Astute Agriculture Engineer Mukula Makasa has been named head of the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) effective January 04. Prior to the appointment as Director General, Makasa served as Enterprise Development Director where he was tasked with provision of affordable Small to Medium Sized Enterprise (SME) funding and development of the sector to realize its growth potential so as to contribute to economic development.
This appointment comes at a very critical time for Zambia with a whole array of trade interventions such as the Africa Continental Free Trade Area Agreement of which the copper producer is a part of. All the efforts that Zambia has through the ZDA made on export and import capacity, business synergies, manufacturing boosts through the Multi Facility Economic Zones (MFEZ) to mention but a few will be put to test in the Southern African nations performance in the AfCFTA agreement. Notwithstanding that Zambia’s producing journey is ongoing with a steady momentum build up opportunities remain vast yet units like the ZDA will be looked at to steer growth in Zambia’s attainment of net exporter position.
It is about a dry point of construction that disease pandemic has ravaged the Southern African economy with suppressed growth effects and underperformance of key sectors. Inflation is on the rise in double digit, while the high interest rate burden and access to capital persists for the SME and bigger business houses. Makasa’s appointment comes with immense expectations at a time when the economy looks to go fully fledged on private sector resilience to drive growth that will support the fiscal authorities macroeconomic targets of 1.8% for 2021 from a recession of 4.2% in the COVID year 2020.
Makasa’s strategic leadership will be critical for the manufacturing component of the 2020-2023 Economic Recovery Plan (ERP) as Zambia looks to claw back disease pandemic induced eroded growth.
Makasa has vast experience having served as ZDA Director Enterprise Development just after his stint at the International Development Enterprise (IDE) an international non-governmental organization where he held various senior leadership roles in Africa (Zimbabwe and Zambia) and Europe (London). He commenced his career at Honda Farms. He holds a Master of Science Degree in Agriculture Engineering from Agrarian University in Bulgaria and a Bachelors in International Development from Andrews University in the United States.
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