Government’s decision to create the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) is not an after-thought as insinuated by some sections of society.
The move is part of Government’s overall economic agenda aimed at improving people’s living standards through rigorous and robust job creation as espoused in the Patriotic Front Manifesto.
While the concept and objective of the former INDECO under the UNIP Government and the proposed IDC may be similar, the economic environment then and now is totally different.
The doubts and fears being expressed by some people that the introduction of the proposed IDC will stifle the private sector and return the country to monopolistic and state controlled economy are unfounded and unjustified.
Firstly, I ought to stress that what is being created is not INDECO but IDC. This is the first and fundamental distinction between the two and which should define the mindset with which we approach this issue.
Government is not resurrecting INDECO but establishing a whole new public holding company, necessitated by today’s realities.
The IDC will come with a new strategic vision and mandate to be an alternative engine of economic growth. We will put in place viable management structures and systems and ensure that there is no political interference.
The fact that a similar structure in the name of INDECO once existed and failed, in itself provides valuable lessons for Government to learn from.
Firstly, ownership was not the reason why INDECO failed, but bad management and political interference. This Government is alive to this fact and will not repeat mistakes of the past.
If ownership was the issue, how then do you explain the fact that many private companies are failing and folding up. On the contrary, under the PF Government, we have seen parastatal institutions performing much better than private companies. That just goes to show that with proper management, IDC will do well and succeed where INDECO failed.
Zambians must not be obsessed with the ghost of the late INDECO, but instead should strive to remind Government the mistakes that were made in the past.
Secondly, you will recall that the MMD Government embraced blind faith in the so called market forces and the belief that Government had no business in business.
But today, we know that no Government can divorce itself completely from business.
Every Government world-over has strategic industries which it cannot leave to market forces or private sector alone.
In a developing countries like ours, the private sector may not easily go where Government wants to take development or open up new opportunities.
It becomes the duty of Government to open up such neglected areas and lay down the necessary infrastructure which may later attract private investment.
Government’s decision to establish the IDC, therefore, does not amount to suffocating the private sector but that the two sectors complement each other in accelerating and deepening the country’s economic development.
By Hon. Fackson Shamenda, MP
ACTING MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING SERVICES AND CHIEF GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON
15th January, 2014
whatever, am not interested you maggots
yaku!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Not happy that Shamenda is still in employment the man should be retired
Having said that, this government must be given time
Like wine in my analysis they are getting better
It took long before Nick fell in Love with me, sometime you have spend more time with someone (PF) to realise that they love you and they are there for you,
The greens are not always greener on the other side of the shores
Can someone say Amen?
Thanks
Kaili indiwe insanya….
Sata has failed to run the country and his party properly, so what chances are there that he will manage to run IDC successfully as its chairman?
This whole IDC project has been shot down by IMF and all other lenders including China which wants Zambia to remain as a potential market for its products. This whole project is a sham. If they really mean’t what they are saying, they would have started by giving all road contracts to Zambians.
I would like warn all those who are hopping to get jobs from IDC not dare because after about 3 to 5 months in operation there will be no money to pay most of you guys just like what is happening to New district workers.
I would not even dream of getting a job at IDC at my age with my qualifications. I would rather be a competitor to IDC than an…
Shamenda and your govt. are throwing at us the same old failed economic projects which you are resustating under a different name. Give us the breakdown of this so called implementable concept. How will this PF govt. implemement this notion of yours? Selling your product to us which promises alot and delivers almost nothing, does not alleviate the grinding poverty exacerbated by Sata and his unworkable policies. The above data does not make sense to any economist, but it forms part of a typical PF reactionary stance to calls from investors or the opposition, pressurising you to improve the economic conditions so that the private sector can inject the much expected investments. You and your typical kind (that is, the PF) are predisposed to falsehoods and empty intimidations.
“Every Government world-over has strategic industries which it cannot leave to market forces or private sector alone.”
