Friday, March 29, 2024

CSO caught in a web of false copper reporting

Share

Copper-Cathode-Electrolytic-Grade-A
The Central Statistical Office has been exposed for wrongly reporting that main export destination for Zambia’s copper is Switzerland when in fact it is China.

The CSO in its Monthly Bulletin has consistently reported that Zambia’s copper lands in Switzerland when in fact the final destination for the metal has always been China.

The revelations were made by Norwegian Ambassador to Zambia Arve Ofstad who expressed shock that state agencies such as the CSO have been misleading Zambians for a very long time about Zambia’s copper export destination.

Ambassador Ofstad was speaking during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between six Government Ministries to cooperate fully in the design and implementation of a new Mineral Value Chain Monitoring Framework last week.

The new framework is organised by the Zambia Revenue Authority and supported by Norway.

Ambassador Ofstad said for many years, there have been uncertainties about the actual production and export of copper and other minerals from Zambia’s mines.

He said this has contributed to mistrust and accusations of misreporting, and made accurate assessment of taxes difficult.

Ambassador Ofstad said Norway wants more transparency and knowledge based public debates.

“Unfortunately I have noticed since I have been here that too many commentators and opinion makers that seem to make comments about Zambia’s mining sector with inadequate information. Even government agencies such as the Central Statistical Office keep giving wrong information about Zambia’s copper exports and production figures,” Ambassador Ofstad said.

“For instance, the CSO, they keep reporting that the main export market for Copper has been Switzerland and the newspapers keep telling us that but I think we all know that more than half of Zambia’s Copper goes to China. Chinese data confirms that.”

He congratulated all six agencies for signing the MoU, and stressed the importance of having an agreed and consolidated set of data as basis for government policies, as well as for the broader dialogues and discussions on mining policies.

“We strongly believe that monitoring the production, processing and exportation of copper and other minerals should be a technical issue, not to be politically disputed”, he said.

“We are therefore very happy that the Chamber of Mines and the major mining companies are also on board.”

He concluded by appealing to all involved to be even more transparent and accountable, so that a solid knowledge base can be built and agreed upon for all those interested and concerned, including decision-makers, media, the political opposition, academicians and civil society.

Six agencies namely Zambia Revenue Authority, the Road Development Agency, the Central Statistical Office, the Zambia Bureau of Standards Patents and the Companies and Registration Agency including the Ministry of Mines will cooperate to implement the project.

The monitoring framework will collate data from the mining companies together with the road weighbridges, the revenue and customs agency, the bureau of standards, the statistics office, and the Ministry of Mines.

This will result in an agreed set of figures telling all involved as well as the public at large how much is mined, processed and exported every year.

PACRA will also participate in order to ensure clear definitions of companies involved in the processes and trading of the commodities.

Norway will contribute funding and technical expertise valued at a total of six million US dollars to the project, while the Zambian government and other partners through the Public Financial Management Reform Programme will also contribute six million US dollars.

The Norwegian central bureau of statistics, Statistics Norway, is providing technical support and advice, based on similar issues experienced in the Norwegian petroleum sector.

At the same function, Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba refused to comment on revelations by Ambassador Ofstad that government agencies have been issuing wrong data on Zambia’s copper exports.

“I have refrained from commenting on what Ambassador has said here but it is something that is for future debate outside this dialogue and we take heed. The decline in mining revenue is attributed to a lack of a transparent and a fully compliant mining sector,” Mr Yamba said.

When reached for a comment, CSO Director John Kalumbi refused to comment.

83 COMMENTS

    • so now we are just to take what the man says? CSO come back with sufficient data and debate the accusations made by this white man!!!
      At the end we only want facts and we can then make our own truths to suit each one of us!!

    • The PF Government is responsible for such a scandlle,

      Watch the space, Zambians will regret for choosing a wrong President.
      HH where are you please help us.

      Zambia has been sold into deep corruption.

