THE Ministry of Commerce Trade and Industry has appointed prominent business executive and immediate past Mbabala Member of Parliament (MP) Emmanuel Hachipuka as the new Zambia International Trade Fair (ZITF) board chairperson.

Mr Hachipuka who is former Zambia Railways (ZR) general manager replaces Phesto Musonda, who was at the helm of the institution for close to a decade.

Marketing specialist Lukonde Mfula has been appointed as ZITF general manager filling a position which was vacant for a long time.

Mr Hachipuka confirmed the development during a stakeholders' meeting organised by the ZITF management at the Presidential Pavilion at the Trade Fair grounds last week.

"I have just been appointed to this position and I have just been handed over the files today. I am not in a position to say much apart from stating that with the help of the management team, we will do our best to perform our duties diligently," he said.

Mr Hachipuka is former Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee chairperson. Mr Mfula said during his address to the stakeholders that there was need to have a complete facelift of the infrastructure at the Trade Fair grounds.

He said the new ZITF management wanted to see to it that infrastructure was constructed to suit the needs of local and international exhibitors.

"We want to make the Zambia International Trade Fair as a venue of choice for local and international exhibitors by encouraging and bringing in quality exhibitors which in turn will build synergies and linkages between the local and international companies," he said.

Mr Mfula called for proposals from local and foreign exhibitors, and companies which were ready to come up with business and infrastructure development plans for the ZITF management to adopt.