ZANAMA Chairman General Elvis Nkandu says there are many Zambians who sub-let their shops to foreigners as compared to marketeers only.
ZANIS reports that Mr Nkandu said that the warning by the President to marketeers in the habit of sub-letting shops to foreigners was commendable because it has been observed that some people were abusing the facilities which were meant to benefit them by sub-letting to foreigners at exorbitant rental charges.
He explained that sub-Letting has given advantage to foreigners than the locals as people from outside brought in goods which attract customers, thereby disadvantaging locally manufactured goods.
Mr Nkandu warned that his association would not protect any of his members who were sub-letting their stalls and shops.
He commended government for responding to the people’s cries that traded in the streets, who wanted more conducive trading places.
Why is Mwanawasa so enthusiastic about prosecuting marketeers, but so reluctant to prosecute foreign investors, as for instance the Chinese owners of BGRIMM? Or the mines, which have appalling (and illegal) working conditions?
A lawer will always fight for the wrong doers and not the right doers.
Mr Nkandu, business is about profits. Isn’t a plus for ba Lungu to collect exorbitant rental charges if he can not compete in this free trade? Set priorities right.Get quick money and do something else. Or you also want ba Lungu to also be a market chairman? Sorry, that mentality is long gone.
Mrk #1, it would not look right for the head of state to institute the prosecution and forceful removals of allien traders from the markets, I think H.E. LPM’s approach is a rather sensible one. we don’t want to be like Zim
4. Anonymous,
Are you saying that if foreigners in Zambia were held up to the law, Zambia would end up like Zimbabwe?
So is is safe to prosecute Zambians, but not foreigners? What an amazing idea.
there is no way you can prosecuting the traders sub-letting their stalls to foreigners for fearing the loss of sales due to the attraction of final consumers by the foreign products dat means dat the locally produced goods dat means dat the locally produced goods do not meet the quality or standards for the final consumers this shows you how poor the quality of locally produced goods are improve the quality…..even though dat happens you cant prosecute the someone for subletting the stall dat aint aight
Mrk, prevention is better than cure, remember? if we want to empower our fellow countrymen, the best way we can do that is to teach them how to compete. Look at our nigerian counterpats, they run over 80% of their economy all by themselves. Google the name “Aliko Dangote” and you’ll be suprised to learn how the richest black african started off.
#7, you are damn right. Let us run our affairs independently, be they economic, politics, social etc. Let’s look inwardly and chart our vision for Zambia. After all, i am reliably told that these foreigners have an economic habit of mopping our hard-earned forex from the Banks and Bureau de Changes every after their sales and flee back to their countries in readiness to bring more merchandise into Zambia.
BOZ should also tighten screws on capital flight by these ‘merchants’ from other countries.
You are talking about Zambians running or renting these shops but the question you seem or pretending to be forgetting is have you empowered them with funds to the same people you want to occupy the same shops the authorities have priced these same shops at? first things first.
# 1 6 & 9 So you guys r saying its ok, all the new markets can be taken by foreigners & the locals can trade on the streets or house ntembas.
Prosecute the *****s,we cant have anarchy in the country just because Mulenga wants to make a quick buck.
7. Anonymous,
I couldn’t agree with you more. The entire obsession with FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) has come at the expense of building up Zambia’s indigenous SMEs.
There should be hundreds of thousands of SMEs and medium sized farms, so everyone can be employed.
The government can do a lot of things (less paperwork, low taxes, low interest rates on business loans, infrastructure for the benefit of local producers, business/vocational training for employees, national sales/distribution systems) to stimulate SMEs.
And thanks for the heads up about Aliko Dangote.