African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 1436: Chapter 14: Deberne’s Ambition_3

”So, the first step is to regulate the production of mines, promote the management of tailings and pits, regulate the rational use of water resources in mining areas, reduce and eliminate unreasonable water discharge issues, and simultaneously carry out ecological restoration work on some abandoned mines.”

”Second is to impose restrictions on relevant companies and factories, with the government taking the lead in building sewage treatment plants, promoting the use of clean energy such as oil, natural gas, and electricity.”

In the early 20th century, compared to the more polluting coal, oil was clearly a clean energy source as well. Of course, Deberne mainly meant to phase out some old steam machinery used by enterprises, which was not only inefficient but also heavily polluting.

”Third, as previously mentioned, is to rectify and restore the ecology along rivers such as the Kafue, while simultaneously promoting the maintenance of the Kitwe section of the Central Canal.”

”Fourth, to comprehensively manage some polluted lands, especially farmland, to reduce the harm of heavy metal pollution to food safety.”

”Fifth, to comprehensively manage the urban environment, further improve the city environment, create a garden-style city within the region and, indeed, across the country, and simultaneously design city landscapes and attractions, including building a city history museum, art galleries, sports centers, and football venues and introducing and constructing a batch of high-quality consumer-oriented enterprises, especially introducing well-known domestic or international supermarkets.”

Regarding the fifth point mentioned by Deberne, these measures are ones that can attract tourists and consumers. Of course, the specific effects still depend on Kitwe City’s later operations.

Museums, art galleries, and sports centers require fame and need continuous investment once completed; for example, hosting regional, national, and even international sports events, art exhibitions, academic conferences, etc.

Of course, international sports events are currently beyond Kitwe City’s capability, and it doesn’t have the capacity to host them yet.

Moreover, supermarkets and other consumer-oriented enterprises have a powerful capacity to drive city consumption, especially prominent supermarkets, chains, and shopping venues.

Deberne certainly not only intends to empty the wallets of Kitwe citizens to stimulate consumption-driven industrial development in Kitwe City, but his purpose actually encompasses the entire Copperbelt.

This is because currently the Copperbelt lacks relevant consumer venues, especially high-end consumer places. In Deberne’s view, if consumers across the Copperbelt can be attracted to shop in Kitwe City, that would represent significant benefits, considering dozens of towns large and small in the Copperbelt have considerable consumption capabilities.

Deberne continued: ”Sixth, vigorously support the establishment of high-tech industries in Kitwe City, especially other types of manufacturing industries, particularly research-oriented and innovative enterprises, preferably those with low reliance on mineral resources.”

This time, Kitwe City is trying to shed its reliance on copper mining, and in reality, besides copper, Kitwe does not possess other prominently advantageous resources, so Deberne is more welcoming of enterprises with low dependency on natural resources.

”Seventh, increase the development of urban transportation, education, healthcare, and other basic livelihood sectors, making Kitwe a city, within the Empire, that is suitable for living and has a high happiness level.”

Although limited by conditions, Kitwe City cannot establish high-level universities, but improving the quality of basic compulsory education can clearly raise the city’s livability and attract people to settle.

Moreover, while high-quality universities can attract many talents, they are not entirely the best choice for Kitwe City, as retaining talent requires industrial cooperation, which is currently lacking in Kitwe.

Furthermore, improving basic education may actually weaken the impact of having high-quality universities on Kitwe City, considering the high mobility of university students.

In past life, the education system of the Far East Empire was like this: many surrounding school districts for elementary, middle, and high schools, while the concept of a school district house became unimportant at higher education levels.

After all, the threshold for higher education is high, which implies uncertainty, and students’ age is sufficient for independent living; combined with factors such as convenient transportation, higher education does not attract immigration as strongly as imagined.

The Kitwe City government acted swiftly; after Deberne decided to change Kitwe City’s development direction, in less than three months, Kitwe City’s ecological environment remediation activities began vigorously. According to Deberne, the ecological environment is the foundation of Kitwe City’s future development, solving this major issue allows for better implementation of other policies.