      Corruption in Zambia is beyond

    • WHEN WE GET MAD AT CROOKED ZAMBIAN LEADERS WHO ARE OCCUPYING PUBLIC OFFICES FOR THEIR OWN SELFISH GAIN, YOU CALL US NAMES. WHEN WE TELL YOU THAT ZAMBIA HAS NO TRUSTWORTHY AND HONESTY LEADERS IN GOVERNMENT OF THE DAY YOU SAY WE ARE JEALOUSY. WHEN WE WARN YOU THAT PF GOVERNMENT IS BUSY LOOTING OUR WEALTHY IN COLLABORATION WITH FOREIGN CRIMINALS YOU STILL REMAIN PROTECTIVE OF THESE CRIMINALS, OUR SO-CALLED PRESIDENTS AND LEADERS. IF YOU ARE 100% ZAMBIAN, YOU WILL CONDEMN THIS DIRTY OF THIEVING AND STEALING BY THESE GLUTTON LEADERS, LUNGU INCLUDED. NOW YOU SEE A TIP OF THE ICE-BERG SHOWING. MORE DIRTY IS DONE BY THESE ZAMBIAN POLITICIANS, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN PF AND IN MMD. THIEVES. THIEVES. THIEVES. COME 2016 WE SHALL REMOVE THESE THIEVES FROM POWER. WE SHALL PUT HH AND UPND. VIVA HH VIVA!

    • Please hold your fire Zambians.The CSO is correct in its reporting.They get their data from ZRA Asycuda system.The problem is the mining houses,especially MCM who sell their copper to Glencore and Glencore is in Switzerland!
      Why do you think the Government has been relunctant to refund the VAT to some mining houses?This the crap the investors haveen involved in.Mind you the copper sold to Glencore is sold cheap and its resold to China from Switzerland by Glencore.
      Open your eyes!

    • who is blaming EL?
      why is it that things like this are coming out now?,
      its because there is a trend of change in the management of public offices and the trust for EL for the rule of Law.

      who has not heard that Fred m’mbe is to pay all his debte, i mean on his own not by politically intimidating,
      Open your eyes and see something in EL

    • 1.4 is the only one who knows what he is talking about. CSO is right, Zambian copper is exported to Switzerland so the mines can pay lower taxes. They sell the copper at a cheaper price in Switzerland so Zambia can only charge the taxes at that price. The the parent company sells the copper to China at a higher price and they pay lower taxes on that transaction to the Swiss government than they would have had they directly sold to china from Zambia. It is called Price transfer a tax avoidance skim.

      Why the new tax regime makes sense

    • Folks

      For as long Zambia has no manufacturing capacity to add value to our copper, the issue of being will never end.

      China is the second largest copper producer and yet it does worry about copper market distortions because it consumes its own copper by using it to make pipes , cables, circuit boards etc.

      This cry about copper market distortions only happen here in Africa where is zero value addition to copper.

      CSO is correct in their reporting of copper destinations as Switzerland because, the mining companies in Zambia only account for copper sold to Switzerland though actual copper does not even reach Switzerland at all.

      If the bulk copper buyer in Switzerland buys the copper why should it our business to who copper is then resold at a profit?

      Its the PF government…

    • If PF can answer the question why China the second largest producer of copper in the world still buys almost half of the world ‘s copper produced, then Zambia will begin to benefit from the copper she produces.

      When HH talked about value addition through manufacturing PF don’t get it. PF do not want this to happen because back door deals will dry up.

      Zambia needs serious leadership like UPND which will focus on endogenous factors and manipulate these factors to generate value for money economic activities in order to move away from being in the primary producer economic zone.

      This emphasis on exogenous factors, like the price of copper and where its eventually sold is a futile exercise not going to benefit Zambia at all. PF has no control on the price of copper…

    • Folks

      Cease fire on CSO. Its not CSO ‘s fault in this matter.Its the copper markets, mining companies and PF ‘s poor policies at fault here.

      We still very lucky that if Zambia had a manufacturing base using Copper as its raw material then it would be making huge profits out of selling finished goods.

      This call for manufacturing and turning our copper into finished products has been there even before MMD took over.

      Why is it very difficult to implement value addition to copper?

      Facts are machines to draw copper wires or make pipes cost less than $50 thousand . Alternatively they can be made locally by assembling a group of engineers and giving them a task to design such machines and get their components made else where and then assembled in Zambia.

    • THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH PF COZ IT DID NOT START WHILE PF IS IN POWER BUT WITH MMD, THE AMBASSADOR SAYS IT HAS BEEN LIKE THIS FOR MANY YEARS, PF HAS BEEN IN FOR 3 YEARS. AND IT IS NOT THE ZAMBIAN GRZ PROBLEM IT’S THE INVESTORS WHO HAVE BEEN SWINDLING US, THEY HAVE GIVEN WRONG DATA, THEY BUY FROM US CHEAPLY AND SELL VERY EXPENSIVELY TO CHINA. WE GET LESS THEY PROFIT MORE. THE ONLY BLAME ON GRZ FROM MMD IS THAT “THEY HAVE BEEN TOO BLIND”. AND WE THE CITIZENS HAVE NOT HELPED AT ALL BUT BUSY FIGHTING TO BE IN POWER OR TO PUSH OUR CANDIDATE INTO OFFICE FORGETTING THE REAL ISSUES. NO ONE KNEW THIS NOT EVEN HH. IT’S A FOREIGNER WHO HAS BROUGHT IT INTO LIGHT.. WE ARE BLIND AND WE WONDER WHY WE DON’T DEVELOP

    • @ zagaze

      Instead of asking questions why CSO has deliberately misled Country, you are again bringing race in to equation.
      For your information, the “white man” in question is official representative of friendly country which has contributed generously to the people of Zambia for more than 50 years without asking nor receiving anything in exchange.
      Nevertheless, if you had slightest amount of functionality of your gray matter (which evidently you do not have), you should be aware that Norway has expertise and experience in managing revenues from own natural resources to the extent that it has created one of the world biggest sovereign funds for the benefit of their citizens.
      Bottom line, you are not just racist bigot, you are 5tupid and uneducated racist turd.

    • There is no surprise. It is because Mopani resort to transfer pricing. All exports of Mopani officially are to Switzerland. From Switzerland those go to China. What does ambassador expect from CSO when Mining houses resort to misinformation to EVADE taxes.

  1. This is the same agency that lies to the Zambian people about the true statistics of Zambian tribes. It lies that there is 40% of Bemba people in Zambia. When in fact if you look at the population and housing questionnaire it has so many flaws and wonder how they can come up with such useless statistics. The Bantu Botatwe group is the largest ethnic group in Zambia but boy do we ever hear about that?

    • THIS IS THE SAME INSTITUTION WHICH LIED TO ZAMBIANS THAT THE ECONOMY IS EXTREMELY GROWING FAST WHEN INFANT PEOPLE ARE BECOMING EVEN MORE POORER…………..

    • But CSO John Kalumbi is your own man from Ngombe Batatwe, isn’t he? I know this guy very well and why has he been cheating then?

    • TRUE MY MAN! TONGAS i.e. BANTU BOTATWE ARE THE MAJORITY IN ZAMBIA. IN FACT THE POLYGAMY CULTURE WITHIN BANTU BOTATWE CULTURE PROMOTES INCREASED PROGENY PRODUCTION AND HENCE INCREASED POPULATION OF BANTU BOTATWE. IT’S FALSE THAT BEMBAS ARE 40% IN ZAMBIA. THIS FORCE INFORMATION IS COOKED AND FABRICATED TO JUSTIFY WHY BEMBA SHOULD BE MADE A SECOND OFFICIAL LANGUAGE IN ZAMBIA AFTER ENGLISH. WE KNOW YOUR EVIL PLANS YOU MORONS. AND GUESS WHAT, FORGET IT IF YOU THINK WE AS INDIGENOUS ZAMBIANS SHALL ACCEPT THIS RUBBISH OF PUSHING BEMBA AS A SECOND OFFICIAL LANGUAGE IN OUR MOTHERLAND. ABASH PROPAGANDISTS! ABASH BEMBA DOMINANCE! 2016 IT’S VIVA HH!

    • They dont lie.It is the mines that lie to Zambia.They buy copper cheap from Mopani and FQM where they have shares and they resale to China at market price!
      What has that got to do with bantu botatwe?
      Think!!!

