Zambia is cautions about signing agreements – Sampa

Commerce, Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Miles Sampa says Zambia will not follow blindly when signing agreements with international partners.

Giving Zambia’s position on the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) on the sideline of the just-ended Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP-EU) Council of Ministers in Brussels, Belgium, Mr Sampa said Zambia is still in the process of negotiating an EPA that was development friendly to its economy and flexible enough to accommodate the European counterparts.

Mr Sampa says his Ministry which is responsible for coordinating EPA position, is aware of the guidance from Parliament, to carry out urgent consultations amongst stakeholders with a view to coming up with a more inclusive and informed position.

He notes that it will not help Zambia to rush into concluding and signing an EPA that is not friendly to the country’s small-scale farmers, family owned businesses and those companies that have and continue to invest in the country.

Mr. Sampa states that government is interested in seeing an EPA that will support its efforts to lift people out of poverty and not to worsen their current conditions.

He explains that any deviation from that guidance would not be allowed because government is aware of the fact that the country’s interest always comes first.

The Commerce, Trade and Industry Deputy Minister Miles Sampa further explains that Zambia is now focusing on value addition as opposed to exporting raw materials.

He says Zambia’s relationship with Europe was a historical as well as economic one and thus the need to consider these factors in devising a way forward in the EPAs.

And the East and Southern Africa (ESA) group has resolved to meet again in the margins of the Summit in Sharm-El-Sheikh, Egypt with a view to resolving the sticky issues and coming up with a more definitive position. It is noted that these negotiations have been going on for a long time and there is need to conclude. However, the need to conclude should not erode the benefits earlier intended in the EPA.

This is according to a statement made available Qfm News by First Secretary for Press and Public Relations at the Zambian mission in Brussels.