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.

Cabinet has approved five bills to be published and introduced in parliament. The five bills are aimed at facilitating the smooth implementation of the 2019 National Budget currently being debated in parliament.

The five bills are the Value Added Tax -Amendment Bill, 2018, Income Tax -Amendment Bill, 2018, and the Customs and Excise -Amendment Bill, 2018. Others are the Insurance Premium Levy (Amendment) Bill, 2018 and the Mines and Minerals Development -Amendment Bill, 2018.

At its 20th Meeting, Cabinet has approved the upgrading of 500 Basic Schools during the period 2019-2022 by way of building additional infrastructure using the low-cost design model.

Chief Government spokesperson Dora Siliya said the current provision for the secondary school sector is at 40 percent and this has resulted in 60 percent of the pupils who sit for grade nine examinations not being able to continue with their secondary school education and this has raised concern by Government.

Mrs. Siliya said Cabinet decided that the improvement in infrastructure in the education sector through the upgrading of 500 existing Basic Schools will greatly assist in increasing the capacity of Secondary School education provision in the country.

She said Cabinet was particularly impressed that the upgrade will involve the communities in the surrounding identified areas unlike the usual Contractor Mode which has tended to be very costly to Government and in most cases not benefited Zambian contractors thereby defeating Government’s policy of citizens’ empowerment.

Ms. Siliya said Cabinet however warned on comprising on the quality further insisting that the Patriotic Front Government will always stick to its plans of ensuring infrastructure development country-wide especially in sectors such as education to improve on literacy levels among the citizens.

And Ms. Siliya said in line with increased access to education in view of the increased infrastructure in the education sector, Cabinet further approved the local and decentralized manufacturing, supplying, delivering and assembling of school furniture for stocking and re-stocking in schools and tertiary institutions.

She said Cabinet indicated that it is necessary to decentralise and localise the manufacturing of school furniture in order to reduce the shortage of furniture in schools; create and support value addition in wood processing in the country; minimise the importation of school furniture so as to promote wealth and job creation in line with the Government empowerment programmes; as well as to reduce capital flight.

Ms. Siliya said Zambia is endowed with abundant forestry and has a good number of government and private institutions that are engaged in carpentry including schools that have design and technology.

She said in view of this, Cabinet approved the utilization of the Technical Education, Vocational and Entrepreneurship Training Institutions under the Ministry of Higher Education in the production of school furniture country-wide as long as they have the capacity to produce the needed furniture.

Ms. Siliya said Cabinet is convinced this is another way of ensuring that its citizens participate in business created by their Government and thereby build their capacities further as well as empower them economically.

President Edgar Lungu says he is happy that Zambia has started benefiting from the 60 billion Dollar Chinese investment pledge for Africa that was made during the Forum on China-Africa cooperation (FOCAC).

President Lungu says this can be seen through the actualization of various projects which were made during the summit in September.

Speaking when he officiated at the phase one of the 600 million-dollar Jiangxi multi facility economic zone in Chibombo district today, President LUNGU said the investment is testimony of the deepening relationship between Zambia and China.

The Head of State said his administration has shown that it’s pledges are not mere rhetoric as the country is being transformed through the actualisation of various infrastructure projects.

He thanked Jiangxi corporation for the gesture of investing in the multi facility economic zone and said the investment comes shortly after the Central province investment expo which he described as successful.

President Lungu said the setting up of the Multi facility economic zone in Chibombo will help government in its value addition and Industrialisation agenda.

At the same occasion, Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Li Jie said the project is a demonstration of the growing relations between the two countries.

Mr. Li said Zambia is taking a lead in the realisation of the agreements signed during the Forum on China-Africa cooperation-FOCAC-in China

He said the Jiangxi Multi-Economic facility zone will make Zambia an industrial hub in the region and create jobs for young people.

Mr. LI said his government will continue to support Chinese investment into the country.

And Jiangxi Representative Xu Guojian said the industrial park is a vital platform for boosting economic growth of Zambia and Jiangxi province.

Mr. XU said the industrial park will come with industry, trade, integrated services, medical and educational facilities for the needs of Zambia’s economic development.

Meanwhile, Commerce Minister Christopher Yaluma said his ministry is pushing ahead with the Industrialization policy as a tool of creating jobs for Zambians.

Mr. Yaluma said he is happy with the speed that Jiangxi Corporation has moved to actualize the Memorandum of Understanding that was signed with government to begin the project.

And Central Province Minister Sydney Mushanga said the province is ripe for investment in various sectors such as mining, agriculture, manufacturing among others.

Chibombo Council Chairperson James Ntalasha said there is need for coordinated development in the district as it is centrally located and has enough land.

At the same occasion, President of Kabwe Chamber of Commerce Christabel Ngongola said the Jiangxi multi facility economic zone will help spur economic and industrial development in central province.

