Govt bureaucracy threatens to derail Grow Zambia agenda – Kopakopa

Economist Naylor Kopakopa says bureaucracy and the high cost of doing business could undermine the Government’s Grow Zambia agenda by slowing down investments and discouraging businesses from expanding.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Zambian Business Times-ZBT Kopakopa said excessive bureaucracy increases the cost of doing business because companies are often forced to spend more time and resources navigating administrative processes.

He said delays in decision-making, corruption and poor implementation of duties can further increase business costs and discourage potential investors from coming into the country. “Bureaucracy is bad. It increases the cost of doing business and derails business,” Kopakopa said.

He said while the Government has expressed its desire to grow the economy, the fundamentals required to support that growth must also be put in place. Kopakopa said his assessment of the Grow Zambia agenda, particularly in the agriculture sector, shows that more needs to be done to support production and marketing.

He said increased production of crops such as maize and soya beans would not automatically translate into economic growth if farmers lack adequate infrastructure and reliable markets.