Government has announced it will lift the statutory ban on public service vehicles driving at night.
Finance Minister Felix Mutati says the decision to lift the ban was aimed at effecting a positive growth in Zambia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by allowing the wheels of commerce to continue rotating every hour.
He said government was confident with the robust measures that have been put in place to ensure safety is adhered to on Zambian roads.
Speaking when he conducted an on the spot tour of the construction of the 923 metre long permanent rail and road bridge between Zambia and Botswana in Kazungula, Mr. Mutati said public service vehicles will now be allowed to move after 21:00hrs effective Wednesday next week.
“The original intention of the ban was to try and enhance safety on our roads. So the Minister responsible for Transportation has put in adequate measures to ensure that safety requirements are met. So from next week government is going to lift the ban on night driving.” he said.
He further explained the decision to lift the ban will encourage a surge in activity levels for critical sectors of the economy such as mining and agriculture leading to increased job creation.
“In particular the mining sector, they are moving material across mines. I think it is prudent that we allow commerce to move ahead. So next week we are lifting the ban.”
The Minister further expressed satisfaction with the ongoing work on the Kazungula Bridge Project and said the facility will further cement the strong trade and economic ties between Zambia and Botswana.
This is according to a statement issued by First Secretary- Press at the Zambia High Commission in Botswana Kasabo Kalusa.
The best finance minster in a hardworking government! Blessings! Don’t listen to naysayers! It is a tribal thing with no substance.
A country with 2 presidents is always in mess.
MmD its President and ministers seems to be working
PFuuckers busy with 2021.
I wonder just how many brown envelopes it took to rescind on this decision.
This government has brought too much shame on our once respected country.
Let us purge them and cage them, indefinitely.
We told you this was a shambolic idea but you didnt want to hear…imagine a landlocked country with a night driving ban!!
The other thing is I want Felix to start thinking outside the box. It is much easier to get on the plane and head to DC to meet with IMF than to sit down and formulate proper tax policy to meet the $1.3Billion needed from the IMF.
Here is one ideal to Felix to make $1.3Billion in just one month by using a statutory instrument attached to sales tax. Simple and easy straight forward math:
$2,000,000,000 Needed
10,900,000 cell phone subscribers in Zambia (2016) ITC Figures
You need to raise sales tax/usage tax whatever you call by $183.49 which works out to be only ZMK1,779.82 at current rate.
Spread that among all your cellphone subscribers and you have your $2Bilion … voila.
You can use TV Licenses the same way, ZESCO Tarriffs the same, get ZRA busy working and stop moving…
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You can use TV Licenses the same way, ZESCO Tarriffs the same, get ZRA busy working and stop moving around. We have all the money we need to meet any budgetary need right below our noses. No need for IMF who can only give you a loan once you agree that you are going to privatize Zamtel.
Coming up with increased real estate levies for all on all things construction takes more time than jumping on the plane to DC. Another commodity on high demand is cement due to increased construction so, find out how many bags of cement are sold be month.
Find out how much you are looking for, task ZRA to collect at every plant selling the commodity collect there, and tag another levy at the sell point. Viola you have your $2Billion. I can go on and on and as an Accountant and…
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Find out how much you are looking for, task ZRA to collect at every plant selling the commodity collect there, and tag another levy at the sale point, etc. Viola you have your $2Billion. I can go on and on and as an Accountant and Investment Banker I can always create money from nothing.
No need to run to the IMF, anything we need or want is right under our nose, we can find it formulate it, design it and create it. We can make money out of thin air, we are currently 17 Million of us projected to be 20 Million by 2020. We are a huge resource on our own.
I expect my fellow accountant, Felix to start thinking outside the box as well and create money for the smart people of the Zambian Enterprise. Use your brain Felix, one thing I know about you is that you are smart…
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I expect my fellow accountant, Felix to start thinking outside the box as well and create money for the smart people of the Zambian Enterprise. Use your brain Felix, one thing I know about you is that you are smart enough so show us what kind of material you are made of.
Sancho … You are the best!
I rest my case!!!
Maybe I have not rested my case … 2015 total copper output from the 4 major mining companies which account for 80% of annual production was 711,000 tons. Current and real estimates are showing that we are actually above 1,000,000.
