COMMERCE, Trade and Industry Minister Robert Sichinga has urged business entities to be creative and innovative  to become competitive on the market.

Mr Sichinga said firms should devise creative and innovative ways of harnessing immense diverse potential.

He was speaking in Livingstone at the weekend when he opened the sixth Southern Tourism, Agricultural and Commercial Show Cooperative Society (STACCS).

“You are therefore called upon to devise more creative and innovative ways of harnessing this immense diverse potential particularly in view of the enabling environment being created by PF Government.

“I further challenge you to come up with strategies that will continue to enhance the state of tourist products in the province so that the country can become even more competitive both at the regional and international levels,” he said.

 Mr Sichinga urged all cooperatives in Southern Province to affiliate themselves to STACSS which in turn was affiliated to the national show cooperative society.

He said the theme for the provincial premier event was appropriate  for Southern Province  as the show captures all the key attributes of the other major national shows hosted by the other three cities in Zambia.

Mr Sichinga said the Government was determined to ensure that productivity was enhanced and safeguarded.

“The PF Government is determined in ensuring that food does not go to waste in Southern Province and the rest of the country,” he said.

He said the Government relied on the other stakeholders like the private sector to ensure that productivity was safe- guarded.

Mr Sichinga said that he was impressed with what he saw at the provincial exhibitions. It showed that the people of Southern Province were productive.

The minister said job creation was important and the Government had a number of programmes that had been planned to create jobs

He said a number of investors had expressed interest to invest in the province and urged the business community to take advantage of the co-hosting of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) general assembly in Livingstone next year.

He said his ministry would create district industrial clusters so that each district could host its economic activities.

Mr Sichinga was impressed that the districts in the province had showcased what they had to offer at the show.

“We have showcased a lot of things and yet most of the things we even import them. Let me encourage the hotels and lodges to buy local produce,”   he said.

STACCS chairperson Joseph Mumbi said the society had managed to give out 120 stands.Mr Mumbi said the society wanted to get title deeds where the show was so that the people could have permanent stands.