GOVERNMENT should consider formulating more policies that will empower local players in the construction and manufacturing sectors, says Mansa based Economist Emmanuel Musanje.
Mr. Musanje said that there was need to come up with a deliberate policy that would increase further the threshold to up to 50 percent if local players in the construction industry were to grow.
He said the current 20 percent threshold reserved for locals in the construction industry being not enough to help local players in the construction industry grow.
Mr. Musanje told ZANIS that once the local players in the construction industry got the 50 percent threshold, the economy of Zambia would improve drastically.
And on promoting local goods, Mr. Musanje said those were crucial and beneficial to Zambia as a developing nation.
Mr. Musanje said once the use of local goods and services was promoted, money would be circulating within Zambia and in turn contribute to the growth of the Gross Domestic Product(GDP).
He however observed that there was need to build capacity for local manufacturers so that they met international standards.
Mr. Musanje pointed out that it was only when local manufacturers improved their quality of production that Zambians would be willing to buy local goods and services.
“The country cannot continue to depend on foreign goods and services when it has the capacity to produce its own goods if the capacity of local manufacturers is built,” he said
Mr. Musanje said the promotion of local goods and services did not mean doing away with foreign investors or foreign products as the country still needed support from other countries.
He said government should instead ensure that foreign investors were directed to pass on the knowledge to the locals in any field so that in future all the works should be done by locals.
