HH: Zambia is a land-linked country

UPND presidential candidate says it is important to recognise Zambia’s position as a land-linked country.

Hichilema said this on Thursday while campaigning in Kapiri Mposhi, Keembe and Chishamba in Central Province. He was accompanied by his running mate Geoffrey Bwlaya Mwamba, MMD President Nevers Mumba and UPND candidate for Mayor of Lusaka Maureen Mwanawasa, among others.

“Zambia is a land-linked country. As Central Province sits at the heart of our nation we must seize the opportunity to develop it as a vibrant trade and transport hub,” Hichilema said.

“We want to see the area become a hive of activity, with raw products being turned into finished products locally and then transported across the Southern, Eastern and Central African regions. This is how we can both create and safeguard jobs, as well as pushing back our economic growth to levels of 7% and more, from the 3% PF has reduced us to,” he added.

Hichilema further explained that the UPND 10 Point Plan supports this vision through its umbrella commitments to advancing agriculture, increasing business competitiveness and providing a stable and consistent policy environment.

He noted that Central province is a rich area for agriculture and that to deliver on its potential, there is need to address the challenges farmers are currently facing in keeping their costs low.

“UPND knows business and knows how to negotiate and we will make it a priority to revisit fertiliser and seed contracts to bring these prices down. We will also support those investing in productivity saving measures by giving them access to cheap loans.

“Ask yourself, are the potatoes grown in Serenje any less good than the potatoes grown in South Africa that you eat as chicken and chips? The answer is no. This means there is an opportunity here for us to connect our farmers to the markets and develop a cottage industry where there potatoes are sliced and part cooked.

“We want to support our people to transform whatever they grow, from raw cotton to cotton seed oil, from raw soybeans to soy oil and soy cake, and from raw maize to mealie meal and maize bran,” he told the crowds.

He said Central Province can be the hub for value-added goods to be traded and distributed across the country and the region, thereby creating jobs in the agro-processing industry, as well as in transport and logistics. He added that by exporting to the region we will increase our market and can double or even triple the number of jobs created.