Zambia aspires to diversify export routes, seeks US support in transforming Lobito corridor

Government has requested United States of America (USA) to support Zambia in the transformation of the Lobito Corridor.

This has a great potential to diversify the country’s export routes and access to the Atlantic Ocean, Minister of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development, Charles Milupi, said in Lusaka on Friday.

Milupi said this during a meeting with the United States (US) Deputy Special Presidential Coordinator for Global Infrastructure and Energy Helaina Matza.

Milupi said the corridor stretches from the port of Lobito lying on the Atlantic Ocean and passes through Angola’s West to East provinces and covers the mining areas of the Katanga province of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Copperbelt province of Zambia.

He said the corridor offered a shorter and hence faster access for the exports to and imports from Europe and America routes which can enhance the development of Western and North-Western province which have potential in mining, agriculture, forestry and tourism.

“The New Dawn government wants to actualise Zambia’s geo-political location of being a land linked country through the development of alternative corridors to the sea and international markets,” Milupi said.

He said it is government’s aspiration of opening up trade corridors including the Lobito Corridor in order to enhance trade and this corridor will also promote regional integration.

“You may wish to note that Zambia has embarked on an ambitious programme to increase Copper production from the current 830,000metric tonnes to 3,000,000 in the next ten years. The mines in North Western Province are expected to contribute significantly to this ambitious target, the Lobito Corridor is therefore one of the corridors we must develop to ease transportation”

US Deputy Special Presidential Coordinator for Global Infrastructure and Energy, Helaina Matza, said transforming the Libido corridor and its extension into Zambia is designed to have so many benefits such as trade and other economic development opportunities that will benefit Zambia.

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