  2. CSO please can you tell us, is your data correct ? waiting to hear from you CSO.

    Peace and Prosperity to Mother Zambia.

    • @ TT

      You are 100% correct!!!
      Annual inflation at 7% and Kwacha depreciation at 35%. And that in a country which imports everything?

  3. Norway and NORAD in particular have tried for years to HELP but politically thick-headed cleptomaniacs have always seen to it that the poorest remain poor, that they always have a grey-zone in which to steal…Disgusting but sad still for a country of over 50 years’ age!!

    • Cut them some slack. We don’t have the full story here. CSO is merely compiling data handed to them by copper exporters. I don’t think that they are just cooking the figures.

  4. What a useless country! If you don’t even know where your most prized natural resource ends up, how can you effectively and efficiently manage it? Most Zambians don’t even know the price of copper and yet their livelihoods, by and large, are dependent on copper. Useless CSO, useless ZRA and the whole bunch of ret@rded monkey$. These same senseless Zambians end up electing a bunch of *****s who cannot define GDP. And you want these id!0ts to charge your lives? How?

  5. Astounding Unrelenting mediocracy for our Ministers. They pay ghost workers to do statistics.
    Shame on you Yamba. You are useless so is that department.

  6. According to the article which says the final destination is china meaning before it goes to china it lands in Switzerland and from theremore than half Iis taken to china. This is how I understand the story. About the final destination is not zambias baby but thing to note is chiness have copper mines in zambia too. Well I dont see much sense in the story except the monitoring aspect.

    • @spongebob! So in your own wisdom you think this diplomat didn’t know what he was talking about and it is only you and your tandem of thieves who understand copper transactions. This man did all the necessary investigations! Don’t lie to people you illiterate cadre!

    • @spongebob

      Your 5tupidity and lack of understanding has reached necessary level to make you eligible for senior position in any ministry involved in trade, mining or financial matters.

  7. This may result into loss of confidence in Zambian country data for investors, analysts and international community. There is need for introspect review and overhaul of our institutions. There is need to audit all Zambian data to restore confidence. Copper export data is wrong…what about inflation? forex reserve GDP? Population?
    Indeed fintu ni lungu ni bosa ni donchi kubeba ni bufi!

  8. This is why we have consistently advised the President Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu to appoint credible people to strategic public institutions and not keep same liars and failures simply because they have some “important” Ministers who lobby for them.

    Already your excellence, you have seen that people were not working and what would make you think they will under your period as in Office? Sir let those you have already appointed be reminded that they need to work and work hard because the Zambians have a lot of trust in you. For the other appointments yet to be made, don’t retain those who have not been effective. For instance, why would certain mines owe strategic institutions so much money and yet the same go to borrow at very high rates? Surely others can do better.

    • @secret code! Who told u people have even the slightest trust in the drunkard who used the back door to state house! U are an I’d.iot just like him! Don’t make people even more annoyed!

  9. There is also serious need to have international transfer pricing tax management system in Zambia whereby mining companies declare losses in Zambia by selling copper to sister companies at ridiculously low prices generating losses then reselling it at market prices, We are ripped off under our noses enjoying whisky vodka…

  10. I’ve always maintained that our mines sell copper and cobalt to third parties at knocked down prices, to defraud ZRA. That third parties then sell the metals on to the final customers at the ruling London Metal Exchange (LME) price.
    Glencore is Switzerland Based, so the copper goes to the Swiss middle man
    ENRC (owner of Chambishi Metals) sells cobalt to a warehouse in Johannesburg. ENRC’s Africa headquarters is in Johannesburg
    WHY THE SURPRISE NOW?

    • So the whole GRZ did not know this, or if they knew they are doing jack and are happy to be short changed ? You are a bunch of losers all of you,

  11. I must say some of these Ambassadors think Zambia is for taking! Okay so China gets most of the Copper, but we all know China is the largest investor in African minerals.

    Is it just possible there is some attempt to limit China’s influence in our economy? Are we being set up to hate the Chinese?