Ba Shamenda name them, dont just generalize, Why dont you prove to us this idea will work with the existing government run entities like Zesco and Zambia Railways. Ati you can put “liptick on INDECO its still INDECO”
This minister’s name is too long for me, so I’ll shorten it a bit as I address him: imwe Ba Facki umfweni; the whole of our civil service employs less than a million people that you cannot sustain and are busy firing right now. So who will trust you to creat millions of jobs? Where is the wisdom or magic going to come from?
Ba Shamenda! How can you manage INDECO when you can’t even manage your beard? What a joker…
YOU ARE TO THE POINT AND THAT CAN NEVER BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH. INDECO FAILED BECAUSE IT WAS MASSIVELY ABUSED BY UNIP AND IT’S GOVERNMENT- IT WAS A CASH COW AND THERE WAS TOO MUCH INTERFERENCE. THAT WAS THEN, THIS IS NOW. FAST- GO AHEAD AND IMPLEMENT IT. IT’S A GOOD MOVE.
INDECO – Industrial Development Corporation
IDC – Industrial Development Corporation
..and you want to tell us the two are different. In which way? Who is f,ooling who? We deserve better!
The terms are the same but they trying to say just coz UNIP failed to manage does not mean PF will fail as well. it’s the same as just coz your father divorced your mama does not mean naiwe ukakonka umufolo and divorce your wifey
Excuse these old men they retired from industry 20 years ago, they know nothing about the world economy today and only know how to spend taxpayer’s maoney recklessly.
This would be a good move if PF had a good record of starting of successfully completing projects. So far, they have failed at things they themselves have initiated; never mind keeping the country going.
#OneZambia
After they were criticized over the name INDECO that is when they decided remove N,E and O so that it sounds deferent, but we know it is the same. They are just trying to f o o l people here.
“Zambians must not be obsessed with the ghost of the late INDECO, but instead should strive to remind Government the mistakes that were made in the past”
Mr. Shamenda, the performance of your govt since coming to power does not inspire confidence. The way you manage matters of state, pathetic, the way you manage your internal party wrangles, very shameful. Your govt is not a listening govt, hence the president earning the tag ‘Chumbu Munshololwa’. Your president is inflexible and meddlesome who would probably move IDC’s head office to state house and preside over it as it’s CEO. People’s fears are not unfounded.
Zambians must not be obsessed with the ghost of the late INDECO, but instead should strive to remind Government the mistakes that were made in the past.
Well said Mr. %#&son Shame-nda. We are reminding now!!!! One of the BIGGEST Mistakes the previous (UNIP) govt made was creating INDECO.
So DONT RECREATE INDECO PLEASE PLEASE.
PF’s job creation solution lay in the already financially strenuous if not untenable road, stadia & university projects coupled with basic skills/artisan training in things like bricklaying, carpentry & plumbing so that local labour is used rather than Chinese artisans. In countries like Botswana an expatriate can now only work for 3 years whilst training locals to take over in Zambia some expats have clocked 50 years. Certain businesses should be restricted to Zambians only e.g operating minibuses, selling in markets etc. You cannot set up certain big businesses in Bots & RSA without local partnership up to 75% in local aviation in RSA & 60% for banking in Nigeria. This is how African success stories are delivering prosperity to their populations not throwing money in pitiless bottoms
Well said…except its bottomless pits. But I hear you, some bottoms are so pitiless nowadays.
Exactly, pitiless bottomless pits
5000 jobs will be created in the plantation industry with 250 permanent ones, 14:00hrs news reported today. Why can’t they just say 250 jobs will be created?
A block government with block Brains, everything is try and error.
In African Administrations,what is a good policy is always spoiled by political interference which always wants its cadres to be at the helm of the industries.Regrettably PF has shown that professionalism can be thrown to the winds when considering appointments.Mr Shamenda should merely and sincerely analyze the composition and academic qualifications of all diplomatic staff posted in various missions since PF took over government.Once he has done that,he should make a genuine reflection as this will be the exact scenario when the IDC is actualized.
