A KNACK FOR NEGOTIATION
TBY talks to Hon. Harry Kalaba, Minister of Foreign Affairs, on strengthening the country's foreign service, advocating for peace, and cementing new strategic ties.
BIOGRAPHY
Hon. Harry Kalaba has been Zambia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2014. Prior to that, he served as Minister of Lands, Natural Resources, and Environmental Protection, as well as in the Vice President’s office. He has a degree in philosophy from Urbaniana University in Rome, and a diploma in public administration from the Uganda Management Institute.How do the ministry's initiatives seek to underpin the country's role as a focal point for regional activities?
Zambia is landlocked, surrounded by eight countries, and we view these eight countries as an opportunity for us to push our agenda in terms of foreign economic policy. As a strong member of COMESA and SADC, we consider ourselves as having an audience of about 850 million people within these regional groupings, which gives us a platform to be the focal point in the region in terms of foreign diplomacy. We look at a whole range of issues to strengthen our foreign economic policy. We seek to develop our Foreign Service Bureau, which aims to ensure Zambia realizes its priorities in its interactions with the international community. We also want to utilize the Foreign Service Bureau to attract professionals to work in order to adequately and sufficiently represent Zambia's requirements. What is more, Zambia is a member of the Peace and Security Council of the African Union, a platform we take full advantage of in order to promote the values of pacifism and diplomacy throughout the African continent and indeed beyond. Our history as a country speaks volumes about our determination to advocate peace. We know that unless the region or the continent is peaceful, it is difficult for Africa to actualize its potential and fully develop, economically speaking.
What are the pillars of the government's foreign policy to attract FDI to the country?
We give precedence to regional and international cooperation. It is crucial to represent ourselves as a country that is open and conducive for investment in order to attract foreign interest. Peace and stability are a core part of this; we are one of the eight countries in Africa that has never experienced any form of civil strife. However, we also promote our national identity, our wealth of resources, and our people. The good investment planning that has been put forward by the government also speaks to potential investors in all sectors, for example in agriculture. Zambia is ready to receive FDI, and we will continue to open up various avenues to ensure that investment does indeed flow into our country.
What were the fruits of the fourth African-Arab Summit held this year in Equatorial Guinea and what do such gatherings mean for Zambia's relationship with the Arab world moving forward?
The African-Arab summit was paramount. In the past, Zambia as a country did not take the time to develop the corridor with the Arab world. Now, however, we have truly turned our attentions to opening up mutual relations with the Middle East. At this summit, the action plan for 2017 and 2019 was developed, and this in turn will help channel avenues of investment into Zambia. We have cooperated with the Arab world in the past, though our relationship has always been through bilateral aid, via institutions such as the Saudi Fund, the Kuwait Fund, and the Abu Dhabi Fund. Through these, we have been able to see areas such as agriculture, health, and tourism open up for Zambia. To be more specific, we will receive funding for the Sicomo Collabo Road in Western Zambia, a strategic road that could greatly enhance Zambia's connectivity with the rest of the world. In 2017, there are several meetings planned with our Arab brothers and sisters. I will travel to the Gulf in 2017 on a trip to cement relations between the Arab world and our country.
With which other parts of the world is Zambia forging strong ties?
We continue to strengthen our relationship with China. The historical ties between the nations go back many years: Zambia has supported and continues to support the One China policy, while China was instrumental in establishing TAZARA, which was a lifeline for the country in terms of imports and exports in the 1970s. Our relations with China were fostered under the umbrella organization the Forum for China and Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). Zambia also enjoys strong ties with many countries, such as the US, Germany, and Japan, and each is a unique relationship.
A KNACK FOR NEGOTIATION
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Year In Review
What A Year
Zambia has long been a bastion of stability in Southern Africa, and while its economy has been rocked in recent years by the falling value of copper prices, a devaluating kwacha, and high inflation, through the Economic Recovery Program the government has bold ambitions to right the ship.
read articleReview
Convoke, Confound & Collect
Squeezed between a rock and a rather hard place by the slowdown in Chinese demand for copper, by far Zambia's biggest export and government-revenue generator, President Lungu has been forced to get creative in his country's alliances to broaden revenue streams and lessen its dependence on the vagaries of one foreign market.
read articleGuest Speaker
Dr. Stergomena L. Tax, Executive Secretary, Southern African Development Community (SADC)
TBY talks to Dr. Stergomena L. Tax, Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), on regional economic development, boosting pan-continental free trade agreements, and improving security through mutual development.
read articleInterview
Susan Sikaneta, Ambassador, Zambia to Ethiopia & Permanent Representative to the African Union and Economic Commission for Africa
TBY talks to Susan Sikaneta, Ambassador of Zambia to Ethiopia & Permanent Representative to the African Union and Economic Commission for Africa, on championing peace across the continent, advancing women's rights, and promoting Pan-Africanism.
read articleInterview
Sebastian C. Kopulande, CEO, Zambian International Trade & Investment Centre (ZITIC)
TBY talks to Sebastian C. Kopulande, CEO of Zambian International Trade & Investment Centre (ZITIC), on taming austerity, stimulating sustainable growth, and creating the framework to support entrepreneurship
read articleFocus: Zambia Plus
Adding it All Up
On October 20, 2016, at the 2017 Budget Address, Finance Minister Felix Mutati launched the government's economic recovery program, christened "Zambia Plus." The program is designed to spur domestic productivity, through strengthening ties and collaborating with external donors and developers.
read articleReview: Banking
Macroeconomics Rule the Roost
In its ongoing efforts to diversify away from one principal commodity, copper, the government fosters the development, standardization, and efficacy of the private sector. In doing so the systematic support of the financial universe, especially banks, is vital, as is the goal of financial inclusion.
read articleFocus: SME Growth
IMF support program
An IMF support program stands to provide Zambia with some much-needed discipline on its expenditure and operational efficiencies; however, many caution the need for Zambia to determine what it wants to achieve and how the program will benefit the country.
read articleInterview
Christabel M. Banda, Executive Director, Insurers Association of Zambia (IAZ)
TBY talks to Christabel M. Banda, Executive Director of Insurers Association of Zambia (IAZ), on the evolution of the local insurance landscape, raising awareness, and tackling challenges in the sector.
read articleFocus: Solar
Sunny Side Up
As power demand continues to rise and power production continues to fall behind, it's the same old story for Zambia, still wrestling with an ongoing energy crisis. Public- and private-sector drives are seeking to mitigate this deficit by activating the country's solar industry.
read articleInterview
Margaret K. Chalwe-Mudenda, Director General, Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA)
TBY talks to Margaret K. Chalwe-Mudenda, Director General of Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA), on new projects, the ZNDC, and expectations for the year ahead.
read articleInterview
Hon. Dora Siliya, Minister, Agriculture
TBY talks to Hon. Dora Siliya, Minister of Agriculture, on the investments being made in agriculture to enable agricultural households, diversifying Zambia's basket of produce, and making international markets more accessible for local producers.
read articleInterview
Hon. Charles R. Banda, Minister, Tourism and Arts
TBY talks to Hon. Charles R. Banda, Minister of Tourism and Arts, on the wealth of tourism destinations within Zambia, efforts to bring more visitors to the country, and what the Tourism Development Fund will contribute to developments.
read article