    Anyway it’s nice these reporting irregularities have been found. And absolutely right that there is a need to button down correct information on our minerals in production and destination.
    QUOTE
    “We strongly believe that monitoring the production, processing and exportation of copper and other minerals should be a technical issue, not to be politically disputed”, he said. MINES NEED TO OBEY OUR VAT DOCS REQUIREMENTS. NO WINWIN NOTHING. We want more REVENUE!

    • It’s okay, you can still go there with a mission to help clean up the mess of reporting false statistics. Make it your calling, not just your job.

  12. Cooking up data on country exports!. Can we then believe the demographic data they produce?. The CSO is an important tool for development planning. By the way why is it not autonomous?

    • BEMBAS, WHO HAPPEN TO BE IN POWER OVER THE YEARS ARE BUSY MANIPULATING CSO. ZAMBIA NEEDS A LEVEL-HEADED PRESIDENT LIKE HH TO CORRECT THE MESS WHICH HAS BEEN ACCUMULATING IN OUR COUNTRY IN EVERY SECTOR OF HUMAN OPERATION AND HUMAN ACTIVITY. THE POSITION OF STATE PRESIDENT IS TOO BIG FOR CHAKOLWA CHAGWA LUNGU. IT’S A MOCKERY TO MAKE LUNGU PRESIDENT OF THE MIGHTY ZAMBIA!

  13. The only creadible mine that sell copper within the country is Barrick Lumwana mine. Therefore, the govt should do something about this mine for Barrick is a very reputable investor. As a matter of facts Barrick Lumwana spends US$ 250,000 per month on local communities in Solwezi.

  14. Ba LT thanks for provide us with such updates on what is happening back pa Zed. I commend you for that. You can even do better by providing closure on some of these penitent and sticky issues of good governance, corruption and accountability.

    Untainted feedback through your own investigative journalism on some of these thorny issues could help expose skeletons in the Zambian government cupboard.

    CSO owes it to the people of Zambia to provide accurate and unbiased statistics in their reports. If they cannot tell the difference between China and Switzerland, then their existence cannot be justified.

    Zambia does not need a diplomat to teach CSO that China is not Switzerland and Switzerland is not China.

    CSO is busy donching! God help us!
    Then they are a pain in the backside

    • Please sir, take time to read some of the comments below as they explain what is really going on. The CSO are NOT LYING!!

  15. Zambians no fact but ready to accuse grz. This is not new. Mopani sells copper cheaply to holding company Glencore who later sells it at the proper price to China. Don’t blame pf blame your technocrats who have been defending the mines

  16. ALARMISTS!!! THERE IS NOTHING NEW HERE. ASK ANYONE WHO WORKS IN COMMERCIAL DEPARTMENTS OF THE MINES AND THEY WILL TELL YOU THAT THEY KNOW WHERE THE COPPER ENDS UP. IT IS THE OPERATORS OF THE MINES SUCH AS GLENCORE (MOPANI) WHO DECIDE THE DESTINATION. WHAT THEY DO IS TRADE. THEY HOLD A MINING ASSET AND A TRADING DIVISION. THEY ASSURE THE MINING ASSET (MOPANI) CONSTANT MARKET BY USING THEIR TRADING ARM IN SWITZERLAND. THEIR TRADING ARM IN SWITZERLAND DOES REALLY BUY THE COPPER FROM OUR MINE – SO NO ONE IS LYING!! THE TRADING ARM IS BETTING ON PRICE MOVEMENTS BY STOCKING UP AND THEN RELEASING TO CHINESE END-USERS IN AN AD-HOC MANNER. PURE BUSINESS. NO LYING, NO ONE TRYING TO COVER THINGS UP. THE AMBASSADOR IS ONLY DRAMATISING THE ISSUE. YES, WE CAN BENEFIT FROM KNOWING OUR REAL END-USER.

    • Interesting twist. That’s why they keep refusing to produce certificates from destination country. Because they would have to reveal their true nature as more traders than mine operators.

