Kenyan authorities have finally cleared more than ten trucks carrying Zambian sugar destined for that country which were marooned at Namanga on the Tanzanian border after a three-week delay, Commerce, Trade and Industry Permanent secretary Stephen Mwansa has confirmed.
And Government has lifted the tariff charge which was slapped on all goods imported from Kenya, in an apparent response to the decision by customs authorities not to allow entry of Zambian sugar into that country
Mr Mwansa said in an interview in Lusaka at the weekend that, the trucks were released on Monday last week.
The trucks carrying Zambian sugar destined for the Kenyan market were marooned at the border despite Zambia Sugar Plc meeting all export regulations including the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) rules of origin.
Mr Mwansa said the trucks had been cleared and that Government had been given assurance by Kenyan authorities that none of Zambian exports would be interfered with in future.
“I must confirm that the trucks which have been marooned at Namanga for over three weeks after being denied entry by the Kenyan authorities have now been cleared and assurance of the non repetition of arbitrary import blockage has been given by the Kenyan authorities.
On our part as Government we have lifted the full tariff charge we slapped on all Kenyan imports,” Mr Mwansa explained.
The permanent secretary said Government had engaged COMESA who had assured that future Zambian deliveries to Kenya would not be interfered with.
“We did not pay anything towards that release of the trucks as that was not a ‘kidnap’ with ransome demand. It was a lapse in procedure reference trade relations,” he said.
Mr Mwansa said last week that all goods entering Zambia from Kenya would now attract full duty in view of that country’s refusal to allow a convoy of more than 10 trucks ladden with sugar from Zambia Sugar Company, to the Kenyan market which had been marooned at Namamga border for the last three weeks.
The permanent secretary said Government decided to evoke provisions of the protocol of COMESA which gives the right to retaliate to any unfair practices with regard to trade within the region.
[Times of Zambia]
Rupiah Banda made an important fone call, apapena baeshako.
Iwe RB has nothing to do with this.Please dont display your ignorance in public .RB was the worst president Zambia has ever had!!
What Ala Bee did anybody mention that chap in the above story?
ULI MBWA SANA IWE. WHAT HAS RUPIA BANDA GOT TO DO WITH SUGAR?
This is exactly how we should deal with South Africa next time they come up with silly yellow fever restrictions!
got effort Govt, but let zambia suger pay tax, not jst enjoying govt help.
RB had nothing to do with this, naimwe, that is the probelm with revisionists, by the time history is written dowwn, RB will have been canonised as a political saint in Zambian annals, when th econtrary is true!!!
Have you noticed how nice the Zambia National Service are no looking with those new uniforms, add that ZAWA??? That is the pragmatism we were missing!!
Am just being sacastic naimwe!
OKay let us be fair here. I’m probably one of the harshest critics of President Sata and his rotten government. HOWEVER, on this one they got my vote. They acted fantastic and was very proud of them as my leaders and I was reassured about their ability to protect me and my country. I’m still very happy about that actually. We cannot be walked all over by neighbors whom we feed and send relief maize to every year. HOW I wish this PF government could be as equally competent and civilised in other aspects of governance. If you now leave the Kenya-Sugar issue to go to what happened recently in Mpongwe and Livingstone, it is like you are talking about two different PF parties. The PF that acted on the Kenya issue is the PF I like. The PF in Livingstone and Mpongwe can die I won’t miss it.
Very good comment, well balanced. I am proud of you son/daughter of the soil.
Who cares exporting sugar the own people don’t have what a logic
@Ou Mulola Wendi,
It is the same PF and you are not mistaken about being proud for having them as Government. PF has made it clear its foreign policy or diplomacy will be centered on interests of the Zambian people and this is what they did here.
Livingstone had other players involved and may be you need to analyse situation a little further. I am told Mpongwe was not as bad and most importantly check which media feeds you information, some of which may not be genuinely true!!!
This the diplomacy we need and please let us extend this to South Africa; they can’t continue to harrass Zambians when they have a lot of investments here. Nigeria hammered on this.
ZAMBIA SUGAR DOES NOT EVEN PAY TAXES. WHY ARE USING TAX-PAYERS MONEY TO FIGHT FOR THEIR CAUSE? WE’LL INTRODUCE SUGAR JERABOS TO HIJACK THEIR TRUCKS SO THAT THEY CAN PAY THEIR TAXES DIRECTLY BEFORE THEY EXTERNALIZE THEIR EARNINGS. ZAMBIA SUGAR PAID LESS THAN 0.5% OF ITS $123M PRE-TAX PROFITS IN CORPORATE TAX BETWEEN 2007 AND 2012. THANKS TO “FINANCIAL ENGINEERING” ZAMBIA HAS LOST TAX REVENUES OF SOME $17.7M (R137M) SINCE 2007.
You missed the VP’s answer where he cleared Zambia Sugar of the allegations by the NGO called ActionAid. Viva PF, seleleni tobombeko!!
I thought I was going to get a comprehensive answer from the coordinator pertaining to the issue of our money and contracts but nothing has materialized. The curiosity and anxiety to get a comment from the secretariat has reached to an alarming level. This has prompted me to think of writing this memo with the sole purpose of making you conscious of the gravity and severity of the situation TIDOs are passing through. This is no longer supposed to be regarded as a challenge but a disaster. In this regards, I have seen it imperative to inform you for this will have a negative consequences to the evaluation scheduled for next week. Is the guy who is coming to do the evaluation bringing us something? I don’t think I will withstand this pressure anymore. I have tried my level best…
Its time to be tough with all these countries that look down on you and run to you when in trouble. You may need to remind South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Zimbabwe of the sacrifice you made for their freedom. They all need to treat you with the respect you deserve.