PRESIDENT Edgar Chagwa Lungu has called for a law that will promote equity for all retired leaders noting that a lone President does not run government.

President Lungu also reiterated that successive governments should not build him a retirement home even though it is his constitutional right.

“Further I wish to reiterate my earlier pronouncement that government will not build me a retirement house even though it’s a constitutional requirement,” President Lungu said.

“And going forward we will scrap this law because I have seen that equity does not seem to be applied when you are dealing with retired leaders.” he said

He said the success contributed to Zambia by our leaders was not personal but that of a collective college.

The Head of State said both First Republican President Dr Kenneth Kaunda and Fourth Republican President Mr Rupiah Banda had deputies but where are they in the picture of retirement.

President Lungu said this when he officially handed over the retirement house to fourth Republican President Rupiah Banda in Lusaka’s Makeni area.

He thanked the former President for accepting the official handover of the house and apologized for the delay which he has attributed to circumstances beyond the control of Government.

The President stated that it is the duty of Government to ensure the welfare of former Presidents is taken care of.

He said the house will enable the former President to continue playing an important role of providing good counsel to Government and other Zambian citizens.

And Mr. Banda has expressed gratitude to President Lungu for the construction of the house and for showing his great personal interest from the start to completion of the project.

He said President Lungu went out of his way to accept his proposals on how to go about constructing the retirement house such as choosing his own architect.

And Housing and Infrastructure Development Minister Hon. Ronald Chitotela recognized the remarkable leadership of President Edgar Lungu that will remain to inspire generations to come.

He said through Leadership President Lungu has demonstrated the importance and need to respect, honor, Cherish and treasure leaders that are and were given the privilege to superintend over the affairs of this nation.

President Edgar Lungu has apologized to families of former Heads of state whose houses are still under construction.

President Lungu has assured them that the houses will be completed as soon as possible.

He has since directed respective agencies to expedite the construction of the retirement houses.

President Lungu said this when he officially handed over the retirement house to fourth President Rupiah Banda in Lusaka’s Makeni area.

He thanked Mr. Banda for accepting the official handover of the house and apologized for the delay which he has attributed to circumstances beyond the control of Government.

The President stated that it is the duty of Government to ensure the welfare of former Presidents is taken care of.

He said the house will enable the former President to continue playing an important role of providing good counsel to Government and other Zambian citizens.

And Mr. Banda has expressed gratitude to President Lungu for the construction of the house and for showing his great personal interest in the project.

He said President Lungu went out of his way to accept his proposals on how to go about constructing the retirement house such as choosing his own architect.

The retirement house sits on a 25-hectare piece of land.

Finance Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe has disclosed that government collected a total of K28.2 million as revenue in form of withholding tax on rental income on commercial and residential properties between January and June 2018.

Mrs. Mwanakatwe says of the total K28.2 million, K24.9 million was collected from commercial properties while K3.3 million was collected from residential properties.

She says as of May 30th 2018, the Zambia Revenue Authority captured a total number of 4,504 rented, commercial and residential properties of which 2,500 where commercial and the rest individual properties.

Mrs. Mwanakatwe says the Zambia Revenue Authority has since engaged a tax agent to collect tax on rental income which will help ZRA identify more tax bearers.

She said this is parliament in response to a question by Nangoma UPND Member of Parliament Boyd Hamusonde who wanted to know how much revenue government collected in form of withholding tax on commercial properties countrywide from January 2016 to June 2018 year by year.

The European Union and COMESA have signed a 48.3 Million Euros trade facilitation programme.

The COMESA Trade Facilitation Programme aims at deepening regional integration, improving inclusive regional economic growth and enhancing competitiveness of the COMESA region.

COMESA Secretary General Chileshe Kapwepwe and the Head of the European Union Delegation to Zambia, Alessandro Mariani signed the Agreement.

This paves the way to commence the implementation of the planned activities in the whole COMESA/tripartite region as well as at the targeted corridors and border areas in the COMESA region.

The Programme is financed under the 11th European Development Fund, The project aims at increasing intra-regional trade flows of goods, persons and services by reducing the costs/delays of imports/exports at specific border posts.

This will be achieved through the reduction of non-tariff barriers across the borders, the implementation of the COMESA Digital Free Trade Agreements, the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreements, improvement of the Coordinated Management and the liberalization of the trade in services and movements of persons.

COMESA Secretary General Mulenga Kapwepwe cited the lack of coordinated border controls, seamless exchange of information as well as Trade and Transport Corridor Monitoring System as some major causes of high freight costs in the COMESA region compared with other regions.

And Ambassador Mariani said the EU-COMESA Trade Facilitation Programme is of utmost importance and will greatly contribute to the implementation of the New Africa-Europe Alliance for Sustainable Investment and Jobs recently launched by the EU.

And Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Commerce Trade and Industry Kayula Siame, who was the chief guest at the event said with this Trade Facilitation programme, COMESA will have a more prioritized trade facilitation programme which will ensure simple and flexible rules of origin as well as dynamic systems for elimination of non-tariff barriers and the instruments for trade facilitation will be effectively and efficiently used.

COMESA Secretariat will be responsible for managing the overall coordination of this programme, with sub activities sub-delegated to Member States and other implementing agencies to ensure the greatest impacts and the best value for money.

Home Affairs Minister Stephen Kampyongo has implored political parties in Zambia not to be confrontational but to co-exist.

Mr. Kampyongo however says it is gratifying to note that the just ended bye-elections in some parts of the country were generally peaceful despite reports of some incidences of violence.

ZANIS reports that Mr. Kampyongo was speaking to Journalists in an interview in Livingstone yesterday.

Mr. Kampyongo also said the police service did a commendable job as they ensured elections were conducted peacefully.

Meanwhile, the minister has urged all division commands in western, Northern and Eastern Provinces to continue exhibiting high level of discipline and restraint in their duties in order to create an environment where people do not feel intimidated.

Mr. Kampyongo has since congratulated all candidates that emerged victorious and urged them to deliver according to the electorates’ expectation.