REMARKS BY THE ZAMBIA FEDERATION OF EMPLOYERS PRESIDENT MRS. MARA MYRA SAKALA NGOMA AT THE LAUNCH OF THE ZAMBIA PRODUCTIVITY REPORT ( 2019 – 2020) , LABOUR FORCE SURVEY REPORT 2021, NATIONAL ACTION PLAN ON SKILLS ANTICIPATION AND MATCHING AND COMPUTERSISED PSYCHOMETRIC TESTING SYSTEM ON WEDNESDAY 14TH DECEMBER 2022 IN LUSAKA.
The Guest of honour, Hon Minister of Labour and Social Security Mrs. Brenda Mwika Tambatamba,
THE ZAMBIA FEDERATION OF EMPLOYERS IS PLEASED TO BE ONE OF THE STAKEHOLDERS PRESENT AND ALSO TO HAVE BEEN ACCORDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SOME REMARKS AT THIS LUANCH OF THE PRODUCTIVITY REPORT COVERING THE PERIOD 2019 TO 2020 , THE 2021 LABOUR FORCE SURVEY REPORT, THE NATIONAL ACTION PLAN ON SKILLS ANTICIPATION AND MATCHING AS WELL AS THE COMPUTERIZED PSYCHOMETRIC TESTING SYSTEM.
WE WISH TO COMMEND THE GOVERNMENT THROUGH THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL SECURITY AND THE ZAMBIA STATISTICS AGENCY ( ZAMSTAT) FOR CONDUCTING AN ASSESSMENT ON LABOUR PRODUCTIVITY ON NINETEEN ( 19) INDUSTRIES DURING THE PERIOD 2019 TO 2020 . AS WE ARE ALL WELL AWARE THAT LABOUR IS ONE OF THE CRITICAL FACTORS IN PRODUCTION, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT AS A COUNTRY WE SHOULD GET TO A POINT WHERE WE MUST BE MEASURING OUR LABOUR PRODUCTIVITY WHICH IN OUR VIEW SHOULD ALSO BE LINKED TO WAGE FIXING OR REMUNERATION OF EMPLOYEES IN THE INDUSTRY. WE BELIEVE THAT THE PRODUCTIVITY REPORT HAS GIVEN A SNAPSHOT ON LABOUR PRODUCTIVITY LEVELS IN THE NINETEEN (19) INDUSTRIES OF THE ZAMBIAN ECONOMY THAT WERE COVERED FOR THE PERIOD 2019-2020.
GUEST OF HONOUR, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IT IS NO DOUBT THAT PRODUCTIVITY MANAGEMENT IS A PRECONDITION TO SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND IMPROVED WELL BEING OF THE PEOPLE. THEREFORE, AVAILABILITY AND ACCESSIBILITY OF PRODUCTIVITY INFORMATION IS KEY TO MAKING INFORMED DECISION FOR EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT. PRODUCTIVITY IS ALSO A CRUCIAL ECONOMIC INDICATOR USED TO MEASURE THE EFFICIENCY, EFFECTIVENESS AND COMPETITIVENESS OF ANY ECONOMY AND IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT TAKING STEPS TO MEASURE LABOUR PRODUCT AND TOTAL INDUSTRY PRODUCTIVITY IS SERIOUSLY A COMMENDABLE JOB AND WE HOPE THAT THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL SECURITY IN UNDERTAKING SUCH AN EXERCISE WHICH MUST BE CONTINUED ON A YEARLY BASIS OR ON A BI-ANNUAL BASIS.
WE ARE RELIABLY INFORMED THAT THE REPORT HAS LOOKED AT EMPLOYMENT LEVELS, LABOUR PRODUCTIVITY LEVELS AND LABOUR PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH RATES AT NATIONAL AND VARIOUS INDUSTRIES . GUEST OF HONOUR , LADIES AND GENTLEMEN , THIS SHOULD BE THE WAY TO GO AS STATISTICS HELP IN PROVIDING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING AND ACCURATE DESCRIPTION OF NATURE’S PHENOMENA. WE BELIEVE THAT STATISTICS WILL HELP IN THE PRESENTATION OF FACTS MAKING IT EASY TO UNDERSTAND THE CURRENT SITUATION WITH THE HELP OF FIGURES, HELPING IN FORECASTING, IN POLICY MAKING AND ALSO IN ENLARGING KNOWLEDGE BASE.
