Create Cooperatives Ministry, Highvie Hamududu implores President Edgar Chagwa Lungu 

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By Derrick Sinjela and Favourite Jenala Kalando in Lusaka

AS ZAMBIA grapples with high poverty, high income inequality and high unemployment, Party of National Unity (PNU) President Highvie Hamududu urging President Edgar Chagwa Lungu to heed calls seeking immediate establishment of fully-fledged Cooperatives Ministry.

Preaching home grown solutions to Zambia’s myriad of socio-economic woes, Mr. Hamududu advised President Lungu to abolish one or two ministries to create space for the establishment of a fully-fledged Cooperatives Ministry.

Formerly Chairperson of the Expanded Parliamentary Committee on Estimates, Hamududu believes that once established, a fully-fledged Cooperatives Ministry will facilitate anticipated socio-economic transformation.

“Government must create space for a fully-fledged Ministry of Cooperatives by abolishing an existing ministry or merging some ministries so that a slot is created in cabinet for a fully-fledged Ministry of Co-operatives, to facilitate development of co-operative for accelerated economic development,” implored Hamududu, an economist by profession.

Assessing Zambia’s current stage of economic development, Hamududu stressed that an elaborate co-operatives approach in all sectors of the local economy remains a powerful means of overcoming the teething fiscal burden.

Accordingly, borrowing a cue from the British parlance of old on strength arising from increased numbers, Hamududu holds a belief that cooperatives become a very powerful way of pulling resources together, whether in production or marketing in any sector of the Zambian economy.

“Our current economic activities are too individualised, fragmented and add up to no significant impact in the economic value chain and do not attract big buyers. Big local and International buyers of our products and services want huge outputs worth their attention and investment,” advised Hamududu, in a way daring President Lungu to walk the cooperative path as stated by the Patriotic Front (PF) leadership, since 2015.

Hamududu pointed out that through a private sector driven and organised commodity-based co-operatives, Zambia can become a significant net supplier of goods and services on the national and global economic stage.

“Let the fruit growers, specific crop farmers, vegetable farmers, specific livestock farmers, coffee growers, tea growers, cashew-nut growers, groundnut growers, soya bean growers, metal fabricators, carpenters, dairy farmers, honey  bee-keepers, pineapple growers, cotton growers etcetera etcetera (etc) pull resources and common standards  together to attract big buyers at home and abroad,” advised Hamududu.

The Party of National Unity leader restated that co-operatives production aggregation will create a stable and reliable feedstock to agro processing and other primary industries to create value addition and jobs for young people, thus nipping high poverty, income inequality and high unemployment in the bud.

Hamududu encouraged the Zambian Government to elevate the co-operative platform for poverty elimination, job creation and accelerated economic development within a very short time, as citizens are in dire need of relief.

Further, Hamududu reiterated that co-operatives present a more effective platform for a people centred and inclusive economic growth.

Citing Kenya, a country without any significant mining sector, Hamududu pointed out that the East African country, now led by President Uluru Kenyatta presented a good example of how a thorough co-operative approach can bring multiple benefits to the general populace and robust economic development.