I would have believed Shamenda if this whole IDC thing was under MMD. Not ba PF, goodness gracious.
why didn’t yo MMD think about it? I see why u criticise
MMD knew INDECO was not a good idea and thats why they never bothered. What am saying is now that it has been decided it comes back, i would rather MMD coz they have the strategic brains which are seriously lacking in PF.
Mr Shamenda, I think your and everybody driving this INDECO agenda are not listening to what the people opposed to this view are saying.
While we agree with you that the current economic environment is different from that under UNIP, we would like to put it to you that the INGREDIENTS that destroyed INDECO under UNIP are still firmly in place today and they will destroy your IDC too.
This is the debate we have been pushing and you keep talking past us.
LET US SORT OUT THE GOVERNANCE ISSUES FIRST BEFORE WE CAN TALK ABOUT NEW INDECO. Let real power be in the hands of the masses and not the presiddent. We are not opposed to INDECO, we are opposed to INDECO under the current setup. That is the debate.
Sir,
I think those ‘lessons’ have been learnt
I am shocked and disappointed you are questioning a project based on the hearsays without acknowledging that, the IDC is not an exact replicate of INDECO
Whilst I agree that they should be wary of what forced INDECO to succumb eventually, I disagree with you that they should be any form of ‘debate’, unless you you have an alternative suggestions, I request we give it time, so that as explained it marries with the manifestos of the PF of creating the jobs they have been insinuating at
Just a thought?
Thanks
INDECO under UNIP had the muscle of the money from mines but tgis time where will the money come from even to pay indeco employees? Left overs from the Eurobond or another loan from china this time?
When SATA announced the formation of INDECO, he clearly said it was “TO CREATE JOBS.” So the primary focus, according to PF is Job Creation. All the other arguments are secondary.
The question is, What is the support-base for this INDECO (aka IDC)? I s it going to be propped up by the ailing Zambia Railways, ZESCO, ZAMTEL, the Post Office? If there is no maney to adequately fund the existing para-statal companies, where will govt find money to fund the overarching body (IDC)?
Our plea to the govt, please listen objectively and don’t be adamant.
I couldn’t agree more with MMD Bootlicker. The fact that the President will be the Chairman of IDC/Indeco is a clear indication that their will be political interference for sure something Shamenda admits was one of the reasons Indeco failed.
This is what happens when you become allies to nations such as North Korea & North Sudan.
This not even a Proto-Type that has to be examined. IDC is simply a photo copy of INDECO’s Old Blue Print but on a different paper.
Fackson! Indeed governments have “no” Business in Businesses and MMD was correct. The role of the government is to provide:
(a) Fertile Investments Grounds
(b) Interpret Taxation Laws clearly
(c) Regulate where necessary
(d) Setup Independent Ombudsmen’s Bodies
(e) Conduct Feasibility Studies to cap the direction of the Economy and guide the business world
(f) Inject where they see the need to control loop-holes
The above is something that PF have completely failed to address or have no clue where to start from. We now have excuses.
Cont.
PF is simply taking us back to the USSR (Soviet Union) and Old China years. Does this guy realize that USSR & Old China collapsed and both Russia & China have now joined Global Market Forces
What PF must realize is that any “prudent”, “shrewd”, “intelligent” & wise Foreign or Local investors will do his/her home work on what is on the ground before committing millions of Dollars to make long term investments and create jobs.
This is a non starter and doomed to fail even before it kicks off. PF must realise that you cannot use the 19/20th Century Economics ideas into the 21st Century.
I dont know what you are smoking sir, but I surely would want some of it.
Get a job so you can get a correlation of reality and the flawed theories you have been fed.
What a load of nonsense
Thanks
@ Mushota,
Smoking habits of Independent Observer are as much of importance to the matter as your invented and non existent qualifications.
The hart of the issue poses one simple question:
Does the government with proven record of financial incompetence, absolute lack of organisational capability, inborn disregard to the rule of law, ridden by “grand” corruption and openly practicing nepotism and tribalism is capable establishing commercial entity without recourse to long term loans guaranteed by the State and in the process damaging existing industrial capability through unfair competition?
