As the Senior Economic Advisor to the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), I was given the task of formulating and coordinating strategies for the economic development of Zambia. Zambia was chosen as a model, to see if the Asian Experience and micro and macro economic strategies could be applied to this Nation to bring about positive and measurable changes. The programme, officially called Strategic Action Initiatives for Economic Development (SAI ED), is commonly called the TRIANGLE OF HOPE (TOH) programme. The expression “Triangle of Hope” refers to the need for three forces namely: “Political Will”, “Civil Service Efficiency” and “Private Sector Dynamism” to work together with Integrity, if a nation is to succeed in providing the vital needs of jobs and wealth creation.

Arising from my many visits to Zambia, I can vouch that:

• Zambia is a veritable Paradise… a land of beauty (and home to the great Victoria Falls). Landlocked Zambia is a great“island of peace” with no internal conflict or external threats for more than 30 years.
• Parliamentary democracy flourishes with a stable Government. The recent elections where the ruling party was returned to power, was peaceful and transparent. The Government of Zambia (GRZ) is committed to Private Sector growth as a driving force for the economy and has committed itself to creating the investment environment for dynamic growth to welcome private local and foreign investors to become engines of growth.
• The Government is taking concerted efforts to implement programmes like Clients Charter, Integrated Approval Systems, E-Governance, etc to facilitate business and improve efficiency in the delivery systems. The Zambian Development Agency (ZDA) has been set up to serve as a One-Stop Facilitation Centre to help Investors.
• “Landlocked” Zambia is truly “LANDLINKED”. With 8 countries sharing its border, Zambia, with an internal population of over 11 million people, offers itself as a stable base to serve a 350 million Regional Market, through “Economic Union” programmes with its neighbours.

Within Asia, Zambia is presently targeting Malaysia, India and China as sources for foreign capital and technology. The Government of Zambia had hosted several seminars and visiting missions from these countries to promote business opportunities in Zambia.

To date, two Malaysian commercial projects have committed to a JV with Zambian businessmen, i.e. the assembly/manufacture of mobile phones to make Zambia a production centre for Sub Saharan Africa and an Educational Centre. The Malaysian Kulim Hi-Tech Park is involved with JICA in undertaking a Master Plan to develop a Multi Facility Economic Zone (MFEZ), which is expected to be ready by 2009/2010. The MFEZ combines the benefits of a normal Industrial Park and an Export Processing Zone and is designed to create infrastructure and approval systems that will benchmark the best that Asia offers.

Tata of India has invested in a hotel and an assembly plant for commercial vehicles and soon a US$120 million Hydro Power project will be launched. Vedanta has also set up one of the biggest copper mines in Zambia. Recently, as a result of the TOH strategy, Indian companies have committed to set up a Super Speciality Hospital to serve the region, and a copper salt project. Other medical and educational projects are under active investigation. China has invested in a US$18.7 million Cotton Textile project and is also involved in the mining sector and in the creation of MFEZs.

My Advice To The Malaysian Business Community
These are challenging times and Malaysia as a nation is seeking and often finding new avenues for growth and expansion, both within and outside the country. The Malaysian Government is encouraging cross border business ventures in order to sustain economic growth.

• In May 2008, the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA), that has for some time been fostering and assisting Malaysian Companies in cross border investments, has for the first time set up a special Cross Border Investment Promotion Division. Malaysian Businessmen must take full advantage of this and the incentives offered for such overseas investments.
• Malaysian Businessmen must not be deluded by the images on TV and the news media about violence, death, tribal conflicts, starvation, etc in Africa. Africa is not one monolithic bloc. It contains more than 50 nations and it is on record that only 20% of nations in Africa are in any sort of conflict and convulsed in the type of poverty and starvation that grabs International headlines.
• Zambia is one among the 80% of nations that does not grab headlines and thus is unknown, simply because it is a peaceful nation, dedicated to growth and giving its citizens a fair share in growing world prosperity. Therefore, Malaysian and Asian Businessmen should not “paint Africa with one brush”. Go and take a look at Zambia and the potential it offers. Put at least a toehold in this nation, for Africa is the next region of dynamic growth and peaceful Zambia would be a good place to start one’s “African Adventure for Growth & Profits”.
• Zambia has a stable political environment, liberal exchange control regime (one can repatriate capital and profits without problems), it recognises and welcomes expatriate skills to help drive the economy and most critically Malaysia has earned for itself a good reputation and Zambians are pro-Malaysia.