President Edgar Lungu is optimistic that integration of the Free Trade Area in the region, is one of the key factors on which Africa will become a prosperous continent.
President Lungu said the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement comes at a critical moment when there are calls for integration in the region.
The Head of State said in the quest to become nationalised, there is need to look at some of the long term benefits that the region has been experiencing.
President Lungu said this in an interview with ZANIS in Maputo last evening shortly before takeoff for Lusaka, after attending the US-Africa Summit in Maputo, Mozambique.
President Lungu said the African continent and Zambia as a whole should not sit idle because it is not highly industrialised.
He said once the Free Trade Area is embraced by all countries, the fight for the increase of the US-Africa trade will be obtained.
“How do you industrialise if you do not take part in the process? We need to work together and see how we can push forward, leaving no nation behind” said the Head of State.
President Lungu added that the Free Trade Area is one of the key agreements that will emancipate the continent, adding that it is high time that African people take total control of their economy and ensure that there is meaningful development in their respective countries.
The Head of State noted that through the Free Trade Area, Africa is forging a new path for itself to foster sustainable wealth and development for the continent.
President Lungu says the agreement is meant to create a tariff-free continent that can grow local businesses, boost intra-African trade, increase industrialization and create jobs.
He said the agreement creates a single continental market for goods and services as well as a customs union with free movement of capital and business travelers.
Can somebody explain to this “learned” blabber that his Government has NOT yet ratified treaty
@Truth. So he’s been told by his useless advisers.
HH will really be good at these trade stuff.
I am not sure what Ba Edgar is good at, maybe good at employing rotten eggs.
Imwe ba LT, please change that picture to a normal one that depicts the news – Tarmac News!!. Period.
Why make this one presidential and from Toshiba, Japan for that matter?
Mr President sir, kindly enlighten us on the vast trade benefits on AfCFTA?
If our membership to the the regional blocs SADC and COMESA has not helped with economic development, how will being a signatory to AfCFTA help? It’s the corruption,xenophobia etc that has kept African countries from developing and not the lack of a continental free trade area.
This can work, we just have to make individual countries better first.
Dont mind this lazy moron someone wrote that speech for him …he just came for the jet ride and touring!!
Advising his thieving cadres to steal more while he is in office….kikikikikikiki
Only countries like Kenya, Uganda and South Africa will benefit….they have the manufacturing base.
Lungu thinks shopping mall jobs are development and job creation.
Dont mind this simpleton Edgar, Just looking at the CCTV of that Chink couple who were murdered everything in the store is imported from mainland China….how is that value addition
“Value Addition”? What is that animal, do you think they care?
“How do you industrialise if you do not take part in the process?” ECL asks. Well, how do you meaningfully take part in the Free Trade Area when you have no industries? He has it the wrong way round, as usual.