I think Mushota you are suffering from something very serious that can only be cured by prayers. Get it to your head; What PF has changed is only the name of INDECO to IDC. Otherwise everything else that made INDECO fail is very much available if not worse off.
People who are dumn in my view , are those who reply to Mushota, not Mushota.
THE PROPONENTS OF IDC / INDECO LAUDED GOVERNMENT’S TAKEOVER OF ZRL AND ZAMTEL. WHAT HAS CHANGED NOW?
Can you clarify PROPONENTS please?
@ Luapula Premier: How old were you in the late 70s and throughout the 80s when we queued for everything from stinky cooking oil to blankets. When newspapers were the standard issue for wiping bums in homes and offices toilets. When soap EBU was in short supply and scabies epidemics broke out even among adults and people used STRIKE washing detergent or Ajax cleanser to wash their bodies. Well that’s the sort of thing that INDECO did to Zambia. As for ZAMTEL and ZRL it is EXPECTED OF ANY RESPONSIBLE GOVT involve itself in INFRASTRUCTURE where the private sector fails. Just like ZESCO will put up powers stations around the country. Things beyond (that fail to attract) private investors’ business calculations benchmarks
Fackson is busy saying that there wil be no political interference when all the parastatals are being run by cadres. This IDC is not even in the PF manifesto, these chaps are going very far from what they promised us and what is contained in their manifesto. With M’membe by their side, they will do everything to fatten their stomachs. M’membe should be convicted as well because he is reaping this country together with Kabimba and Sata!! I.D.I.O.T.S
These are Mulungushi reforms that Sata and PF want to impose on us. Old ideas shouldn’t be entertained in Zambia. Who can hold these i.d.i.o.ts accountable, we need free media in Zambia. M’membe should be jailed life in prison after 2016
@ MMD Chief Bootlicker
@ INDEPENDENT OBSERVER
Nice one!! Gentlemen, can you please teach these pf morons some common sense?
You are the same guy blah blah observer
Why pretend of a sam?
Be yourself and your analysis is garbage
Learn from mmd bootlicker
Wabe ichiseya mukwapa
Such low….shameful thinking (if any)….from this jo. And the close betrays you…..
MUSHOTA @ 11.1
You may have noticed that over the years, I have ignored your attacks on me. Rather, I cannot reduce myself to your level.
Yes, I do have a job working for an Investment Bank as a Director and I have invested my hard earned money back home over the years, in Farming, Tourism & Telecoms Industries.
While you are talking from an Employee- Point-of-View, I am talking from an:
(1) Investor, (2) Employer & (3) Employee point of view.
In other words, I am looking at things from a Three-Dimensional-View. In the mean time good luck with your MBA Program. I hope you put use to it one day.
No sure I would trust a man, who spells Observer as ‘Obsserver’
You are a Director of your own company? Did you really have to tell me about your farming?
I think we are in different worlds, I am talking about mentally.
I see, Your mouth is a festering wound.
You should shut it long enough for it to heal.
I think you are a living emptiness, a meaningless void, stay away from me
I will make you drown.
Thanks
Ba Independent Observer…..like you we are also successful and yes Mushota I will also say it, “RICH people”. We blog to bring a measure of sanity to the mayhem that has been unleashed on the nation. Whilst our investments being diversified will survive this pf experiment, the impact on the ordinary citizens will be devastating. We blog from a position of responsibility and with fervent hope that our children may too have the priviledge we have had to be Kwacha rebased multi-millionaires. Not from theft but thrift, wise investment and fortunately sound economic fundamentals till now.
Bloggers, MUSHOTA is not worth considering. She is a lost soul.
More likely lost brain
people please, mushota is not a woman. he is a man. I have some link which provided data on him, very shrewd chap from some village in luapula and got ‘hooked’ for money to europe. do not bother about him
Go and shave before you tell us your crap
Well we are watching.We will judge them after their term in office has come to an end
Iwe Ka MUSHOTA CHIFWEMBE – Baby Killer & Abortions Expert
Just the language this MUSHOTA uses on LT tells that she has serious issues in her lif. If its not exposing everything about her private life, then its having Abortions.
