1. BASIC FACTS

• Executive Branch: Head of State - His Excellency Mr. Michael Chilufya Sata
• Cabinet: Appointed by the President from among members of the National Assembly
• Legal system: Common and Customary Law
• Legislature: National Assembly,150 members of parliament elected by universal suffrage for 5 year terms
• Judiciary: Independent, headed by the Chief Justice
• National Holiday/Independence Day: 24th October 2008/Former British Colony
• Location: South-Central Africa, land locked with 8 neighbouring countries
• Administrative Divisions: 9 provinces, 72 districts
• Area: 753,000 km²
• Population: 11.9 million (2007)
• Capital City: Lusaka (approximately 1.3 million people)
• Life Expectancy: 42.4 years (2007)
• Tourist Hub: Livingstone
• The third most highly urbanised country in Sub-Saharan Africa, 40 percent of the total population live in urban areas (World Bank, 2008)
• Official Language: English
• Main local languages: Nyanja and Bemba, with 72 dialects
• Staple Food: Maize meal
• GDP per capita: US$410 (World Bank, 2008)
• Currency: Zambian Kwacha
• Major Exports: Copper, cobalt, tobacco, sugar, cotton lint, coffee and floricultural products
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Company registration is carried out by the Patents and Company registration office (PACRO) in Lusaka. Completed application forms are submitted to Registrar of Companies, PO BOX 32020, Lusaka, Mwayi House, Haile Selassie Avenue, Longacres, Lusaka. Information on the fee structure and forms is obtainable from the website www.pacro.org.zm.
 

• 2. BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT
• Zambia offers a positive investment climate in which the primary focus of Government policy is macroeconomic stability, creating an enabling business environment to support private sector and industrial growth. Other areas crucial to the country’s economic growth strategy include export promotion and diversification as well as attracting foreign direct investments. Macroeconomic policy and structural reforms use market focused economic strategies that encourage pro-poor growth and private sector development. The investment climate is as follows:
• - No consumer subsidies
• - No price controls
• - De-regulated interest and foreign exchange rates
• - No capital controls
• - Reduced tariffs structure; tariffs range from zero to 25 percent depending on the traded commodity
• For more information see www.boz.zm - www.pia.org.zm - www.mofnp.gov.zm
• For information on the Lusaka Stock Exchange please click www.sec.gov.zm or www.luse.co.zm for market regulation and company information respectively.
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• 3. COMMERCE AND TRADE
• Zambia operates under an open trade regime with fully implemented tariff phase down commitments under the SADC protocol. Trade policy is supportive of export development with a primary focus on expanding the growth in export led agriculture and the non-traditional export sector concerning access to trade finance, improved certification of standards and quality assurance, strengthening export oriented investment and trade promotion and addressing the cost of doing business in the country. The Zambian Government has a number of bilateral trade agreements various and is party to multilateral and regional trading agreements such as the World Trade Organisation (WTO) Protocol, Common Market for Easter and Southern Africa (COMESA) Protocol/Free Trade Area (FTA), Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocol/ Free Trade Area (FTA).
• Fiscal incentives:
• For more information see: www.mcti.gov.zm - www.zamstats.gov.zm
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• 4. TENDER BOARD PROCEDURES FOR PUBLIC SECTOR AND PARASTAL COMPANIES
• All public sector and Parastal companies conduct the procurement of goods and services, consultancy services and public works through the Zambia National Tender Board. For more information on this please click go to: www.tenderboard.gov.zm
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• 5. INVESTING IN ZAMBIA
• Several trade and investment opportunities have been identified by the Zambia Development Agency for joint ventures, public private partnerships, full acquisition or start up. Some of the key areas that have been earmarked from growth and diversification include agriculture, manufacturing and infrastructure development.
