President Hakainde Hichilema has launched the Public Private Dialogue Forum-PPDF, which will promote economic development through public-private partnerships.
The Head of State said the social and economic development of the country cannot be left to government alone, as it is not possible for government to deliver development on its own because it does not have all it takes to reconstruct the economy therefore the need to engage the private sector.
Speaking when he officially launched the Public Private Dialogue Forum for Private Sector and Economic Development at Mulungushi International Conference Centre, attended by the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, President Hichilema said government recognises the private sector as the engine for innovation and job creation thus the role of the private sector in realising economic development cannot be underestimated.
He added that the magnitude of job creation and business opportunities would come from the private sector hence it is the responsibility of the public and private sector as well as partner groups to work together and drive economic development for the country.
“In order to ensure meaningful private sector participation in the economy, the PPDF has been established to actualise the potential that the country has been sitting on for decades. This will help create jobs and when we create jobs, other underlying issues will fall in place”, President Hichilema said.
President Hichilema mentioned that the contribution of the private sector to economic development in the country in the past years was limited in part by inadequate government uptake of recommendations coming from the private sector but that will now change.
The Head of State said Zambia is a land-linked country and should be the centre of production, processing, packaging, distribution, domestic market spot supply, regional and international market which will help the country realise the potential it has been talking about for years.
He added that economic development would expand the market and demand for goods and services for the private sector.
The President stressed that the PPDF Will provide a strengthened partnership between public and private sector and will promote a mechanism for structured interaction between government and the private sector on various matters affecting the economy.