You see, the Ghost of the baby you aborted is haunting you.
Stop it please
That hurts!
Thanks
You are right. She needs prayers.
Be nice, I don’t think this type of language is necessary
Be compassionate !
LT HELP
Thanks
For the first time from the time this debate commenced, this is the best arguement i have heard from Government- please come out more with such detail and information for people to buy into this idea- it maybe great but we are lacking infomation- all the best to the PF government.
We have Zambians with PhD’s in various Engineering fields like Civil, Mechanical, Electrical, Surveying and so on and I therefore see no reason why we should be having foreigners building our roads and stadiums 50 years after independence when the Romans could build aqueducts and the coliseum hundreds of years ago. The IDC should address some of these anomalies or else it will confirm my fears that we were designed to be hunter gatherers.
I agree with the Minister people…. It is easier to manage IDC than INDECO because IDC is shorter than INDECO. That’s the main reason. #PFReasoning
Good sense of humour @Loose Canon, let me go have a cuppa
Please PF , make sure that you do not employ cadres who will be stealing money from the IDC. Employ competent managers not cadres. Otherwise your model is sounding attractive, we wait for its materialization.
Peace and Prosperity to Mother Zambia.
These are hollow words from old man papa smurf, excuse him he does not know what he is talking about; accountablity, transparency, good governance are not words one would associate with this reckless government.
Papa Smurf goes on to state that INDECO failed, because bad management and political interference forgetting that the president will be chairing board like he is doing at RDA where he is not answerable to nobody.
Why doesn’t someone come out in the open and tell us where they will get the funds for the corporation?
I am not a financial expert, but our kwacha is weak because when we borrow money from international lenders to build something like a road, it goes right back were it came from before we even start repaying the loan because the contractors are the same foreigners. I also think most business people including Zambians stash their money in offshore accounts thereby making the situation worse.
Murder She Wrote. We need a private investigator. There is a murder on Lusaka Times. There is no worse sin in this world than killing a human.
They cant even manage the so called new curriculum..yet they think they can manage affairs of the economy and business. For those of you supporting this lunacy look at the state of parasite companies like ZESCO…are they been managed in a proper and efficient manner? Does anyone on this blog think that the PF administration will manage this entity to the best of the nation? We need to wake up. These guys are running out of ideas of developing our country and sadly I see no one not even from the opposition who can save us from this madness.
Like the CDC of Mpongwe milling it can be done defining well the investment policy statement avoiding the externalities and excesses learning from past like minister said and drawing from skills gained by Zambians in corporate Governance practices supporting and complimenting were the private sector are failing or cannot invest simply on risks and returns for start ups
Other avenues like collegues have done can be on private public partnership the build and transfer with concessions carefully claused e.g the Kenya Uganda railway the ultility and water and energy in daesaalam including the famous gautrain and the air ports and pipe lines in Nigeria on PPP and BOT arrangements
it can be…
@Jonathanmhango Financial Analyst
There you go again writing things you just browsed from a single paragraph in a textbook from the someone’s bookshelf; what has Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) and Public–Private Partnership (PPP) got to do with this …have they mentioned any of those project delivery routes.
There is no fast track to being a Financial Analyst just put in the hours like everyone else.
If you do an external analysis, you find that Mushota’s head needs a transplat. Too many things in her life are just imaginations. She must be very lonely in life.
She needs prayers & healing
Iwe Ka MUSHOTA – Baby Killer & Abortions Expert
” Do to others what you want them to do to you”
Like someone has mentioned above they have ignored your filth for years, maybe its time for you to be objective if you don’t agree with their opinion. Just how many times have you called people all sorts of names on L/Times.
You seem not to like people who are more intelligent like you, and too often you go very personal.
The truth is that you are a “Murder In Cold Blood” that should rot in Hell. You don’t deserve an ounce of Respect from other bloggers, until when you humble yourself.
