Statement by President Lungu at the ongoing SADC summit on industrialization

MAY I JOIN OTHER HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT WHO HAVE TAKEN THE FLOOR BEFORE ME TO EXTEND MY SPECIAL APPRECIATION TO YOUR EXCELLENCY, THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZIMBABWE FOR THE WARM HOSPITALITY ACCORDED TO MY DELEGATION SINCE OUR ARRIVAL IN THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY OF HARARE.
AS USUAL, THE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE OF ZIMBABWE HAVE SHOWN US, YET AGAIN, THEIR WARM HOSPITALITY AS CAN BE EVIDENCED BY THE EXCELLENT FACILITIES ACCORDED TO MY DELEGATION. BEFORE I PROCEED, LET ME JOIN THE GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE OF TANZANIA IN REMEMBERING OUR DEAR DEPARTED COMPATRIOT THE LATE HASHIM MBITA FOR HIS ROLE IN THE LIBERATION OF SOUTHERN AFRICA. MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PEACE.
MR. CHAIRMAN
ALLOW ME TO CONGRATULATE YOU AS CHAIRMAN OF SADC FOR NAVIGATING CAREFULLY THE DISCUSSIONS ON SADC’S INDUSTRIALIZATION AGENDA TOWARDS THE ATTAINMENT OF COMMON BUT SHARED OBJECTIVES OF PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT.
MAY I ALSO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO CONGRATULATE THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY AND HER TEAM FOR THE EXCELLENT WORK DONE IN FINALIZING THE INDUSTRIALIZATION STRATEGY AND ROADMAP WITHIN THE TIMEFRAME WE SET FOR OURSELVES DURING OUR MEETING OF AUGUST 2014, WHICH WAS HELD IN VICTORIA FALLS TOWN, HERE IN ZIMBABWE.MR. CHAIRMAN
I MUST STATE THAT OUR MEETING TODAY COMES AT A CRITICAL TURNING POINT FOR US IN THE SADC REGION TO RE-ENGINEER AND RE-POSITION OURSELVES IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY AND BECOME DRIVERS OF ECONOMIC PROSPERITY FOR THE BENEFIT OF OUR PEOPLE. IT IS NECESSARY THAT WE TAKE OUR DESTINY IN OUR OWN HANDS AND ENSURE THAT WE DETERMINE HOW OUR ABUNDANT NATURAL RESOURCES SHOULD BE EXPLOITED AND PROCESSED INTO FINISHED PRODUCTS.
MR. CHAIRMAN
I BELIEVE THAT WE NOW NEED TO UNDERTAKE REFORMS TO CREATE THE NECESSARY ENVIRONMENT THAT WOULD SPUR THE STRUCTURAL AND ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION OF THE REGION THROUGH INCREASED PARTICIPATION OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

IT IS NOW TIME FOR US TO SET THE STAGE RIGHT BY PUTTING MEASURES IN  PLACE THAT WILL ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF APPROPRIATE INDUSTRIES THAT WILL IN TURN TRANSFORM OUR PRIMARY RAW MATERIALS INTO HIGH VALUE FINISHED PRODUCTS.
TO THIS END, IT IS MY CONVICTION THAT OUR IMMEDIATE TASK WILL BE TO UNDERTAKE A COMPREHENSIVE MAPPING OF OUR OWN HANDS AND ENSURE THAT WE DETERMINE HOW OUR ABUNDANT NATURAL RESOURCES SHOULD BE EXPLOITED AND PROCESSED INTO FINISHED PRODUCTS.
MR. CHAIRMAN
I BELIEVE THAT WE NOW NEED TO UNDERTAKE REFORMS TO CREATE THE NECESSARY ENVIRONMENT THAT WOULD SPUR THE STRUCTURAL AND ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION OF THE REGION THROUGH INCREASED PARTICIPATION OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

IT IS NOW TIME FOR US TO SET THE STAGE RIGHT BY PUTTING MEASURES IN  PLACE THAT WILL ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF APPROPRIATE INDUSTRIES THAT WILL IN TURN TRANSFORM OUR PRIMARY RAW MATERIALS INTO HIGH VALUE FINISHED PRODUCTS.

