Zambia’s finance minister, Bwalya Ng’andu, officially opened a new British American Tobacco (BAT) cigarette factory in Lusaka.
Ng’andu said the $25 million facility represents the kind of development the government is determined to have because it enhances the inflow of foreign direct investment.
Ng’andu urged BAT to engage the domestic agriculture sector and create linkages to reduce imports of tobacco.
BAT Zambia General Manager Kimesh Naidoo said the Zambian market holds potential for creating more upstream and downstream employment through the tobacco industry development.
The tobacco sector supports the livelihoods of an estimated 500,000 farmers in Zambia.