Metal production at Konkola Copper Mines recovered about a fifth in the second quarter, but it was not enough to prevent a hefty year-on-year decline in the group’s copper production for the six months ended September 30.

Mined metal production declined to 45,000 tonnes in the six months – a 22% reverse.

Output in the second quarter was 21% higher compared to the first quarter at some 21,000 tonnes.

The metal is mined from Konkola and Nchanga which has an open pit and underground section.

Vedanta also mines copper from India.

On an interim basis, custom volumes increased to 58,000 tonnes, 61% higher compared to the first half of its 2017 financial year mainly due to higher concentrate availability in the market, the group said.

A focus on equipment availability and close liaison with the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) was behind the improvement in production.

Vedanta is also reviewing the current contracting model in order to improve responsibility for production and productivity.

At Nchanga, “expert supervision” of the OEM and improved equipment maintenance saw output increase while production at the underground mine also improved.

It was expected to operate at targeted production from the third quarter onwards.

Production was also higher at the tailings leach plant.

The higher quarterly production and an increase in toll smelting from third parties led to increase utilisation of the smelter.

Vedanta said during the quarter, the plant was successfully tested for higher throughputs demonstrating higher capability than current levels.

Custom volumes totalled 32,000 tonnes in the second quarter, an improvement of 64% and 20% on a year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter basis respectively.

“Water levels at Kariba Dam has improved and is expected to improve further post the monsoon season. Power cuts in the country have been stopped but the force majeure declared by ZESCO and CEC continues,” the group said.

Zambia is set for this year’s International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Annual October Meetings, which start today 9th to 15th October, in Washington D.C.

Ministry of Finance Permanent Secretary Mr. Mukuli Chikuba says the World Bank has set aside US$150 million as agriculture sector budget support to Zambia to be provided over a period of three years. The IMF has also pledged US$ 1.3 billion balance of payment support to Zambia. Mr. Chikuba says Government has requested the World Bank to front-load the funding of the budget support in order to address immediate challenges the country is facing.

He this said when he arrived in Washington on Sunday night ahead of the meetings. Finance Minister Felix Mutati is also expected to attend high-level meetings. A number of high-level meetings are lined up, with key stakeholders such as World Bank Vice President for The African Region, Makhtar Diop who recently visited Zambia. Other engagements will be with the IMF on Zambia’s economic programme. There will also be sideline meetings with the Commonwealth Finance ministers and Macro Economic and Financial Management Institute for Eastern and Southern Africa based in Zimbabwe.

The Permanent Secretary said the annual meeting will seek to assess the international economy, progress on development issues such as poverty reductions among member countries, adding that following the recent launch of the Seventh National Development Plan by His Excellency President Edgar Lungu, Zambia, is well positioned to chart the economic recovery programme for the country.

He noted that Government has a new country partnership with the World Bank and will seek to have discussions on areas of cooperation especially in the agriculture sector where funding is next year anticipated.
Mr. Chikuba said government is also expected to hold discussions with the World Bank regarding the energy sector to find ways of addressing the country’s power deficit. This follows the World Bank’s support to the Batoka Gorge Hydro Power project which Zambia is developing with Zimbabwe. The Hydro-Electric Power Scheme which is estimated to cost US$ 6 Billion is expected to produce 2,400 Mega Watts of electricity for Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group (WBG) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bring together central bankers, ministers of finance and development, parliamentarians, private sector executives, representatives from civil society organizations and academicians to discuss issues of global concern, including the world economic outlook, poverty eradication, economic development, and aid effectiveness. Also featured are seminars, regional briefings, press conferences, and many other events focused on the global economy, international development, and the world’s financial system.

Mr. Chikuba said Zambia’s economy is performing well and as such meetings with the investor community in the USA to explain how they can support the country development process are expected to take place during the week.

The Permanent Secretary said it’s important for the country to start engaging the investor community in order to find instruments to refinance the euro-bonds as the first one matures in 2022.

This is contained in a statement released to the media by Cosmas Chileshe, the First Secretary for Press and Public Relations at Embassy of the Republic of Zambia in Washington DC

Commercial and Ground Operations Director for Proflight Zambia Keira Langford-Johnson said in an interview Monday in Lilongwe that having grown in both frequency and capacity during the five years that they have been plying the Lusaka-Lilongwe route, it is their vision as a company to  expand further.

