Enabling Environment for Sustainable Enterprises in Zambia
The Zambia Federation of Employers (ZFE), with technical support of the International Labour Organization (ILO), will launch a new report and an action plan on the assessment of the Enabling Environment for Sustainable Enterprises (EESE) during a high-level tripartite dissemination event to be held on 30 May, 2013 at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Lusaka. The Honourable Minister of Commerce Trade and Industry, Mr. Emmanuel Chenda, MP will launch the report.
30 May 2013
30 May 2013 - The Zambia Federation of Employers (ZFE), with technical support of the International Labour Organization (ILO), will launch a new report and an action plan on the assessment of the Enabling Environment for Sustainable Enterprises (EESE) during a high-level tripartite dissemination event to be held on 30 May, 2013 at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Lusaka. The Honourable Minister of Commerce Trade and Industry, Mr. Emmanuel Chenda, MP will launch the report.
Four priority areas are addressed in the Zambia EESE action plan: physical infrastructure, education, training and lifelong learning, the legal and regulatory environment, and adequate social protection. Access to financial services is a relevant issue which is cross-cutting.
The highlights of the report include:
The EESE assessment serves to complement efforts already made by the Zambia Government and other stakeholders such as the Sixth National Development Plan and the promotion of pro-poor growth through job creation, the 2012 Industrialization and Job Creation Strategy, the 2009 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Policy, draft Decent Work Country Programme 2012-2016, and the Private Sector Development Reform Program.
The Zambia EESE assessment was completed through secondary data sources, focus group discussions with relevant stakeholders in Zambia, and a perception survey conducted from December 2012 to February 2013 and focusing on 8 of the 17 pillars. Inputs were also gleaned from two technical workshops held in September 2012 and April 2013 involving the Workers’ and Employers’ organizations as well as government representatives. The results of the assessment are contained in the ILO Employment Report entitled “The Enabling Environment for Sustainable Enterprises in Zambia”.
The assessment focuses on the political, economic, social, and environmental aspects of a conducive environment for doing business, covering 17 pillars as highlighted in the Conclusions adopted at the International Labour Conference in June 2007 concerning the promotion of sustainable enterprises.
The Conclusions provide guidance on how to promote enterprise development in a manner that aligns enterprise growth with sustainable development objectives and the creation of productive employment and decent work.
This dissemination event seeks to raise awareness of the existing constraints to enterprise growth in the country and to gain support for the implementation of the action plan to create a more conducive business environment.
For more information, see www.ilo.org
Four priority areas are addressed in the Zambia EESE action plan: physical infrastructure, education, training and lifelong learning, the legal and regulatory environment, and adequate social protection. Access to financial services is a relevant issue which is cross-cutting.
The highlights of the report include:
- In Zambia poor physical infrastructure is a major obstacle to running a business efficiently and effectively.
- Women are less educated than men which negatively affect their economic position.
- Interviewees think the regulatory environment is “rather favourable” for running large companies, and “unfavourable” for running small firms.
- The majority of respondents believe that registration costs encourage informality and contribute to women dominating the informal economy.
The EESE assessment serves to complement efforts already made by the Zambia Government and other stakeholders such as the Sixth National Development Plan and the promotion of pro-poor growth through job creation, the 2012 Industrialization and Job Creation Strategy, the 2009 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development Policy, draft Decent Work Country Programme 2012-2016, and the Private Sector Development Reform Program.
The Zambia EESE assessment was completed through secondary data sources, focus group discussions with relevant stakeholders in Zambia, and a perception survey conducted from December 2012 to February 2013 and focusing on 8 of the 17 pillars. Inputs were also gleaned from two technical workshops held in September 2012 and April 2013 involving the Workers’ and Employers’ organizations as well as government representatives. The results of the assessment are contained in the ILO Employment Report entitled “The Enabling Environment for Sustainable Enterprises in Zambia”.
The assessment focuses on the political, economic, social, and environmental aspects of a conducive environment for doing business, covering 17 pillars as highlighted in the Conclusions adopted at the International Labour Conference in June 2007 concerning the promotion of sustainable enterprises.
The Conclusions provide guidance on how to promote enterprise development in a manner that aligns enterprise growth with sustainable development objectives and the creation of productive employment and decent work.
This dissemination event seeks to raise awareness of the existing constraints to enterprise growth in the country and to gain support for the implementation of the action plan to create a more conducive business environment.
For more information, see www.ilo.org