EIPA hosts Investment Policy Validation workshop

The Eswatini Investment Promotion Authority (EIPA) through the Ministry of Commerce Industry and Trade with support from the European Union (EU) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Secretariat have hosted a validation workshop on the Eswatini National Investment Policy. The Policy, which was undergoing validation today, will create the precedent environment for attracting and admitting investors into Eswatini.

Mr. Martin Masilela, Executive Head, Investment Promotion at EIPA comments, “The validation process guiding the adoption of the Eswatini National Policy on Investment is a crucial step towards further enhancing the quality of investment that is brought into Eswatini for the creation of jobs and ultimately economic development. We would like to thank the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade for its guidance in drafting this document and for their continued support in bringing the process to this point. We would also like to acknowledge the support received from the EU and SADC Secretariat in delivering the draft policy in its current form. The institutional structure proposed by the Policy seeks to overcome the bureaucratic inertia often experienced in processing investor applications. Once the Policy is approved by Cabinet, we look forward to applying the "Nkwe" concept in the implementation phase."

The workshop commenced with addresses from the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade, a representative from the EU and a representative from SADC. The second half of the day captured feedback from open discussions held on the content of the policy as well as incorporating the feedback of various stakeholders’ to the document.

Masilela concludes, “As EIPA we remain committed to supporting the work of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade by continuing to perform our mandate to attract, encourage and facilitate Trade and Investment for economic development. The National Investment Policy is complimentary to other policies which include the Industrial Development Policy and the MSME Policy. We look forward to working with industry, Government, the civil society and academia in making the implementation of this policy a success.”