Lusaka – Zambia has validated a five-year, USD 3.5 million trade development programme aimed at growing the country’s non-traditional exports and strengthening its beef value chain for regional and global markets.
The Zambia Enhanced Integrated Framework Phase III Country Programme Document was validated at a meeting in Lusaka on Tuesday, bringing together government officials, private sector representatives and development partners.
The programme, themed “Strengthening Trade Institutions and Beef Value Chain for Regional and Global Markets,” will run from 2026 to 2031 and will be implemented by the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry through the National Implementation Unit. 
By 2031, the programme targets a 15% increase in non-traditional exports, support for 300 export-ready small and medium enterprises, integration of 3,000 producers into structured value chains, mobilisation of over USD 30 million in private investment, and increased participation of women and youth-led enterprises in export markets.
Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Trade Lillian S. Bwalya opened the validation meeting, describing the programme as more than a technical document.
“This is a strategic national transformation framework that positions trade as a driver for industrialisation, a catalyst for investment, a platform for enterprise growth and an instrument for economic transformation,” she said.
Bwalya said the global economic environment is evolving rapidly, with countries now competing on competitiveness, efficiency, investment readiness, innovation and institutional effectiveness rather than natural resources alone. She pointed to regional integration frameworks including COMESA, SADC and the African Continental Free Trade Area as opening new opportunities for trade expansion and value addition.
EIF Executive Director Aissatou Diallo described Zambia’s programme document as “both ambitious and practical,” pointing to its focus on the beef value chain as a vehicle for value addition, market access, competitiveness and investment mobilisation.
“Phase Three centres on using trade and investment as engines for competitiveness, economic transformation, and sustainable growth. This requires focused, country-owned programmes that catalyse investment, strengthen enterprises, and create opportunities for citizens,” Diallo said.
Zambia Development Agency Director General Albert Halwampa, speaking in a vote of thanks, said his agency is particularly encouraged by the programme’s focus on investment facilitation and private sector development, singling out a proposed Investor One Stop Shop as a critical opportunity to improve the investor experience and reduce transaction costs.
“Today’s discussions demonstrated the importance of working together to position trade and investment as key drivers of Zambia’s economic transformation,” Halwampa said.
The programme responds to recommendations from the Diagnostic Trade Integration Study Update and the WTO Trade Policy Review, and aligns with Zambia’s Eighth National Development Plan on export diversification and industrialisation.