And Chief Liteta thanked President Lungu for facilitating the construction of the MFEZ saying it will help create jobs in the area and reduce poverty.

Pictures By Goodson Lupiya ZANIS

A Youth Leader from the former ruling party, the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) has poured cold water on the Patriotic Front’s victory in Mangango saying the PF has lost in their president’s bedroom.

Prince Ndoyi a former student leader turned politician said the loss by the UPND in Mangango was expected as the same happened in 2014 but that the PF losing in what should be President Lungu’s bedroom sends a silent message loudly.

He said the loss in Lusinde ward of Petauke sends a silent message to the PF that they should decode sooner rather than later.

He observes that the PF has lost a by election just weeks after the dismissal of MMD President Felix Mutati which could be a message from the members of their alliance partners who continued to help the PF despite not being happy with their conduct.

…”And in agreeing with PF youth protagonists like Munir Zulu, the loss in PETAUKE must never be taken lightly, and speaks salient volumes ahead of what is soon coming. The people are sending a message but it’s PF’s responsibility to decode the subtle message and the actions thereafter. But surely losing in Petauke is not only an insult but an embarrassment to President Lungu.

“The Patriotic Front has lost a by-election in Eastern province barely weeks after the dismissal of MMD President Felix Mutati. The blue province on the East which is highly an agricultural province and more particularly PETAUKE district and constituency are speaking to this years’ farming season and perhaps to the agriculture policies of our alliance partners,” he said.

He said the lies of the MPs from Eastern Province have been exposed as the incumbent has lost an election in his bedroom due to their insecurities about the alliance which they felt posed a danger to their continued stay in parliament if the MMD reorganized itself.

“The lies that continued to create suspicions and insecurities in the alliance between the MMD and PF have soon shown that lies have short legs. The incumbent has lost the election in his own bedroom,” he said.

He noted that the dismissal of their leader could have been the last straw for the members who continued to have hope in the fragile relationship.

“The children of Petauke have seen that the relationship between their father and mother is in reverse gear, and this is a tip of their reaction.

“MMD members have been unhappy with the conduct of the PF but some of them continued to help the PF because they believed that there is an alliance. Dismissing their president from government could have been the last straw,” he said.

Ndoyi further mocked the PF with a Nsenga parable “Ndeo yabene sibavulilapo jacket,” a parable that simply means you cannot remove your jacket in a fight which isn’t yours.

“With the card renewal launch the members have been given hope and see a leader that can bring life into the party so they decided to leave the battle for Patriotic Front, more especially for President Lungu, to gauge their muscle. “Ndeo yabene sibavulilapo jacket, is what MMD did in Petauke by elections,” he said.

The Patriotic Front says it has received with joy and humility its victory in most of the elections held yesterday across the country.

Congratulating the winners in Mangango and Lupososhi among others, Party Secretary General Davies Mwila said the victory in Mangango demonstrates that Zambia’s democratic process is substantially maturing.

Mr. Mwila said the party is particularly humbled not only by the overwhelming embrace of PF by the people of Mangango Constituency, but also by the warm and emphatic nature of the embrace.

“Compared to the 2016 voter turnout at 59.26%, the voter turnout of around 53% for the 20th November 2018 Mangango By-Election was very satisfactory. It reflected the very will of the same people who turned up to vote in 2016”, He said.

Mr. Mwila said the victory is also an indication of how citizens in every part of Zambia have taken note of the all-encompassing countrywide development agenda of President Edgar Lungu and the PF Government.

“The statistics and pattern of the vote demonstrates that the good people of Mangango Constituency have voted for enhanced development in their constituency”, Mr. Mwila added.

Meanwhile, Mr. Mwila said the loss of Lusinde Ward in Kaumbwe Constituency is regrettable because Eastern Province is a PF stronghold.

He has since directed the Provincial leadership in Eastern Province to get down to the ground and submit a full report to his office in 14 days from today.

“In a by-election, the loss of a ward election speaks to the ill performance of an incumbent Member of Parliament and local Party leadership. The loss in Lusinde Ward is an indictment on the Area Member of Parliament Listed Tembo who was also campaign Manager for the by-election”, Mr. Mwila added.

And on the dialogue process, Mr. Mwila said the Patriotic Front has welcomed the position taken by the Zambia Centre for Interparty Dialogue and the three Church mother bodies on dialogue that the Church will Chair and lead the processes while the Secretariat will be provided by both ZCID and the Church.

He said it is also gratifying to hear from the Church that a cordial meeting at which President Edgar Lungu and Opposition leader Hakainde Hichilema had “brotherly” discussions was held.

Mr. Mwila said President Lungu’s doors have always been open to anyone who seeks to engage him on matters of national interest.