The Zambian government has expressed interest in getting Belarusian tractors.
Ways to acquire them were discussed as Director-General of the Belarusian tractor engineering company MTZ Vitaly Vovk met with a Zambian delegation led by Finance Minister Bwalya Ngandu.
Zambia’s intention to buy Belarusian tractors was mentioned during the meeting.
The decision on how many tractors Zambia needs is supposed to be made by the end of Q1 2020.
The implementation of the plans will start then.
Dr. Ngandu stressed Zambia’s strong interest in using Belarus’ experience for developing its own agriculture.
He also mentioned the possibility of setting up a joint enterprise to make Belarusian tractors.
“It will allow our region to supply tractors not only to Zambian farmers but also to neighboring countries thanks to a favorable geographical location,” the Zambian finance minister said.
Vitaly Vovk noted that MTZ will start working out the roadmap right away and a working group will be set up to implement common plans.
“We are ready to share everything necessary for setting up a high-tech enterprise to make agricultural machines. I am talking not only about tractor assembling but also about training specialists with the necessary qualifications. It can be done using your educational institutions, too,” he added.
BelTA
Can someone educate me what tractors are and why the Zambian government is interested in buying them especially from Belarus? I note that farmers are mentioned in this story, what is the connection? …
Better than buying firetenders. Happy that this minister is not yet a politician and is thinking like us, the more normal ones. Well done to you only Minister of Finance. Be involved from start to finish, if you involve other people, we could go back to fire tender pricing
Good move, though only if it will be cheaper than imported ones which are quite expensive as for us small scale farmers
Nsimbi, because of Mw!b@la Corruption enterprise, SIMPLY CORRUPTION & KICKBACKS!! These guys need Campaign funds & Mukula is a hot cake, too difficult to shift in the current climate. Just ask yourself;
1. Are these Tractors from a former Soviet satellite state tested & durable?
2. Once they pack up, can one easily access parts cheaply from Power Equipment, suppliers in the region or do we need more Corrupt tenders to access rare parts from “outer Mongolia” at GREAT COST?
3. What is the cost, & who has sanctioned the purchase?? We all know the truth about P.F tenders, which are steeped in serious dishonesty, where only boys linked to the Plunderers Federation Politburo will gain, BUT THE NATION & ITS CITIZENS LOSE OUTRIGHT!
These Tractors if you ask me are as useful as Queen…
Typo;
“as Mukula is currently a Hot cake, too difficult to shift in this current climate”
Cont;
these Tractors if you ask me are as useful as Queen Esther Mukula 1’s scrap metal fire tenders, where the Taxpayer shelled out over 1Million U$D, to import scrap metal worth U$D 2.000¢.
WAKE UP ZAMBIANS YOU ARE BEING HAD AGAIN BY THESE BRUTAL P.F CON MEN & WOMEN!
I do not understand the rationale behind this tractor business. We have Camco and many other tractor dealers in Zambia and I am not aware of any tractor shortage in the country. I would also like to believe that this tractor company in Belarus is a parastatal company. We destroyed our own SimCity and Indeco. Ng’andu please forget it. It is a waste of money and in any case this was supposed to be a matter under ministry of agriculture.
Zimco and not SimCity.
Good move if the tractors will be available at attractive prices – perhaps even through some kind of ” FISIP”!. Zambia needs to urgently move to mechanised agricuture – from small scale walking tractors up.
Bring back something like LENCO. Bring back someone like Clive Chirwa. Enable your patenting machines and get cracking. When are we going to sell tractors to Belarus?
I guess most people are too young to remember the tractors from Romania in the Kaunda era. Zambia defaulted on the payment of the Romanian tractors and Zambian assets were attached abroad . I rest my case
First according to the GRZ run DAILY MAIL, Jan 31 2018:
“A BELARUS-BASED tractor manufacturing firm plans to set up an assembly plant to accelerate mechanised agriculture in Chipata with an initial investment of about US$60 million.”
*****
Almost exactly 2 years later we are being told GRZ will BUY them!! Zambians are being taken for a nice joy ride lol Thank you PF
something fishy is going on. this’ not a genuine deal at all.
why Belarus?
these guys are corrupt to the core. money is changing hands as we speak and they’ll push this into Zambian throats without any second thought
ba koswe
Is government in the business of buying and selling tractors? This is a private business looking for opportunities in Zambia. The only role govt should play is licensing the company to do business here. The rest should be up to the company itself. There’s no better person than Bwalya Ng’andu to know that.
Why Belarus? Can’t you arrange with Local Tractor Dealerships in Zambia? This is how you Kill Business you fools? Or Instead of buying, invest to start assembling Tractors in Zambia. Buy the parts only as Complete Knock Down. It’s cheaper. These Zambian leaders surprise me. They lack strategies that can improve the economy /create jobs for the Youth.
Tractors well and good , but a smart GRZ would have realised that importing solar products is costing Zambia hundreds of millions of $.
A smart GRZ would have realised by now that slapping 200% tariffs on imports and reducing tax on companies setting up solar assembly and manufacturing plants using Zambian copper would boost the coffers of GRZ beyond expectations….
We have been saying this from 3 years ago.
I guess it is a du.m GRZ that we have…..
Instead of assemblying those traitor units in Kabwe or in Zambia and create value addition you are simply thinking of giving them hard forex cash you dont have, did you not learn anything from procuring those 2000 solar hammer mills? Morons
Spaka – Solar panels, units and solar batteries are tax free and tractors are also tax free provided you use a ZNFU on your paperwork.
a ZNFU farmer