PERSONAL STAKE
TBY talks to Mateyo C. Kaluba, Group CEO of Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), on its areas of focus, creating jobs for Zambians, and getting a company listed.
BIOGRAPHY
Mateyo C. Kaluba is the Group CEO of the IDC. He has experience in industrial development policy and planning, economic policy and planning, strategic planning, policy research, and monitoring and evaluation. He has served in senior positions in the public service including Director Planning and Information in the Ministry of Commerce, Trade, and Industry; Interim Director, Business Regulatory Review Agency; and Advisor to the CEO on Policy & Strategy – IDC. He has served as a board member on various public and private institutions. He holds a master’s degree in public administration, an MBA, and a bachelor’s degree in business administration.What are the current areas of focus for the IDC?
Our top priority is the transformation of SOEs into viable, profitable, dividend-declaring entities. We have certain enterprises that over the years have been in need of recapitalization, for example. Our second focus is to industrialize by partnering with the private sector in order to open the country up to new industries. Our third area of focus is forging strategic partnerships. We are not in the business of establishing SOEs, but rather collaborating with private sector parties that will take up majority equity.
What has been your strategy so far to make SOEs viable, profitable entities?
The IDC took over the shareholdings for all the SOEs in 2015. Following that, we spent most of 2016 getting to grips with our portfolio, the state of these companies, and what needed to be done with each of them. Since we are in practically every sector—financial institutions, mining, agriculture, and so forth—this portfolio is diversified and it is impossible to have a one-size-fits-all approach. What is more, each company is at a different stage in terms of experience, situation, and growth. Some companies need the kind of recapitalization that brings in new rolling stock. Elsewhere, other SOEs may need balance sheet restructuring, or may have legacy issues to deal with, or cost structures to re-address. Some companies need the IDC's help in the form of a guarantee to the bank to access funds for restructuring or for new equipment. During 2016 we also worked on establishing and positioning the IDC as a holding company, a process that included developing group financials and putting the necessary expertise in place. 2017 is the year in which we expect to reap the fruits of what was sowed in the previous 12 or so months, with many of our interventions beginning to take hold.
What will be the pillars of your strategy to create the target amount of 1 million jobs in five years?
Our strategy is aligned with the national government plan: the Industrialization and Job Creation Strategy, targeting jobs in agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism, along with infrastructure development. This is exactly where IDC's priorities lie; therefore, we are confident that we can spearhead this mission, with each one of our partnerships resulting in employment opportunities for Zambians. In 1Q2017, we had a groundbreaking ceremony for a new tractor and agricultural equipment assembly plant, partnering with a Polish manufacturer that was signed on to supply technology and expertise. Jobs will result from this, not just directly at that factory, but also throughout the resulting value chain. This is how the IDC understands the president's directive, and is strengthened in its resolve to do all it can to activate such value chains.
How do you work strategically to produce revenue streams to feed into the sovereign wealth fund?
In effect, the dividends declared by the IDC will feed into the sovereign wealth fund; however, there is a fundamental precondition to this. First and foremost, we need a balance sheet and a group of companies that can deliver that dividend. For example, we hold equity in practically every mining company in Zambia through ZCCM-Investments Holding Plc (ZCCM-IH), and therefore we may be able to deliver a dividend from this group in the near future. However, looking at the bigger picture, in order to get to the point of contributing to the sovereign wealth fund, we have to transform all our enterprises into profitable businesses. Therefore, making these contributions is a longer-term goal for IDC. In this regard, we measure our success primarily by the number of SOEs we can put on the Lusaka Stock Exchange. Listing is the ultimate transformation. If we reach the point where we have the confidence in a company to list it on the stock exchange, and we are certain it will meet the transparency, governance, and management standards demanded of listed companies, then we know we have transformed it. From our point of view, Zambians can then truly say they own these companies.
PERSONAL STAKE
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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