The Governments of Zambia and Zimbabwe with support from the COMESA Secretariat are planning a joint industrialization programme which will build on the experiences and lessons learned from the existing joint ventures.

The two countries are already cooperating in a number of sectors for structural and economic transformation since the federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. These include the joint power generation at Kariba Dam, the proposed Batoka hydroelectric power station and the joint tourism programme for the Victoria Falls among others.

The Officer in Charge of the Division of Industry and Agriculture Mr Innocent Makwiramiti revealed in Lusaka that the two countries recently held a meeting on the roadmap for the joint industrialization cooperation programme.

“The cooperation in industrialization will enable the two countries to harness comparative advantages from their diverse natural resources and synergies in resources utilization, improve the competitiveness and reap the benefits of economies of scale,” Mr Makwiramiti added.

Both countries have prioritised industrialisation in their National Development Plans as a critical engine for driving their economic development and growth. They also have industrialisation strategies which are aligned to the COMESA and SADC regional industrialisation policy and strategies.

The 1st technical meeting to actualise the cooperation was held in Lusaka in November 2019 and was attended by officials from the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry of Zambia and the Ministry of Trade and Industry of Zimbabwe. They were joined by representatives from Embassy of Zimbabwe, COMESA Secretariat and the Head of the Rural Economy Division at the African Union Dr Janet Edeme as an observer.