Chipata Municipal Council has revealed a diversification and investment programme that will create 5,000 jobs in the district annually starting next year.
Director of Planning, Kaonga Namenda says that the local authority has started spearheading value addition by promoting industrialisation in various sectors.
Mr. Namenda says that so far, some companies have started coming up, which will be involved in production of various products like roofing sheets.
He says that the previously government was spearheading industrialisation by setting up industries itself, but this is being changed to allow the private sector take up the opportunity.
Mr. Namenda indicated that the industrial park, which government is setting up in Chipata, the tarring of Lundazi-Chama road and plans to extend Chipata Airport have positive effects in economic development for the district.
And Mr. Namenda says that the council is aiming at increasing the financial base of the local authority but this can only be done if the district attracts investment.
He says that the council has acquired 10 hectares of land which will accommodate not less than ten processing industries and another piece of land which will host more industries.
Mr. Namenda said this during a radio programme dubbed “Visioning the City” on Breeze FM this morning.