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LUSAKA, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) – A virtual import and export conference and exhibition opened Tuesday with the Zambian government urging African countries to embrace e-commerce to speed up trade.
The two-day event, organized by the Zambian government in collaboration with the private sector, is a flagship networking platform aimed at promoting intra-African trade on the African continent.
It has brought together businessmen and technocrats from different African countries to promote imports and exports.
The Minister of Commerce, Commerce and Industry, Christopher Yaluma, said that the world is changing, which requires a change in the way of doing business.
He said that the arrival of COVID-19, which discourages physical contacts, requires companies to embrace e-commerce in order to compete favorably in the international market.
Connecting Africa through e-commerce requires massive investments in information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure, he said, adding that better use of e-commerce will help reduce trade costs.
According to him, Africa has untapped natural resources that need to be exploited to enhance economic development, adding that e-commerce will play a vital role in creating markets.
Zambia, he said, is already embracing e-commerce, prompting the country to launch an e-portal recently aimed at providing business opportunities for investors.
He noted that it is necessary to create commercial links between the industries of the region, as they have the potential to accelerate economic development.
The event, which is held under the theme “Connecting Africa through trade and e-commerce”, has attracted more than 1,000 participants and around 100 exhibitors and will host a number of activities, including business-to-business forums with local speakers. and international, as well as business meetings using the latest technology and business opportunities. Final product
