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Message: [QUOTE="Nehanda, post: 22654, member: 2262"] Business Leaders Sound Alarm on Zambia's Economic Woes. Zambia's top business group sees dark clouds over the nation's trade future. The Zambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry points to power cuts, weak money, and drought as key problems. "Our firms can't keep up," says Anthony Kabaghe, who leads the business group. He notes that power cuts stop work at plants. The local money keeps losing value. Banks won't lend much cash. Rules and permits cost a lot. Police roadblocks slow down trucks. The drought brings more trouble. Farms make less food, which drives up prices. The meat trade suffers. Cotton farms struggle. All this hurts stores and factories that need farm goods. Kabaghe asks the state to build more dams. He wants new power plans. He hopes for better links to other nations' power grids. "We need clear rules," says Kabaghe. He wants less red tape and fair work laws. He asks for fewer roadblocks. Put up smart checks instead of lots of police stops," he adds. The group pushes for a new mining law team. This would help local firms get more work from big mines and bring more jobs to Zambians. The business group plans big changes next year. It wants street sellers to join the main economy. This would help them get loans and grow bigger. More taxes would come in, and more people would use banks. "We must count our progress," Kabaghe says. He wants a yearly check on how trades and stores do. This would show what helps or hurts business. The group says these problems need quick fixes. Businesspeople and state leaders must team up. They should talk more, from big cities to small towns. This would solve things like land fees and local rules faster. The group stays hopeful but firm. It wants the state to help firms grow. "Make it easier to run a business," Kabaghe says. "That's how we'll all do better." [/QUOTE]

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