• For more information on investment licence procedures go to: www.zda.org.zm - www.zra.org
• For procedures on land acquisition see: www.ministryoflands.gov.zm
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• ECONOMIC SECTORS
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• 8.1 Agriculture
• Agricultural policy aims at marketing the sector’s products via free market policy, infrastructural development, co-operative development, with improved access to finance and more significant investments in commercial farming. The country is abundantly endowed with land, labour and water resources needed to support the growth of the sector, 58 percent of the land is available for use, only 14 percent of this allocation in under cultivation. Over the last decade, the sector has seen a significant rise in the production of cotton, coffee, tobacco and various horticultural and floricultural products. Primary agricultural exports include, sugar, tobacco, cotton-lint, coffee. Other products for export include maize, maize-meal and textile products. Livestock, produced on a large scale the subsector include beef, pork, poultry and fish products.
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• 8.2 Mining
• Current mining policy focuses on promoting large and small scale mining activities led by the private sector. Other policy objectives include enhancing the institutional and regulatory framework to support the sector. The Government recently introduced the Petroleum Exploration Act (2008). Supporting legislature to support the Act and environmental standards should be completed by the end of 2009. The sector is interlinked to all parts in the economy via inputs for agriculture, agro-chemicals, industrial manufacturing and construction materials. Primary mining exports include copper, cobalt, zinc and coal; other mineral exports include semi-precious stones, such as, emerald, amethyst, aquarmine, tourmaline, garnets and citrine. Gold deposits have been observed in the eastern and northern provinces but have not yet been exploited. Oil and gas deposits have been confirmed around the country.
• For further information see: www.zambiamining.co.zm
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• 8.3 Manufacturing
• The Zambian Government’s strategy for developing the manufacturing sector is based on the commercial, trade and industrial policy that aims to foster social and economic growth through local and foreign private sector investments in the manufacturing industry. The manufacturing sector is considered a key driver for economic growth and poverty reduction in the country as it is a source of income generation and employment linked to various sectors of the economy. Leading subsectors in manufacturing and industry are food, beverages, tobacco, textile and leather production. Fabricated metal products such as copper cables, wires and rods have increased over the years as access to regional markets has improved.
• For further information see: www.mcti.gov.zm
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• 8.4 Construction- Property and Infrastructural Development
• Long term policy reforms in this sector draws heavily from infrastructure development which is critical to support the growth of the private sector. Medium term plans include a nationwide housing initiative, the maintenance and construction of a wider road network with improved transportation and telecommunication systems necessary to improving access to rural areas in the country and widening market access on a larger scale. Also, access to basic services will be spread through the nation upon completion of the medium term development strategy.
• For additional information see: www.mct.gov.zmfor information on infrastructure, communication and transport.
• For information on the housing initiative see: www.mlgh.gov.zm
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• 8.6 Energy
• Zambia is well endowed with resources for hydroelectric power generation as well as coal and renewable energy production. Policy in the energy sector focuses on increased electricity access rates, promoting efficient biomass utilisation and increasing the use of alternative energy sources to increase the rate of poverty alleviation. At present, electricity supply is concentrated in urban areas and is distributed by the Zambia Electricity Supply Cooperation (ZESCO), 99 percent electricity is produced by hydroelectric plants with the Kafue Gorge, Kariba North Bank and Victoria Falls Power Stations being the main sources. Over the years national energy requirements have risen with the gradual increase in economic activity particularly in the mining sector.
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• 7. Tourism
• The tourism sector falls under the Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources (MTENR) which has seven statutory bodies, namely: the Zambia Tourism Board, Zambia Wildlife Authority, National Museums Board, National Heritage and Conservation Commission, Hotel and Tourism Training Institute, Environmental Council of Zambia and Zambia Forestry College. As reflected in the Fifth National Development Plan, the MTENR is responsible for three sectors being tourism, environment and natural resources. The tourism sector is considered to be a crucial growth area due to its backward and forward linkages to the private sector.
• For further information, please see: www.zawa.org.zm
• For more information on tourism investment, you can contact the Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources in Zambia, Kwacha House, Cairo Road, P.O. Box 30575, Lusaka. Tel: 00260 211 223930 House
• For travel Information:click here
• People and Culture:click here