Tag something there, create a windfall tax or something … loading tax at the export point or something. Balance your ledger, Man … make the numbers balance the old trial balance way and find the deficit gaps and make them work. Increase toll fees, do something … of course every increase is passed down to the consumer but that the name of the game anywhere in the world.
On Currency, a lot of FDI comes in forex, find a way to tax that including all money transfers via direct remittances from relatives in diaspora as Western Union or Money Gram. Tax all those…
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Tax all those or attach a tax to it and you will be surprised how much the bureau de change and banks can collect more money badly needed for budgetary needs.
Create a tax incentive task force at the Ministry of Finance, staffed with some of the brightest new graduates in economics and tax planning (accountants) give them targets and let them work directly with ZRA to come up with these things, you will be shocked what they will come up with.
Everything we need is right below our own nose, Felix but we rise and fall under and/or based on what your leadership can provide. Gone are the days of looking outside for answers to our internal problems. We have to introspect and come up with home grown solutions, so lead the way with the smart people of the Zambian…
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Everything we need is right below our own nose, Felix but we rise and fall under and/or based on what your leadership can provide. Gone are the days of looking outside for answers to our internal problems. We have to introspect and come up with home grown solutions, so lead the way with the smart people of the Zambian Enterprise … we are all ready to cheer you on!
Let’s roll … because Zambia Is Greater Than Any Single One Of Us ~ B R Mumba, Sr
What B R Mumba (above) doesn’t seem to realize perhaps because of being in USA is that Zambians are already overtaxed and overcharged for public services. Imagine the council just decided to raise rates for more than 1000%. Sewerage company just raised sewer fees from K80 to K1,500 per month. Surely do you think there is any sanity here?
@Naomi … everyone anywhere is almost over taxed. Ask the Brits, they are over taxed, talk to the Japanese, they are overtaxed, the Chinese, go to Singapore, anywhere and that’s the cost of having a civilized life.
Go to the village taxes are cheaper there … by the way I visit Zambia quite often and I was there last month.
The smart people of the Zambian Enterprise are doing just fine and a few more taxes will help us all show some patriotism.
BR, the other side of the coin is cut unnecessary travels abroad by the Government Executive. Let the embassies/ High Commissions be fully utilized. Let’s government officials use Collora cars as official vehicles; limit amount of fringe benefits, properly superintend on awards of government and public tenders.
There lies another $2.billion.
@Bawesu … axiomatic!!! You’re spot on … you cut discretionary speeding on one hand such as unnecessary trips to DC for IMF loans and you increase revenue through strategic thought processes that enhance value, viola!!!
You have a balanced budget!!! You’re the best @Bawesu.
Sancho …
This is the most useless govt on earth today. They don’t know what they are doing. Indicator of this uselessness is their focus on 2021 elections already before doing anything to warrant a second chance in office. If these scumbags are not kicked out immediately Zambia is doomed.
Id!ocy is congratulating yourselves for reversing your own st up!d decision . What Mutati is saying is exactly what we said when this useless ban was being effected. The dullness of PF and its supporters reaches new lows everyday.
You are wasting your precious time debating with a day dreamer like one BR Mumba…please let him enjoy his sleep!!
@B.R Mumba.
Your thinking is wonderful if we need to balance our internal commerce. The GRZ will need to to print more kwacha to archive $2billions internally.
Also consider that the $2billion will pay for loans in force. How will this under performing government convert the huge kwacha into forex? katondo street?
Baba it’s only through export that we will balance our forex payments for our reckless borrowing.
As an engineer I’m disappointed by the thinking of some of accountants!
are we supposed to praise grz?
@CHINVINDINVINDI … Sancho saana. I also appreciate your engineering prows and I appreciate your contributions your career is making towards daily enhancing our Gross National Product (GNP). Believe it or not some of the best peers to accountants are engineers and doctors.
And yes, you mentioned exports … you will be shocked to find out that we have the right kind of exports the problem comes in the way those exports are accounted for. For instance, GRZ can issue a statutory instrument that makes it illegal to export copper CFI to a buying destination or FOB buying destination.
All exports should not be freighted at FOB Lusaka for instance. That change alone would immediately eliminate transfer pricing. What some of these mining companies are doing is that they are using holding…
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All exports should not be freighted at FOB Lusaka for instance. That change alone would immediately eliminate transfer pricing. What some of these mining companies are doing is that they are using holding companies out Zambia as buying agents for them.
