Government says it stands ready to foster a business-friendly regulatory environment to facilitate economic diversification.
Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Chipoka Mulenga says his ministry is progressively reviewing business regulations, streamlining business registration processes and enhancing collaboration among regulatory agencies to ensure ease of doing business in Zambia.
Mr. Mulenga said this in a speech read on his behalf by Muchinga Province Assistant Secretary Brian Sichande yesterday during the official launch of the Chinsali Regulatory Services Centre (CRSC) held at the Chinsali Municipal Council grounds in Chinsali District.
The newly launched Chinsali Regulatory Service Centre will offer services provided by the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise Development, Department of Cooperatives, the Patents and Companies Registration Agency (PACRA), and Chinsali Municipal Council under one roof.
“Regulatory Service Centres are designed to enhance the business environment by providing regulatory support, offering expert advice on regulatory requirements to help businesses navigate complex legal provisions and requirements,” the minister said.
Mr Mulenga said it is his hope that the Chinsali Regulatory Service Centre shall help the business community in Streamlining business, the registration processes and reducing the procedures and time required to complete registration.
“We also hope there will be an increasing compliance to regulatory requirements through access to the key government regulatory agencies,” he said.
And Business Regulatory Review Agency (BRRA) Board Chairperson Dominic Kapalu explained that one of the key business licensing reforms in Zambia has been the establishment of Regulatory Services Centres (RSCs) coordinated by the Business Regulatory Review Agency.
Mr. Kapalu said the RSCs are aimed at improving the delivery and accessibility of regulatory services and reduce the regulatory burden on business.
“The establishment of a regulatory services centre here in Chinsali is not just a symbolic gesture, but a tangible action towards building an ecosystem that also supports entrepreneurship and innovation,” he said.
The goal is to ensure that business formalisation is no longer a barrier to successful businesses but a process that empowers businesses to tap into economic activities and improve the livelihoods of communities.
In a vote of thanks Chamber of Commerce Representative Oliver Mulenga appealed for improved internet connectivity and ensuring the office is provided with alternative sources of power.
The Chinsali RSC is now the sixth centre established in the Country after Lusaka, Kitwe, Livingstone, Kabwe, and Solwezi.
