- THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL SECURITY, HONOURABLE BRENDA MWIKA TAMBATAMBA, MP;
- THE PERMANENT SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL SECURITY MR. ZACHARIA LUHANGA
- SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS PRESENT;
- THE ZAMBIA CONGRESS OF TRADE UNION REPRESENTATIVE MR
- THE FEDERATION OF FREE TRADE UNIONS REPRESENTATIVE
- THE UNITED FEDERATION OF EMPLOYERS IN ZAMBIA REPRESENTATIVE
- THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION REPRESENTATIVE
- MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA; DISTINGUISHED INVITED GUESTS;
- LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, GOOD MORNING.
THANK YOU FOR THE HONOUR OF BEING ACCORDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SOME FEW REMARKS AT THIS VERY IMPORTANT OCCASION OF THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE 2023 ZAMBIA PRODUCTIVITY REPORT, THE SYSTEM SECTOR ANALYSIS FOR THE DESIGN OF A PRODUCTIVITY ECOSYSTEMS FOR DECENT WORK PROGRAM IN ZAMBIA, AND THE 2025 PRODUCTIVITY MONITORING REPORT. ALLOW ME TO SINCERELY COMMEND THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL SECURITY FOR THE CONTINUED DEDICATION AND COMMITMENT TOWARDS ADVANCING THE PRODUCTIVITY AGENDA IN ZAMBIA. THE WORK THAT HAS GONE INTO PRODUCING THESE REPORTS DEMONSTRATES GOVERNMENT’S COMMITMENT TO UNDERSTANDING THE REALITIES OF OUR ECONOMY AND IDENTIFYING PRACTICAL PATHWAYS TOWARDS NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PRODUCTIVITY IS THE ENGINE OF ECONOMIC PROGRESS AS NO COUNTRY CAN SUSTAINABLY GROW ITS ECONOMY, REDUCE POVERTY, OR IMPROVE THE WELFARE OF ITS CITIZENS WITHOUT CONTINUOUSLY IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY ACROSS ALL SECTORS. PRODUCTIVITY DETERMINES HOW EFFICIENTLY RESOURCES ARE UTILIZED, HOW COMPETITIVE BUSINESSES BECOME, AND HOW EFFECTIVELY ECONOMIES RESPOND TO LOCAL AND GLOBAL CHALLENGES. IT INFLUENCES WAGES, ENTERPRISE GROWTH, PROFITABILITY, INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES, AND THE OVERALL STANDARD OF LIVING FOR CITIZENS.
FOR US AS EMPLOYERS, PRODUCTIVITY IS NOT JUST A THEORETICAL CONCEPT DISCUSSED IN BOARDROOMS OR POLICY DOCUMENTS. IT IS A DAILY REALITY THAT DIRECTLY AFFECTS BUSINESS SURVIVAL, COMPETITIVENESS, EXPANSION, AND SUSTAINABILITY. BUSINESSES TODAY OPERATE IN AN INCREASINGLY COMPLEX AND HIGHLY COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT CHARACTERIZED BY RISING OPERATIONAL COSTS, RAPID TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGES, EVOLVING CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS, AND GLOBAL ECONOMIC PRESSURES. IN SUCH A LANDSCAPE, ENTERPRISES THAT FAIL TO INNOVATE AND IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY RISK LOSING COMPETITIVENESS AND BEING KICKED OUT OF BUSINESS.
THIS IS WHY THE REPORTS BEING LAUNCHED TODAY ARE OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE. THEY PROVIDE VALUABLE INSIGHTS INTO ZAMBIA’S PRODUCTIVITY PERFORMANCE, LABOUR PRODUCTIVITY TRENDS, SECTORAL CHALLENGES, AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH. MORE IMPORTANTLY, THEY PROVIDE EVIDENCE THAT CAN INFORM NATIONAL POLICIES, GUIDE PRIVATE SECTOR DECISION-MAKING, AND STRENGTHEN COLLABORATION AMONG STAKEHOLDERS IN ADDRESSING PRODUCTIVITY CONSTRAINTS.
AT THE ZAMBIA FEDERATION OF EMPLOYERS, WE STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT PRODUCTIVITY IMPROVEMENT MUST BE TREATED AS A NATIONAL PRIORITY AND A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY AMONG GOVERNMENT, EMPLOYERS, WORKERS, EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, AND DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS.
PRODUCTIVITY CANNOT BE ACHIEVED IN ISOLATION. IT REQUIRES COLLABORATION, COORDINATION, AND A SHARED VISION FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, ONE OF THE KEY DRIVERS OF PRODUCTIVITY IS HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT WHICH MEANS THAT THE QUALITY OF A NATION’S WORKFORCE IS ONE OF ITS GREATEST ASSETS AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES.
IN THE MODERN ECONOMIES, PRODUCTIVITY IS INCREASINGLY BEING DRIVEN NOT BY NATURAL RESOURCES ALONE, BUT BY KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, CREATIVITY, ADAPTABILITY, AND INNOVATIONS THAT HUMAN BEINGS ARE DEVELOPING. EMPLOYERS THEREFORE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTINUOUSLY INVEST IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEIR EMPLOYEES THROUGH TRAINING, MENTORSHIP, SKILLS UPGRADING, AND CAPACITY BUILDING.
AS EMPLOYERS, WE ARE GRATEFUL THAT NOW THE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AGENDA IN THE COUNTRY IS MOVING TOWARDS ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES THE COUNTRY HAS FACED SUCH AS SKILLS MISMATCH , NONE AVAILABILITY OF CRITICAL SKILLS AND MAKING AVAILABLE INVESTMENT IN TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION, APPRENTICESHIPS, INTERNSHIPS, AND WORK-BASED LEARNING PROGRAMS. IF ZAMBIA IS TO ACHIEVE HIGHER LEVELS OF PRODUCTIVITY AND ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS, WE MUST PLACE GREATER EMPHASIS ON SKILLS DEVELOPMENT AND WORKFORCE READINESS.
.LET US THEREFORE CONTINUE WORKING TOGETHER TO BUILD A ZAMBIA WHERE ENTERPRISES THRIVE, WORKERS PROSPER, INNOVATION FLOURISHES, AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES ARE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL CITIZENS. LET US EMBRACE PRODUCTIVITY NOT ONLY AS A MEASURE OF ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE, BUT AS A PATHWAY TOWARDS NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, DIGNITY, AND SHARED PROSPERITY.
I WISH THE MINISTRY AND ALL STAKEHOLDERS CONTINUED SUCCESS IN ADVANCING ZAMBIA’S PRODUCTIVITY AGENDA.
I THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION.
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