Mon, 10 Apr 2017 11:57:28 +0000
By BUUMBA CHIMBULU
ABOUT 400 business delegates from 30 African countries are expected to attend the 2017 8th Ease of Doing Business Initiative (EDBI) conference which Zambia is hosting in Livingstone from 15th to 19th May.
The conference, to be held under the theme “Opportunities Business Reforms for Industrialisation, Value Addition and Job Creation” is an annual event supported by the World Bank to facilitate knowledge sharing among countries on business reforms.
Among the topics to be tackled during the conference are enhancing regional trade, key priorities in business reforms and changes to doing business methodologies, among others.
In ensuring that information on the upcoming conference is readily available to the public, Government has since launched a website to provide the necessary information and registration.
Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Margaret Mwanakatwe, said Zambia was chosen to host the event on account of its consistency in undertaking business reforms.
Ms Mwanakatwe said Zambia had continued to make remarkable progress in the design and implementation of a wide range of reforms aimed at creating an attractive business environment and investment climate.
She was speaking in a speech read on her behalf by her permanent secretary, Kayula Siame.
“These reforms include business licensing and regulatory reforms, the streamlining and automation of key business service delivery points, including the tax system, online business name search and construction permit system,” she said.
Ms Mwanakatwe said key topics at the conference would be critical in consolidating Zambia’s and Africa’s position and reputation as a top reformer and destination for Ease of Doing Business.
She also said the conference’s theme was premised on the need for African countries to share experiences and expertise in the implementation of business and economic reforms.
Ms Mwanakatwe said the benefits of hosting the conference included foreign exchange inflows.
She also said developing the conference website would serve as an important platform for registration of delegates while providing relevant information.
