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The Public-Private Dialogue Forum (PPDF) says Zambia has recorded notable progress in addressing sectoral bottlenecks and promoting collaboration between the public and private sectors in the first half of 2025.
PPDF Director for Strategic Communication and Partnerships, Jacqueline Chishimba, said the forum had actively engaged stakeholders to advance critical reforms in sectors including agriculture, media, mining, manufacturing, energy, financial services, ICT and digitalisation, and tourism through its Technical Working Groups (TWGs).
She highlighted that on March 7, 2025, the Energy Sector TWG met to address operational challenges faced by Independent Power Producers, including VAT refund issues, water permit administration, and the review of implementation agreements to improve project bankability.
The meeting also tackled currency regulations, energy sector incentives, and frameworks to enhance Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs). The Ministry of Energy, she said, provided policy updates and shared progress on the customs handbook for solar photovoltaic (PV) products.
In the mining sector, the TWG convened its fourth meeting to address concerns over the mining cadastre system, mine safety regulations, mining legislation, and local content development.
Chishimba revealed that the Ministry of Mines introduced the Local Content Access System (LOCUS), an integrated platform aimed at centralising local supplier databases, offering capacity-building, and supporting financing collaborations for joint ventures.
Furthermore, on June 6, 2025, the PPDF Mining Ad hoc TWG reviewed the final draft of the Geological and Minerals Development (Preference for Zambian Goods and Services in the Mining Sector) Regulations, 2025, commonly known as the Local Content Regulations.
“The PPDF has facilitated an inclusive consultative process involving the Chamber of Mines, mine suppliers associations, chambers of commerce, civil society, think tanks, and multilateral partners. Consensus has been reached on the structure of the regulations, which Government is expected to issue in the third quarter of 2025,” Chishimba said.
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