The Zambian Government has affirmed its recognition of the private sector’s vital role in achieving national goals for clean and accessible water, sanitation, and hygiene services.
Dr. Howard Mpamba, Acting Director of the Department of Water Resources Development (DWRD) within the Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation, emphasized the fundamental importance of water for health, economic development, and environmental sustainability.
Dr. Mpamba assured that the Ministry is committed to addressing the challenges facing the water sector, including water shortages, droughts, and the need for infrastructure improvements.
He stressed the importance of innovative solutions and collaborative efforts to enhance service delivery and sustainable water resource management.
These remarks were made during Dr. Mpamba’s speech, delivered on behalf of the Acting Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation, at a Consultative Stakeholder Engagement Meeting on the Draft Private Sector Engagement Strategy.
The meeting, held at the Southern Sun Hotel in Lusaka, was supported by WaterAid Zambia.
The five-year strategy, with annual reviews, aims to address the urgent need to improve access to water, sanitation, and hygiene.
“We are here to leverage the expertise, resources, and innovation of the private sector,” Dr. Mpamba stated.
“The government, through the Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation, is committed to developing a comprehensive Private Sector Engagement Strategy, which we are here to consult on,” he added.
Dr. Mpamba also referenced the Eighth National Development Plan, which identifies improved water supply and sanitation services as key development outcomes in the government’s agenda.
“Through this Strategy, we hope to achieve sustainable financing mechanisms for the water sector that will facilitate the necessary investments and innovations required to meet our goals,” he added.
WaterAid Zambia Country Director, Yankho Mataya, thanked the Ministry of Water Development and Sanitation for their commitment to engaging with stakeholders to increase private sector involvement in water, sanitation, and hygiene.
Ms. Mataya emphasized the role of the private sector, from micro-enterprises to multinational corporations, in Zambia’s development.
She highlighted the water, sanitation, and hygiene sector as one where private sector engagement can be particularly impactful.
Ms. Mataya outlined several ways the private sector can contribute, including: Supporting learning and research to inform localized solutions, Financing capital, operations, and maintenance investments for water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure, Adopting business practices and production models that create opportunities and mitigate climate change, Supporting the development of a capable workforce for the sector, Leveraging supply chains and business networks to accelerate progress.
Ms. Mataya also shared WaterAid’s global experience in working with the private sector, citing examples of transformative change achieved through such partnerships.
“In Zambia, we recently worked with Standard Chartered Bank in response to the most recent cholera outbreak,” she said.
This is contained in a statement issued by Zambia NGO WASH Forum National Coordinator Ms Bubala Muyovwe-Mumba.
