ZAMBIA WINS MORE ACCOLADES ON PROGRESSIVE ECONOMY

Zambia has once again won accolades from the World Bank for its appropriate economic policies initiated during the time of the global crisis.

World Bank Managing Director,

Ms. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

World Bank Managing Director, Ms. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said her organisation was pleased with the way Zambia managed its economy under a very difficult period of the global meltdown that affected most countries in the world.

The World Bank Managing Director noted that during the global crisis, Zambia was forced to lay off about 10,000 people in the mining industry, an action that created economic and social discomfort.

She was happy to note that the government quickly put in measures that created job opportunities in the mining sector in a short period of time.

Ms. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala was speaking when she met Finance and National Planning Minister Ms. Chileshe Kapwepwe and her delegation at the World Bank offices.

She was please to learn about Zambia’s maize biggest bumper harvest which she said was a good sign of the agricultural policy and hoped that storage facilities were in place to store the maize for both consumption and export.

Ms. Ngozi said s the appropriate economic policies and strategies that the Zambia had embarked on were expanding the economy and creating a competitive investment climate.

She told the Deputy Minister that she had been scheduled to travel to Zambia in November this year but that instead the World Bank President, Mr. Robert Zoellick would visit the country.

“Everybody wants to visit Zambia because of the good things happening there,” she added.

In response, Deputy Minister of Finance and National Planning, Ms. Chileshe Kapwepwe re-emphasized that Zambia was doing well economically.

She said the government had put in place sound economic policies that were bearing fruit for the country.

Ms. Kapwepwe said Zambia had achieved a strong economic performance supported by improved mining activities, agriculture and tourism.

She also stated that issues of good governance were being tackled in the best manner.