  17. …there is practically no news here…what Arve is saying is a fact which every Jim and Jack knows including the permanent secretaries and the ministers of commerce and trade, Mines and ministry of Finance…..because of greed, they pretend to be ignorant of the happenings but end up smiling all the way to the bank in exchange for their ‘silence’….or inaction. CSO rely on documentation….If KCM show that they are selling a batch of copper to Netherland and CSO are forwarded with delivery and payment receipts , its non of CSO business to monitor where that copper will end up thereafter…..
    …certain critical positions just requires a white British lady if we have to get full benefits from our minerals….
    …who does not know that FQM declares GOLD as copper export…

  18. An orderly monitoring of the export chain would not be so complicated if we had our own extracting, processing and value-adding plants. The problem is that even when we comply with export regulations, the multinationals will always have an operation monopoly that allows them to move their assets according to their own benefit.

    The disturbing thing is not that China is getting the major share of our resources but that China is actually selling back to us the things that we ourselves can produce out of our own copper.

  19. I think the problem is the mining companies themselves who do not give accurate information to the relevant authorities and also giving fake information during the exportation of copper at the port of exits. I doubt if CSO can afford to have an employee at every point of export and the final destination. CSO may have been giving misleading information based on the information they collect or given to them by ZRA and the mining companies. Oftsad should not try to be smart here by claiming that CSO has been misleading. There are many other factors that can lead to the organisation giving inaccurate information. I strongly think that the data collected is not correct from other institution hence the wrong information be given.

  20. If I sell my cabbage to City Market, and middle men take it to inter-Continental, even if I may know most of my cabbage ends up at Intercontinental, it will be folly for me to say I sell my cabbage to intercontinental.
    This is just simple logic. So make no mistake to think CSO does not know the buyers of Zed Copper sell it to China – CSO knows . But it would be utter folly for them to say Zambia sells its copper to China, when in fact they sell to a middle guy in Switzerland.
    I have seen a lot of mere (empty) talk above, that is not the way we argue – just to say something?
    If I have ng’ombe from Monze; I sell the ng’ombe to Zambeef, Zambeef sells to Pick n Pay, it will be daylight folly for me to say I sell to Pick n Pay.
    This is why CSO calls it ‘debate’ !! I agree with CSO.

  21. The problem is that most Zambians like to make much noise even when they know nothing about what is happening.
    The problem is that many Zambians don’t even read. This is why this is coming to majority as news; many never even knew about this.
    CSO has a lot of info, even ZCCM, including ZDA on many issues to do with mining in Zambia, but how many of us here have even taken interest in these institutions? But when a topic comes were are very busy, eehh!, eehh!, eeeehh!, oo, ..oooh!, oooohh!, uuuuhhh!!!

    • You are absolutely spot on…about the docility of most Zambians, an example is fuel most them didn’t know that crude oil was reduced as far back as June 2014 its only in November when they got wind of it.

  22. The issue here is to tackle transfer pricing, not crucify CSO. Government knows this. That is why they brought in the new mining tax regime. But then again basing the mineral royalties on the LME price is not the best option.

  23. I appreciate the contribution on this site cause I get to learn something. I really wish the “tribalist” can move on with life.
    Is there a way GRZ can stop mining companies from selling copper to their sister or holding company?

  24. I see LT have edited my comment. This tribal talk is really sickening, I’ve never voted PF but will never judge them based on tribe. We only have one Zambia let’s move on with life

  25. President Nawakwi has been telling off government that even the inflation figures are cosmetic. How do you explain inflation at 8% when the GRZ 364 day treasury bill is at 21.4% (GRZ borrowing at this rate) and interest on savings accounts at 3%?

    Which ordinary Zambian has ever benefitted from the low or single digit inflation in a country with the second worst performing currency but ministry of finance claims the economy is sound and robust?

    Zambians are so dull that they feel the heat but refuse to say it’s a fire. As you pay your taxes, as you pay you school fees, as you pay your rentals, as you put food on the table, clearly you feel it inside you that something is wrong in this country but you hero worship the visionless leaders in govt? wake up! there is only one Zambian for…

  26. Guys,
    Remember, mineral royalty is paid on ALL COPPER/COBALT/GOLD dug from Zambia’s soil…..INCLUDING WASTE ROCK
    Nobody commented on that
    Waste rock is everything below the mining “cutoff grade”
    Waste rock in Zambia, is ore grade in Chile/Peru/Kazakhstan/Uzbekistan/Argentina/Western Canada

  27. The main word there is “final” if you don’t know how transfer pricing works then you should be excused….eg. bananas from South America to the UK are not shipped directly to the UK but via transfer pricing schemes first pass through Ireland then to UK mainland.

