ZAMBIA – Trade Kings Group has bemoaned the lengthy procedures to sign agreements for new products by some chain stores, saying this is negatively affecting access to the market.

Company media manager James Songwe said it is unfortunate that despite a product meeting all the required standards, it still remains a challenge for multinational chain store companies to have it listed and registered in their stores.

Mr Songwe said in an interview after a tour of a new manufacturing plant that there is need to come up with initiatives that will expedite the listing and registering of new products that are of high quality.

“Most of these multi-national stores do not register a new product immediately. And this is a challenge.

Before they register a new product and have it listed, they first have to take it to South Africa, and then give it a barcode number and that’s when it comes, but this may even take six months,” he said.

Mr Songwe said priority should be given to local products as they are significantly, contributing to job creation and poverty reduction.

He said Trade Kings is committed to improving the local manufacturing industry by developing high quality and competitive products on the local and international markets.

Trade Kings Group has launched a new product on the market, called “Milkit Milkshake” with over 3,000 tonnes of production per month.

Company plant manager aseptic beverages Vonod Singh is confident that the new product will penetrate the local and international markets because of its good quality.

“Milkit Milkshake is the first of its kind, and is expected to fill the gap on the Zambian market,” Mr Singh said.

Next year, the firm plans to start exporting the product to other countries such as Tanzania, Kenya, South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

November 19, 2016; https://www.daily-mail.co.zm/?p=85551