TO THIS END, IT IS MY CONVICTION THAT OUR IMMEDIATE TASK WILL BE TO UNDERTAKE A COMPREHENSIVE MAPPING OF OUR PMENT SUPPORTIVE OF SUSTAINED INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AND ACCESS TO INVESTMENT RESOURCES MUST BE ADDRESSED DECISIVELY AS THESE ARE CRITICAL PRE-CONDITIONS FOR INDUSTRIAL TAKE-OFF WHICH WAS POPULARISED BY ROSTOW’S STAGES OF GROWTH.
HAVING IN PLACE APPROPRIATE INFRASTRUCTURE IS CRITICAL FOR BOOSTING OUR PRODUCTIVE CAPACITIES AND ENHANCING OUR GLOBAL COMPETITIVENESS AS WE TRADE WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD. AS WE SEEK TO ENHANCE OUR GLOBAL COMPETIVENESS, WE SHOULD THINK REGIONAL RATHER THAN INDIVIDUAL COUNTRIES.
MR. CHAIRMAN
THE EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SADC INDUSTRIALISATION STRATEGY AND ROADMAP IS THEREFORE CRITICAL. THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE ROADMAP SHOULD BE PROPERLY SEQUENCED AND ALIGNED TO ENSURE THAT INTERVENTIONS AT THE REGIONAL LEVEL ARE SUPPORTIVE OF NATIONAL PROGRAMMES AND INITIATIVES.
IT IS FOR THIS REASON, THEREFORE, THAT COORDINATION AND COLLABORATION REMAINS KEY CORNERSTONE TO ACHIEVING OUR REGIONAL GOAL OF MAKING SURE THAT WE ACHIEVE THE
INDUSTRIALISATION STRATEGY. NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS IN COLLABORATION WITH SADC SECRETARIAT WILL HAVE TO WORK OUT MECHANISMS TO ENSURE THAT THE REGIONAL OBJECTIVES ARE ACHIEVED.

IN ADDITION, MR. CHAIRMAN, WE MUST ENSURE THAT MECHANISMS ARE PUT IN PLACE TO MONITOR PROGRESS TOWARDS THE ATTAINMENT OF THE SET TARGETS AND BE IN A POSITION TO UNDERTAKE CORRECTIVE MEASURES, WHERE NECESSARY. I THEREFORE CALL UPON THE SADC SECRETARIAT TO DEVELOP KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS, WHICH THEY WILL USE TO MONITOR THIS PROCESS.
IT IS THEREFORE, CARDINAL THAT THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY AND HER TEAM, WORKING IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH MEMBER STATES, PROVIDE THE NECESSARY LEADERSHIP IN THE IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS OF THE ROADMAP AND ENSURE THAT THE RIGHT INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORKS AND SUPPORT STRUCTURES ARE IN PLACE.
ON OUR PART, WE SHALL ENSURE THAT WE DO OUR VERY BEST TO PUT AT THE DISPOSAL OF THE SADC SECRETARIAT THE NECESSARY COMPETENCES AND EXPERIENCES TO HELP THE REGION TO ACTUALIZE THE COLLECTIVE DREAM OF INDUSTRIALISATION.
COMPATRIOTS, INDUSTRIALIZATION CAN ONLY BE A PRODUCT OF OUR DELIBERATE EFFORTS. IT WILL NOT COME BY ACCIDENT.
MR. CHAIRMAN, LAST BUT NOT THE LEAST, ON OTHER AGENDA ITEMS RELATING TO THE TRIPARTITE AND CONTINENTAL FREE TRADE AREAS, I WISH TO STATE THAT PRIORITY SHOULD BE PLACED ON BUILDING THE NECESSARY BASE FOR ENHANCED PRODUCTIVITY AND COMPETITIVENESS.

IN THIS REGARD, AS WE WORK TOWARDS AGREEMENT ON THE TRIPARTITE FREE TRADE AREA, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT FOCUS IS PLACED ON CONCLUDING NEGOTIATIONS ON ALL OUTSTANDING ISSUES BEFORE MOVING ON TO THE NEXT PHASE OF THE NEGOTIATIONS.
SIMILARLY, WITH REGARD TO THE CONTINENTAL FREE TRADE AREA, WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT THE PRINCIPLE OF VARIABLE GEOMETRY IS MAINSTREAMED IN ALL OUR PROCESSES. I WISH TO IMPLORE MEMBER STATES TO DRAW LESSONS FROM THE TRIPARTITE FREE TRADE AREA EXPERIENCE FOR WHICH NEGOTIATIONS ARE STILL ON-GOING AND USE THIS AS A BASIS UPON WHICH TO FOCUS OUR REGIONAL POSITION.
IN CONCLUSION, MR. CHAIRMAN, WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT THESE NEGOTIATIONS AND IMPLEMENTATION OF OUTCOMES, THEREOF SHOULD BE BUILT ON THE ACHIEVEMENTS THUS FAR MADE UNDER THE REGIONAL ECONOMIC COMMUNITIES SUCH AS SADC AND ENSURE THAT THE INDUSTRIALISATION AGENDA REMAINS AT THE CENTRE STAGE.
I THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN! MAY THE GOD, ALMIGHTY, BLESS YOU ALL AS YOU SHEPHERD THE INDUSTRIALISATION PATH OF THE SADC REGION.

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