KINSHASA – His Majesty King Mswati III has told SADC that Eswatini has started the process of ratifying the SADC Protocol on Industry which is aimed at governing the attainment of industrial development in the region.
His Majesty has been speaking during the ongoing 42nd Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government held in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo – according an official statement from Government.
The Summit is held under the theme: “Promoting Industrialisation through Agro-Processing, Mineral Beneficiation and Regional Value Chains for Inclusive and Resilient Economic Growth.”
Speaking at the Summit, His Majesty said, “We have all the materials that we need to turn things around in our respective countries. If we work together rather than competing with each other and share our skills and expertise, we can harness these in line with our various guiding principles and strategies.”
“We thank the assistance Eswatini received through the SADC Trade Related Facility (TRF) for the review of the Industrial Development Policy and the development of a value chain strategy for Eswatini. We have outlined agro-processing, mining and mineral beneficiation and pharmaceuticals as priority sectors in Eswatini’s Industrial Development Policy,” remarked His Majesty King Mswati III.
He added that, “We are currently implementing the value chain strategy where horticulture, as well as meat and its products, were identified as sub-sectors with great potential. Therefore, we encourage member states to collaborate with us to deepen regional value chains.”
His Majesty further revealed that, “We are also implementing the SADC Industrialization Strategy and Roadmap. As such, we have constructed a number of pack houses across the country to enhance cold chain management. This will improve the turnaround time for small holder farmers and encourage them to venture into the business.”
