BY KWANELE TSABEDZE
MBABANE – The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade has met with stakeholders to validate the new Industrial Policy.
The consultation with stakeholders happened yesterday in Mbabane, where different stakeholders had a chance to deliberate on the changes that will come with the new Industrial Policy. Some of the changes highlighted in the discussions included access to information and improving local standards to first-world standards.
Speaking on behalf of the Principal Secretary in the Ministry, Registrar of Companies Msebe Malinga listed the objectives of the Industrial policy as:
1. Maximise domestic benefits.
2. Boosting value addition for inclusive industrialisation.
3. Enhancing economic resilience.
4. Creating quality jobs, and;
5. Promoting green industrialisation.
“The new Industrial Policy seeks to make the largest contribution to the National Development Goals through economic recovery, sustainable and inclusive economic growth and environmental sustainability,” explained Malinga.
The European Union representative Nomfundo Dlamini noted that The policy will assist the Eswatini economy to create well-paying jobs and become more resilient to external shocks and crises.
“This includes the inflationary pressures that were triggered by the Russian aggression on Ukraine, climate change dynamics, and post-pandemic growth recovery agenda,” noted Dlamini. Other stakeholders who were represented in the validation workshop include the United Nations Agencies, Business Eswatini, and some of the country’s corporations among others.