So live with it. Miss Murder-In- Cold-Blood.
LT block this guy
Thanks
Running a country is multi dimensional or in short in a portfolio type exploiting your potential in Private and Public investments accordingly whilst taking advantage of the synergies that can exist to the advantage of the general populace having a long-term view on the structure and shifts in the Global economics and more particularly regional and country level and how you position yourself
Mininstry of commerce should be one of the biggest and exciting place to work for by many talented and young ones and the elderly Planning and watching as they research the avenues.Support structures already exist to support private and Public as it were OPPI ZDA but needs to be codified towards a common not…
@Jonathanmhango Financial Analyst: Are you a financial analyst or this is your daylight dream! Whatever the case may be, my word of advice is, see a psychiatrist before it is too late (whilst the cause of the symptoms you exhibit are probably reversibe/treatable). It can get much worse than this you know! And that will be sad.
The Idea of Indeco has been long overdue and thanks to the bravity of president Sata and the PF government to finally actualize it.It is only through Indeco that we shall see more jobs being created,efficient reporting systems,Industrial research and competitiveness especially that the PF manifesto talks so much about consumer welfare and protection.
It is my further hope that president Sata will rethink through the idea of the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission(CEEC) which has lamentably failed to empower Zambians.The CEEC is almost in oblivion now and a liability to the government for failure to meet its mandate.
Until corruption, tribalism, nepotism, political interference and niva boma mentality are non-bailable offences and punishable by life sentence, PF-indeco won’t work.
Ukwa must be seriously looking for a job as CEO of the new IDC-INDECO. But how well has he performed on the roads project? How many jobs have they managed to create? I don’t mean cooked numbers.
Mushota. Your Balls.
Iwe Ka MUSHOTA – Baby Killer & Abortions Expert
” Do to others what you want them to do to you”
Like someone has mentioned above they have ignored your filth for years, maybe its time for you to be objective if you don’t agree with their opinion. Just how many times have you called people all sorts of names on L/Times.
You seem not to like people who are more intelligent like you, and too often you go very personal.
The truth is that you are a “Murder In Cold Blood” that should rot in Hell. You don’t deserve an ounce of Respect from other bloggers, until when you humble yourself.
So live with it. Miss Murder-In- Cold-Blood
X-Factor, I agree with you in total. This chap has no heart. Am happy finally He / She is touched fro the first time. This is nice. LT do not block…
Allowing more Zambians to register as entities and foreign companies partnering to invest in these invest vehicles might be a quicker way of creating capacity for many Zambians to learn how to be creative and be formidable entrepreneurs to contribute to the success of IDC much to the dislike of my friend theoretician .We are positive not cheap people paid to play cheap politics with little fore sight intellect and exposure simply for the belly .My record in my studies and accomplishments are quick high appreciated by many I have not hidden my Name and Title simply just like that as connected to many on my LinkedIn and actually appreciate.
I can not equal you my friend I am simply good…
R U suggesting legalizing “Ponzi” scheme?
Do you REALLY think that there are people with substantial financial resources who are ready to entrust management of such resources to a bunch of geriatric demagogues which have in so far proven that financial management is a unknown and foreign subject to them?
dissect the topic at hand and see into it without being politically or petty that is the challenge for most Zambians and needs to change to being straight right and positive .Be different ba theoretician stop being a noise blogger and be a value to LT You simply cannot equal me with a small Zambian economy on my figure tips I am not mushota I have read .You simply cannot equal me I have explained that I guarantee you I am I am short to be a Dr like Dr Situmbeko or a Professor like Saasa we will get there one day its only a few years or so but even at this level you cannot equal me .Though above said I am open to learn from others and contribute in humility often times quietly
Sometimes broader than the topic to help you think and contrast and see broader that is my style
@Loose Canon,
You have cracked my ribs.
Ba PF…Talking about the same stuff, when are we going to hear new ideas that work? its like erasing stuff and writing it on new paper. you just don’t make promises without seeing the possibilities to deliver, I’m tired of you….
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