• Speech delivered  by ZCCM IH Mabvuto Chipata

A significant percentage of our Company budget expenditure goes through the procurement unit that contracts suppliers of various goods and services.

These goods and services are particularly administrative and investment-related, from hiring machinery for projects, undertaking of environmental project briefs, exploration services, consultancy services, supply of branding collaterals to supply of cleaning services among others.

We are currently redefining our business strategy, from being passive holders of minority stakes in the mines, to being active operators in mining projects in the country.

As such, the effective and efficient management of both the revenue and the cost side of the business is key with this renewed strategic focus.

Cost management for instance in operations and acquiring of various equipment and other services is necessary for us to achieve the set revenue targets.

It is with this background that the issue of procurement becomes paramount in managing the cost side of the business.  

I therefore have no doubt that the introduction of an electronic procurement system within our procurement unit will lead to increased efficiencies and transparency that will result in:

• Reduced costs;
• Increased productivity;
• Smooth interface between the company and the suppliers;
• Controlled monitoring of contracts;
• Increased transaction speed; and,
• Reduced errors.

We want to leverage on such benefits of the e-procurement system to deliver on projects efficiently and drive company growth. 

As such, this training workshop has been prompted by the need for ZCCM-IH to migrate to this Electronic-Government Procurement (E-GP) system, which is timely for us to move and adapt to the changing business environment.

We are working towards the integration and migration of our internal systems to digital platforms, and this system is one of the tools to help us deliver on projects effectively.  

I would like to thank the ZPPA team, through the Director General Mr Christopher Chichoni for responding favorably to come and facilitate this training for us. 

I urge all the ZCCM-IH staff being trained to embrace this change as it will add value to the ZCCM-IH procurement cycle.

I would like to invite the ZPPA Director General Mr Chichoni, to give his remarks and officially open this training workshop.

Thank you and God bless!