Lusaka – Wednesday 25 June, 2025 — The Public-Private Dialogue Forum (PPDF) is pleased to announce the commencement of preparations for the 4th Private Sector Day (PSD). The event will include key stakeholders from the public and private sectors, civil society, and development partners.
As part of this preparatory phase, the PPDF is calling on stakeholders across the public sector, private sector, civil society, development partners and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to propose a theme for the upcoming 4th PSD. The suggested theme should reflect current national priorities, Zambia’s reform agenda, and the evolving role of the private sector in shaping inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
In 2022, the 1st Private Sector Day was held under the theme “Demonstrating Zambia’s Quick Wins.” It presented technical working group (TWG) reports that identified and resolved 90 percent of the low-hanging bottlenecks across seven key sectors. Successes included the enactment of the Trade and Investments Act of 2023, reduced licensing fees for courier services, removal of withholding tax on reinsurance, faster processing of environmental project briefs in the mining sector, removal of customs duty on equipment for geothermal energy, and the commencement of General Management Plan reviews with UNDP support.
In 2023, the 2nd Private Sector Day was hosted under the theme “An Enabling Business Environment for Private Sector Growth and Job Creation.” The event strengthened collaboration between public and private actors, provided an opportunity for direct engagement with His Excellency, President Hakainde Hichilema, and reported back on the progress made in sector reforms. The President received updates on reforms in agriculture, energy, financial services, ICT and digitalization, manufacturing, mining, media, and tourism, with the event resolving 86 bottlenecks through consensus-driven dialogue.
In 2024, the 3rd Private Sector Day was held under the theme “Unlocking Economic Opportunities in the Face of Climate Change and Drought.” The event emphasized the importance of sustainable business practices in the face of climate challenges, with particular focus on energy and mining as engines of green economic transformation. This dialogue underscored the need to build climate resilience while promoting investment, growth, and meaningful employment.
As of today, a total of 93 issues of key reforms have been initiated by the private sector and adopted by the public sector for implementation since the formation of the PPDF in April 2022.
The PPDF invites all stakeholders to submit proposed themes for the 4th Private Sector Day. The proposed theme should build on the momentum of our past themes and align with Zambia’s reform priorities and economic development vision.
Submissions can be emailed to jacqueline.chishimba@ppdf.org.zm and info@ppdf.org.zm.
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