ON THE FRONT OF THE LABOUR FORCE SURVEY AGAIN WE WISH TO COMMEND THE GOVERNMENT FOR UNDERTAKING THE 2021 LABOUR FORCE SURVEY WHOSE REPORT IS BEING LAUNCHED TODAY FOR IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE NATION TO KNOW THE LABOUR FORCE PARTICIPATION RATE WHICH IS THE PROPORTION OF THE WORKING –AGE POPULATION THAT IS EITHER WORKING OR ACTIVELY LOOKING FOR WORK. THIS RATE IS AN IMPORTANT LABOUR MARKET MEASURE BECAUSE IT REPRESENTS THE RELATIVE AMOUNT OF LABOUR RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF GOODS AND SERVICES. IT IS LABOUR THAT SUPPLIES THE EXPERTISE, MANPOWER AND SERVICE NEEDED TO TURN RAW MATERIAL INTO FINISHED PRODUCTS AND SERVICES. AS EMPLOYERS WE ARE EAGER TO RECEIVE THE 2021 LABOUR FORCE SURVEY REPORT AS WE ARE KEEN TO UNDERSTAND THE BOTH THE DEMOGRAPHIC COMPOSITION OF THE POPULATION AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EACH DEMOGRAPHIC FACTOR AND THE LABOUR FORCE PARTICIPATION WHICH IS NOT CONSTANT OVER TIME.
GUEST OF HONOUR, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, ON THE SKILLS ASPECT , AS EMPLOYERS WE HAVE FOR A LONG TIME RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT THE ABSENCE OF A SYSTEM OR A POLICY DIRECTION IN THE COUNTRY THAT CAN AID A PROCESS OF DEVELOPING SKILLS BASED ON INDUSTRY DEMAND. THIS IS NOT PECULIAR TO ZAMBIA BUT A MATTER THAT IS OF GREAT CONCERN IN A NUMBER OF COUNTRIES. THE HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT LEVELS ESPECIALLY AMONGST THE YOUTH CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO AMONG OTHER FACTORS THE ABSENCE OF A SKILLS ANTICIPATION SYSTEM ON THE SIDE OF INDUSTRY, LACK OF COLLABORATION BETWEEN INDUSTRY AND THE TRAINING PROVIDERS IN A MANNER THAT CAN DIRECT SKILLS DEVELOPMENT TOWARDS INDUSTRY NEEDS. SO WE HAVE ENDED UP WITH A SKILLS DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM THAT IS NOT INFORMED BY INDUSTRY NEEDS HENCE THE TRAINING INSTITUTIONS RELEASING GRADUATES WHO ARE NOT ABLE TO BE TAKEN ON BY INDUSTRY AND IF THEY ARE TAKEN ON INDUSTRY HAS TO DO SOME RETRAINING OR RE-SKILLING IN ORDER FOR THEM TO FIT IN. IT IS IMPORTANT THEREFORE, THAT THIS MATTER IS ADDRESSED BY COMING UP WITH A SYSTEM THAT IS COLLABORATIVE WHICH MUST RECOGNIZE THE RELEVANT STAKEHOLDERS ON THE ZAMBIA LABOUR MARKET COMPRISING OF THE SKILLS DEMAND SIDE, SUPPLY SIDE AND INTERMEDIARY ACTORS THAT PLAY A KEY ROLE IN THE SKILLS DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM.
WE ARE GRATEFUL AS ZFE THAT IN 2020, THE SKILLS INITIATIVE FOR AFRICA (SIFA) SKILLS ANTICIPATION PROJECT, CONDUCTED A STUDY, TO MAP THE EXISTING DATA SOURCES OR PROVIDERS, REVIEW CURRENT PRACTICES, CAPACITIES AND INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION AND SKILLS ANTICIPATION AND TO PROVIDE CONCRETE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT OF EXISTING SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURES. THROUGH THE SIFA PROJECT AND STUDY UNDERTAKEN WE HAVE NOW COME TO A CONCLUSION THAT UNDERSTANDING THE LABOUR MARKET INFORMATION AND SKILLS ANTICIPATION LANDSCAPE OF A COUNTRY IS CRITICAL.
WE ARE PLEASED AS ZFE THAT AT THIS MEETING TODAY WE ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE LAUNCH OF THE NATIONAL ACTION PLAN ON SKILLS ANTICIPATION AND MATCHING. WE WISH TO PLEDGE THAT AS AN ORGANIZATION OF EMPLOYERS WHO ARE THE CONSUMERS OF SKILLS, ZFE WILL ENCOURAGE ITS MEMBERS TO FULLY PARTICIPATE IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL ACTION PLAN ON SKILLS AND MATCHING.
GUEST OF HONOUR LADIES AND GENTLEMEN I THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND MAY THE GOOD LORD BE WITH US ALL.