So, the holding company buys from the mining subsidiary at a lower price and that way they declare taxable income at that inflated price, then the holding company turns around (transfer) and sells at the London/Brussels Metal Exchange Price (pricing).
FOB Lusaka would make them ship copper at the same price they would sell for at the exchange and immediately eliminate the transfer mechanism within which we are losing out on a high taxable amount as well as eliminate the holding company acting as an intermediary…
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FOB Lusaka would make them ship copper at the same price they would sell for at the exchange and immediately eliminate the transfer mechanism within which we are losing out on a high taxable amount as well as eliminate the holding company acting as an intermediary.
Closing this gap alone would increase taxable revenue from mining exports by upwards of 60 to 80% in certain instances and the corresponding GDP would show a relative increase as well. Another point you alluded to was quantitative easing (QE) but that might be too complicated for this audience full of Jay Jays and might be a waste of time.
Let’s stick to the easy stuff Jay Jay and his peers can grasp … Sancho once more, you are the best!!!
Meant to say “… All exports should be freighted at FOB Lusaka for instance”. The “not” in there killed everything
Jokers. It’s just that IMF have refused to give you money. You want to raise money from toll fees.
On point
Kafue – Mazabuka road not fit for this purpose. Upgrade this important road first before you sacrifice more people on this hell run!
Yes NO YES NO YES NO thats Zambia,they dont know what they want.
The ban was a result of productive people dying on the road. What measures have been put in place by government? We don’t want business as usual measures which previously have contributed to more casualties and deaths. PF you like money on expense of people? lives. How much have we made from toll gates?
Nothing has been done…they just know how to ban
It was uncalled for in the first place. Just how do you dictate when people should do their business. Wherever you go business is 24hours kwasila.
Any apologies from the government?
Disaster!
I guess you never lost any of your relatives from those road accidents caused by reckless drivers.
That’s what the problem is: drivers
They are reckless. Time of driving has nothing to do with this behavioral issue . Drivers are sick. Treat the sickness .
Finally, Reason, Ration and Logic has defeated superstitious type of thinking on this issue of banning night time driving for PSV drivers a crucial part of our economy.
Along with such a measure next time it ll be better for the minister to go into greater detail concerning what exactly the government is doing to improve safety on our roads and how much exactly the minister of finance is investing in the project of road safety.
The fact that the minister had glossed over the specific health safety measures put in place that results in lifting the ban is an indirect acknowledgment that nothing has been done.
Clatching st straws?
Now these fools want to ban small buses, there is so much dementia in this government. Where are the cadres who were busy applauding this when it happened now you see how bad PF decision making is.
Someone said chipantepante Government. Banning anything is veritable proof of incompetence. Is there any area of governance that this Government is doing well?
Pathetic, they introduce a ban then lift it and the silly PF stooges scream working government.
Any ban is not indefinite. What happened here in aussie about 457visa ban. Is it not lifted? Argue with any informed mind not always thinking in tribal lines.
very incompetent job-on-training emotional Ministers generating very bad very bad SI that has impacted negatively on the economy. sleeping economy only happens in Zambia, after 9pm the economy craws into the bed sleeping till next sun rise. I know Felix Mutati and mmd were very much against this impotent SI. Please pf leave, you are inconveniencing our economy. Felix tell us how much monies the economy has lost with the Brian Mushimba SI. I told you to try boy in the ministry of traditional chiefs.
UNFORTUNATELY, ZAMBIA HAS NO ALTERNATIVE TO REPLACE THE PF. THE OTGER PARTIES ARE EITHER TOO TRIBAL OR TOO SMALL.
What is missing from all this is what measures have been put in place to stop the road accidents which were the reason why the SI was effected in the first place. Our roads are very narrow and what we need are overtaking lanes. The government should urgently make overtaking lanes every twenty kilometres or so. Drivers usually take risks to overtake other vehicles in slow moving traffic. We can’t wait for the dual carriageway. The immediate measure is overtaking lanes.
Sttop drivers from taking unnecessary risks. Teach drivers to drive responsibly. It is what is between ears that controls actions.
Who gets the TV Levy since ZNBC is a pay up through Top star decoder… Please stop this Levy it’s day lite robery…..
