Muchinga AS calls for deliberate policy and legal framework to address barriers faced by Innovators and start-ups
Chinsali, January 17, 2025. Government has reaffirmed its` commitment to address barriers faced by innovators and start-ups, particularly in accessing funding, mentorship and market opportunities.
Muchinga Province Assistant Secretary Brian Sichande said there is need for a deliberate policy and legal framework to address identified barriers being faced by Innovators and start-ups.
Mr Sichande made the remarks yesterday in Chinsali when he officially opened a technical Focus Group Dialogue on the assessment of the implementation of Output-Based Budgeting, start-up bill development and the Science, Technology and Innovation Ecosystem in Muchinga Province.
The Assistant Secretary said the Start-ups Bill resonates with the aspirations of all stakeholders, especially those in under-represented sectors.
He stated that implementation of the Output-Based Budgeting (OBB) will help to link resource allocation to measurable outcomes in that it will align financial planning with national development priorities, thereby ensuring accountability and enhanced service delivery.
The Assistant Secretary added that the Output-Based Budgeting has since been rolled out to the entire Government system, though challenges such as limited capacity, outputs, target setting, data gaps and alignment with institutional objectives still persist.
“As Government we are committed to addressing the gaps while leveraging existing opportunities, such as the global focus on sustainable technologies and digital transformation,” he said.
Mr Sichande further said aside the efforts at hand, the need to strengthen research and develop infrastructure, enhance technology transfer mechanisms, and foster meaningful collaboration between academia, industry, and government remains critical.
He emphasised that the Science, Technology and Innovation ecosystem forms the foundation of a knowledge-driven economy, saying the journey towards economic transformation is a shared responsibility.
Mr. Sichande stated that Government has set an ambitious target as adopted in the 8th National Development Plan aimed at transforming Zambia into a prosperous middle-income country by 2030.
He noted that the vision 2030 affirms implementation of key policy frameworks anchored on pillars that drive economic transformation and foster inclusive development.
Mr. Sichande implored on participants to identify practical solutions to align collective efforts with Zambias` vision 2030 and the aspirations of the people.
And speaking during the same meeting, Acting Director Science and Technology in the Ministry of Technology and Science Mwenya Mulenga said the Ministry is currently conducting assessments on the 3 mandate components namely Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) ecosystem.
Mr. Mulenga said the purpose of the assessments is to help entrepreneurs who wish to venture into their own businesses to utilize resources available in the Country.
Meanwhile, stakeholders from both private and public sectors have made submissions to the Ministry on how best the country can promote Science, Technology and Innovation for economic transformation.