  28. It is called transfer pricing! You are now paying for the liquidation of MEMACO because some ignorant person thought the value of copper is realised at the rock face ot at the refinery. At least we were more intelligent, uncorrupt, patriotic and proud enough not to be called stupid by the entire world!

    CSO is correctly Central STATISTICS Office and not Central STATISTICAL Office. Please!

  29. Ba Malama,
    I’m afraid…IT IS THE STATE OF ZAMBIAN MINING TODAY
    Once a world-respected mining country
    Many final year Mining Engineering degree students, studying at universities abroad, studied case studies from Zambian mines as part of his/her final year studies. This is all but flushed down the Zambezi…In the name of privatization!

  30. JJ marketing was not part of the curriculum
    Mineral economics was
    As was occupational health (pneumoconiosis)
    And labor law

  31. THESE REVELATIONS ARE SERIOUS AND HURTING TO THE VERY NERVE OF OUR CONSCIENCE. THE UN ANSWERED QUESTION IS WHAT IS THE MOTIVE OF GIVING WRONG DATA BY CSO? DIDNT THE GOVT REALIZE THIS ANOMALY? THIS IS A SHOCKING AND AN RMBARASSING NEWS. THE NEW GOVT OF LUNGU SHOULD CORRECT THIS ANOMALY.
    WE COMMEND THE NORWAGEIAN AMBASSADOR FOR EXPOSING CSO TRICKERY ANS CROOCKED ACTS. SOMEONE MUST HAVE BEEN BENEFITTING BY HIDING THE MAIN ZAMBIA’S COPPER IMPORTERS (CHINA).
    THE FORMATION OF THE MINITORING AGENCY ON THE EXPORT QUANTITIES WILL HELP THE COUNTRY GET THE REAL SHARE OF ITS EXPORTS. THE INVOLVEMENT OF SIX AGENCIES AND OTHER COOPERATING AGENCIES WILL ENHANCE TANSPARENCY.
    THANKS TO NORWEGIAN GOVERNMENT FOR THE FINACIAL AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT.

  32. Stakeholders in Zambia must follow behind Norway. Expertise does not come cheap. This is time to swallow pride and prove to the nation that the economy can function and grow.

  33. Edgar lungu is known for theft becuase he befriends that copper murderous smulgler!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! look at you pf hahahahahaha the cut has been let out of its bag you doofus you fools.lungu will pay for his insincere personality

  34. Muzimo,
    Fawaz’s stolen copper, and Zambia’s timber are smuggled in trucks going back to South Africa empty.
    Fawaz’s agent is always at Chirundu to ensure smooth exit from Zambia.

  35. I do not know what the Honourable Ambassador, His Excellency Arve Ofstad, is on about. If the export papers show that copper is exported to Switzerland, it should not matter to CSO where it is finally used, should it? I believe CSO is reporting about where the copper was exported to, and not where it will be consumed or fabricated into cable. In other words, the CSO is reporting about apples while the Ambassador is talking about grapes. And NGOs and media like the Past will blow this out of proportion, the Past in particular will go on to blackmail ministers who like ABC will soon be dancing to their tune.
    Unfortunately, this is probably the core of misunderstandings of VAT refunds, where totally unworkable and unthoughtout rules inform our VAT laws.

  36. Cso are not wrong. The buyer is in switzerland. Tax advantage. What is wrong is that the analysis presented is not complete. As a trade statistician you go a step further to analyse destination of phvsical goods. The ambassador was also wrong in the words he used. Bane, our cso pipo r well educated and not foolish.

Comments are closed.

Read more

Local News

Discover more from Lusaka Times-Zambia's Leading Online News Site - LusakaTimes.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading