Bulawayo — PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda yesterday said Zambia and Zimbabwe should expand their manufacturing industry to overcome the harsh effects of the global economic meltdown.
President Banda said the two countries should work with greater vigour in turning their common raw materials into finished goods and also called for improvement in infrastructure such as telecommunications, road, air and rail to facilitate trade between the two countries and the entire continent.
Mr Banda was speaking when he opened the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) in Bulawayo.
President Banda said the two countries could augment their efforts by investing in human resource development and protection of the environment, which were key ingredients in achieving sustainable economic development.
He said he was happy that the two countries were cooperating in various sectors, notably the establishment of a one-stop border post at Chirundu, which would minimise the time and cost of trade in the region.
The president said the theme for the 50th ZITF, "Golden platform for dynamic takeoff", was appropriate as it came at a time when the world was facing a challenge of the economic meltdown.
On Saturday, President Banda travels to Gwanda, 150 kilometres south of Bulawayo, where he was born.-ZANIS
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