19/06/2025
Press Statement
(For Immediate Release)
PUBLIC-PRIVATE DIALOGUE FORUM (PPDF) CONTINUES ENGAGEMENTS TO DRIVE SECTOR REFORMS.
Lusaka – Thursday, 19 June, 2025 — The Public-Private Dialogue Forum (PPDF) continues to actively engage stakeholders to facilitate the discussions around critical reforms in the Agriculture, Media, Mining, Manufacturing, Energy, Financial Services, ICT & Digitalization and Tourism sectors in Zambia through its Technical Working Groups (TWGs) engagements to foster private
sector growth and job creation.
The first two quarters of 2025 have seen significant progress in addressing sectoral bottlenecks and fostering collaboration between the public and private sectors.
On February 20, 2025, the Media Sub-Technical Working Group convened to dialogue on challenges in the local media industry.
Discussions highlighted unregulated foreign media buying agencies, financial constraints within the media, limited training opportunities, threats to editorial independence, insufficient government business allocation to private media, high import duties on broadcasting equipment, and unsustainable carriage fees on platforms of Topstar, GOtv, and DSTV.
The meeting resulted in several resolutions, including the establishment of a Media Trust Fund, strengthening public-private collaboration via the PPDF, enhancement of media regulations,
and instituting policy reforms to target advertising and licensing frameworks.
On March 7, 2025, the Energy Sector TWG focused on operational challenges being faced by Independent Power Producers like VAT refunds for energy projects, water permit administration, and the need to review implementation agreements to boost project bankability.
The TWG also discussed Bank of Zambia’s currency regulations and the exemptions applying to the energy sector, the need to revise energy sector incentives, and the framework to promote Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in the sector.
The Ministry of Energy shared the policy development in the
sector and highlighted the updates on the customs handbook for solar photovoltaic (PV) products.
The Mining TWG held its 4th meeting and discussed issues affecting Mining operations within Zambia. Concerns over the mining cadaster system, mine safety regulations, mining
legislation, and local content development, were among the main issues raised in the meeting.
Focus was placed on the ongoing mining legislative consultation process, which aims to address outstanding legal reforms. Local content development featured prominently, with the Ministry of
Mines introducing the Local Content Access System (LOCUS), a platform designed to centralize local supplier databases.
This database will enhance capacity-building through training, provide data to support financing collaborations for joint ventures, while monitoring supplier performance to strengthen business partnerships.
On June 6, 2025, the PPDF Mining Ad hoc Technical Working Group met to review the final draft of the “Geological and Minerals Development (Preference for Zambian Goods and Services in the Mining Sector) Regulations, 2025,” also known as the Local Content Regulations.
These regulations seek to enhance Zambian participation across the mining value chain by reserving contracts for local contractors and suppliers. The PPDF has facilitated an inclusive consultative process involving key stakeholders from the Chamber of Mines, Mine Suppliers Associations, Chambers of Commerce, Civil Society Organizations, think tanks, and multilateral partners.
Consensus was reached by all parties on the structure of the regulations and Government is expected to issue these regulations in Q3- 2025.
Ongoing Engagement and Planning
The PPDF continues to follow up and receive responses to matters requiring resolution from key ministries, regulation institutions and agencies. The Co-chairs of the various TWGs are already planning for upcoming Q2 and Q3 meetings. Notably, the Manufacturing TWG Co-chairs have agreed for a meeting date of 22 July, 2025 for the Manufacturing Technical Working Group.
The PPDF invites the private sector to lodge in submissions on priority matters that impede private sector growth, investments, job creation and require dialogue with the public sector to unlock the bottlenecks and agree on sustainable solutions in the respective sectors. The submissions should clearly outline the identified impediments or bottlenecks, the impact of these on private sector operations, industry and the proposed solution for consideration by the public sector.
Solutions that are backed by empirical evidence and benchmarked with international best practice present an opportunity for efficient dialogue, solution-based decision making, and implementation. This also allows the PPDF to clearly measure the expected impact on economic development of the proposed solutions.
The PPDF reiterates its commitment to facilitate public sector reforms that promote transparent and efficient regulatory frameworks which foster private sector growth, job creation and overall economic growth.