Zambian politicians pursuing imf deal is a typical example of how lazy politicians are. The truth is we can absolutely do without this imf deal. Lets shelve it for good and save our country from more debt. Debt which will ultimately only benefit a few vultures.
Okay, but Mr Minister allow ONLY trucks and not buses. Let the buses continue untill we see a better solution.
Research has revealed that most RTA are caused by Truck drivers. Better we observe how this one will work and make our conclusion later.
I agree with you
Hope PF cadres here now get why we say the government doesn’t know what it is doing. we said it was a mbuzi move and so it has proved. Anyone who has done basic economics could tell it was a useless policy but because you have so many people from Katondo street you went ahead and implemented. And accidents are still happening!!
BR, you are right that all other countries over tax including the UK, but they have incentives to ensure that everyone has food on the table via cheaper food shops like lidl, aldi etc and cheaper cloth shops so that nobody goes without. You can only over tax if you have other incentives for people. I still love your writeup BR
@Mims whit … well noted, thanks a trillion
There are so many ways of collection of revenue apart from tax, cut down on presidential and the first lady trips home and abroad as those cost a lot on per diem, do away with unnecessary conferences outside your working cities, local authorities to start collecting garbage from markets and marketeers to pay for this service. Start looking at Zambia as a country and possible ways of making money out of all those foreign investors. STOP under the table envelopes Please.
It’s very fine that night time ban has been removed but there should be laws put in place for government to pay the medical expenses for people involved in accidents due to poor road design, accidents due to narrow roads that make it difficult to overtake,poor street lighting -that is governments responsibility and if they aren’t doing anything to safeguard Zambians with the vigor they are safeguarding economic developement then there is something wrong.There can be no economic development if the population is crippled from accidents.Bring back the railway system-we don’t want to use roads with trucks carrying mining equipment.
The Ban on Intercity Buses moving at night should Stay put. The buses should only move between 05.30 hrs and 19.00 hrs. A lot of Human Lives have been saved. The best form of resource is Human Resource. Let us not just think about money. It is very easy to fall asleep on the Steering Wheel at Night.
Truck drivers should however be allowed to move between 22.00 hrs to 05.00 hrs in order to keep the wheels of the Economy running. At least if they drink, drive and sleep, they fall alone. And only if there is written permission from the truck owner. Smaller Family cars should also keep off the Roads during the Truck leeway, unless it is absolutely necessary. Like this, we can share the Resources / Roads. Our Universities can also come up with a more feasible Solution. Cheers!
You need money to conduct research. The government does not provide research grants.
Shame! Now they want to be congratulated for reversing and correcting there own mistake. It was clear from the beginning that that was a very stupid mistake! PF don’t critically think before they leap.
The bottom line is that Trucks and Other Vehicles, especially those that carry Passengers should not Criss Cross at night. Its usually Hit and Run during this time. We also need to expand our road networks. Increase some lanes. The Donor Community needs to look at genuine issues like this, even if it means funding these Projects Directly. And all this with strict Project Management. I agree with those who support the use of alternatives like the Railways for moving heavy loads. It also spares our Roads from early damage. Cheers!
PF archaic laws and action is now also a NOELLE.
You cost us (Zambians) a lot of money from this rubbish law.
Now no money to pay civil servants, no IMF and you realize Industry is suffering.
PF is just full of F-words.
THINK BEFORE YOU ACT not vise-versa. JESUS!!!
We used GENSAT (General Statistical Package) taught by an American Professor. Only that I’ve specialised in something else now. I could have assisted free of charge. I love Z. Cheers!
We used Genstat to study the use of drought resistant strains in order to maximize crop yields as well as studying the best routes for transportation. I want to see someone here with a PHD so that we synchronise our ideas as Refined Intellectuals. I think she’s based in Europe. Cheers!
@The Observer, Ba Observe naimwe don’t provoke Mushota with statistical tools. and why you never mentioned SAS, S-Plus, R, etc. I want to think genstat provide friendly interface with you. Nevertheless, all these are just softwares developed based on principles of mathematical and engineering modeling. There could be variation as not every time inference drawn is a reflection of reality.
And now its in dispute transport minister says otherwise lol,i cant wait for Nkandu Luo to dispute that she has the same qualifications as KZ
This is the dumbest Finance minister Zambia has ever had seriously. Could Mwanakatwe and Mangande please return.