Farai Mabeza, Senior Staff Writer 
THE United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (Uneca) says the harmonised policy, the legal and regulatory framework for Zambia and Zimbabwe’s proposed Common Agro-Industrial Park (CAIP) is now complete.
The proposed park is expected to improve trade between the two countries within the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Benefits of the Common Agro-Industrial Park include the achievement of economies of scale, rural industrialisation, employment creation and better livelihoods for citizens of Zambia and Zimbabwe.
According to Uneca economic affairs officer Oliver Maponga, both sides of the border are eager to see the project through.
“This is a premier special economic zone across two boundaries. It represents two countries that have come together and have decided that they want to develop agriculture linkages, of course, anchored on the agriculture and technological expertise of both countries to try and create industry around the agriculture sector,” Maponga said.
In 2021, the two neighbours signed a cooperation framework which was the basis upon which they agreed on the CAIP.
“We are helping them as the Economic Commission for Africa and working together with the Comesa (Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa) secretariat undertook a prefeasibility study, which we went through and validated.
“We also helped them organise sensitisation meetings. We have recently completed a harmonised policy legal and regulatory framework for the CAIP,” Maponga said.
“We are now organising resources for the detailed feasibility study. We are being led by Unido (United Nations Industrial Development Organisation). Technically, in terms of industrialisation they are the lead so they are leading us in the resource mobilisation drive.
“We are working with the African Development Bank, Afreximbank. They are all supporting the project to take it forward. Both countries are really keen to see this move.
“They see it as a platform where we can exploit some of our comparative advantages in the agriculture sector and be able to produce competitive products that can penetrate the African Continental Free Trade Area.”
According to Comesa, the proposed project is expected to increase the availability of industrial goods and services for the bilateral market and expand intra-regional trade in manufacturing.
It will help develop industrialists that would acquire ownership and management of the industries, develop appropriate skills and knowledge in industries, strengthen collaboration and bolster networking among policymakers, regulators, industry and academia.
On March 30, 2022, officials from the Zambian government and partners met in Lusaka and Livingstone cities to sensitise stakeholders, comprising of the private sector, academia, research institutions, civil society, Comesa secretariat, Uneca, AfDB and Unido on progress. A similar workshop was held in Zimbabwe in 2021.
The industrial park will be partially located on each side of the border. It will prioritise the processing of value chains such as cotton, maize, wheat, rice, soya beans, sugar, livestock (leather and dairy) and horticulture.
These sectors provide extensive linkages with the manufacturing sector, particularly in the processed food sub-sector, which is key in promoting industrial activities.
The project is aligned with the Comesa Industrial Strategy, which member states have adopted to create a globally competitive, environmentally friendly, diversified industrial sector that is based on innovation and manufacturing as tools for transforming regional resources into sustainable wealth and prosperity for all.
Zambia and Zimbabwe have been encouraged to form special economic zones as they have the potential to be used as platforms for regional and sub-regional markets and input supply.
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