“When we were starting out in 2013, we had three flights a week using an 18 seater jet and now we are operating daily on a 29 seater aircraft.

“In the next two years we would like to be able to put a 50 seater aircraft on the Lilongwe route and perhaps go on to double flights per day. That is our vision for the Lilongwe-Lusaka route,” Langford-Johnson explained.

This will be a direct response to the rise in the number of passengers that the company has recorded on the route in the past three years which has seen passenger numbers growing by over 60 percent, a combination of both tourists and business people from the two countries.

“In the last six months we have not recorded any growth maybe because of the competition we are facing from Malawian Airlines but we are still optimistic about the prospects and this route remains one most important ones for us.  And we believe it will continue to grow,” she said.

The company said almost in all the countries that they are operating in, they have been faced with problems of poor state of infrastructure which have in the end slowed down their business.

“In most of the routes they do not have sufficient flyer coverage for large aircraft, have few facilities and in many cases they still have dirt or gravel runways.

“In order for an airline to take full advantage of economies of scale to benefit from putting large aircraft on a route and maximizing the seats filled better infrastructure needs to be put in place to make it more sustainable,”  Langford-Johnson hinted.

At the moment both Malawi and Zambia are in the process of renovating and building their main international airports, Kamuzu International Airport and Lusaka International Airport respectively are both undergoing facelifts.

“Once we get the new airports in place we would like to see upgraded systems in order to better facilitate the passengers coming through. We can see Zambia becoming a hub because of the good connectivity with so many other airlines flying in and out of Zambia,” she said.

The company started its operations in 1991 and it flies out to 12 destinations primarily in Zambia with two international routes of Lusaka to Lilongwe and Lusaka to Durban.

Proflight boasts of intra-line agreements with Fly Emirates, South African Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Kenyan Airways and Rwandan Airways and it offers a baggage allowance of 23KGs.

Nyasa Times

Economics Lecturer Dr Lubinda Haabazoka has opposed government’s move to sign a concession agreement with an Austrian firm which has partnered with Lamise Investments to operate Zambia’s road traffic system.

Dr Haabazoka stated that surrendering the management of the country’s road traffic system for 17 years poses a great security risk.

“How safe will be our personal data in the hands of private entities like Lamise after we outsource RATSA services?”

He said, “Even if we are eager to improve on RATSA, we should be very careful. President Micheal Chilufya Sata reversed the sake of Zamtel for security reasons. You cannot allow a foreign entity to control communication in the country. Let us not loose grip on our independence in the name of PPPs (Public Private Partnerships).

Dr Haabazoka added, “I am a supporter of PPPs and I think they enhance development in countries but there are sectors that are so sensitive that we can’t outsource them. With cameras and other smart systems installed, those operating them will be able to know who owns which car and their frequent routes, behavior etc.”

He said such information should be kept tightly and only intelligence institutions should have monopoly over that informational thought with restrictions.
“As a country, we are not in a hurry to install cameras and RATSA systems. We have a lot of other challenges which we should concentrate on,” he said.

“ZNBC has outsourced its signal transmission now RATSA. I remember very well when the late Micheal Sata castigated then Permanent secretary for the ministry of information for granting a nationwide broadcasting license to one media institution. The president asked why other governments had not done so in the past? Security reasons. In business economics, it’s a principle that new innovations or products conform to security specifications.”

Dr Haabazoka warned that Zambia will become a laughing stock if it goes on to outsource these services.

“We have opened too much. The same mistake we made with privatization. The same mistake we are making with land.”

“If at all sanctions were imposed on Zambia today (God forbid), we would suffer the same day. Just look at how foreign companies are joining political debate by threatening to sue political leaders of this nation. Go and try that in Russia. You will be booted out immediately and they won’t care from where you come from. Let’s cultivate a sense of Zambianess in ourselves.”

He added, “We are too occupied with fighting that foreigners have taken advantage of us by sponsoring both sides then busy looting our wealth!!! Say no to RATSA outsourcing and say no no high PAYE!!!!! Trop cest Trop!!!! Enough is enough!!! Government please listen to your own people. Safeguard our interests. We mean well,” he said.

“Lamise should not be given the concession. No one else should be given!!!! Let it be government doing it!!! Just remove carders from RATSA and you will see it prosper.”