing that African countries can benefit from their vast natural resources by adding value to products. He cited projects like the joint production of car batteries by Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo as evidence of Africa’s capacity and technical know-how to produce products that have a global impact.
The presentation of credentials signifies a step towards strengthening cooperation and collaboration between Zambia and UNECA, with a mutual goal of advancing economic growth, development, and regional integration.
