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DEC arrests 42 year old accountant for money laundering

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DEC Public Relations Officer Theresa Katongo
DEC Public Relations Officer Theresa Katongo
The Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC ) through its Anti-Money Laundering Investigations Unit in Lusaka has arrested an Accountant for money laundering activities involving K30, 000.00.

And the Commission in Lusaka has arrested a Congolese National of Chawama Compound for trafficking in cocaine.

Cosmas Langa Tembo, 42, of House No. B148 Mtendere Compound in Lusaka has been arrested for attempting to obtain credit by false pretences, forgery, uttering of false documents and personation contrary to the laws of Zambia.

This is according to a press statement issued to ZANIS by DEC Public Relations Officer Theresa Katongo.

Particulars of the offence are that Tembo on dates unknown but between 1st November, 2016 and 27th January, 2017 whilst acting together with other persons unknown did attempt to obtain credit of K30, 000.00 from a known Micro Financial Lending Institution by uttering false documents purporting to be a Teacher at Mayota Primary School in Chibombo District when in fact not.

A cheque of K30, 000.00 was subsequently issued to Tembo which was later deposited into a known bank account opened using false documents.

Meanwhile, the Commission in Lusaka has arrested a Congolese National of Chawama Compound for trafficking in cocaine.

Patrick Mwamba, 40, a Hair Dresser at Kamwala Market has been arrested for trafficking in cocaine powder.

The suspect was arrested at Kamwala Market as he was about to transact.

Both suspects will appear in court soon.

President Lungu Anti-Early Marriages Campaign is Ill-Informed

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GREEN Party Presidential Candidate Peter Sinkamba
GREEN Party Presidential Candidate Peter Sinkamba

By Peter Sinkamba

PPRESIDENT LUNGU ANTI-EARLY MARRIAGES CAMPAIGN IS ILL-INFORMED: IS IT A MUTATION OF THE FAMILY PLANNING CONTRACEPTIVES GIMMICK OR WHAT?

President Edgar Lungu is in New York where he is attending the UN General Assembly. His key campaign message to the General Assembly is on ending early child marriages by 2030. Back home, he plan to enact a law which makes it a criminal offence to marry before the age of 21 as a deterrent to early child marriages.

The question is: Is early child marriage really an issue of serious concern in Zambia, in the first place, which is worth pushing on global scale? As The Greens, we hold a dissenting view. From empirical evidence, we do not think it is an agenda worth pushing at the level of Head of State because there is no meritorious motivation at all backed by facts. If anything, we hold the view that this anti-early child marriage thing is a mutation of the notorious contraceptives family planning gimmick which has acutely cost many gullible nations like Zambia, and thereby aggravating their poverty.

Let’s take Zambia, for example. The overall, life expectancy in Zambia, at birth has fallen to 37.5 years, is the fourth lowest in the world due to the burden of disease. The burden is particularly evident in children under age 5. It is expected that 60 per cent of babies born will not survive to the age of 40. Malaria is said to be responsible for one third of under-five deaths, with many others caused by respiratory infections, diarrhea and neo-natal conditions. Although not usually cited as the cause of death, it is estimated that malnutrition is an underlying factor in 54 per cent of child deaths. From this empirical evidence, it is very clear that environmental degradation, especially arising from pollution of air, water, and soil, is the largest culprit for high child mortality rate in Zambia. From public health point of view, early child marriage is nowhere in the picture in so far as appalling low life expectancy statistics in Zambia are concerned.

From the economic view point, of the total working-age population estimated at 8 million, females are comfortably ahead at 52 per cent while males are below at 48 per cent. Further, in terms of labour force participation, males have a lower participation rate at 77 percent as compared to females at 78 per cent. There are more economically independent women than their male counterparts.

The existing state of knowledge therefore does not warrant any clear-cut generalization that early child marriages has had an adverse effect on the women, particularly as regard to economic status. In actual fact, from statistics point of view, women are economically better off than men.

The question then is: since there is no compelling evidence which point to early child marriage as having an adverse impact on economic and health status of our female population or indeed associating the extremely low life expectancy in Zambia to early child marriages, what then is motivation for the President Lungu’s to drive the anti-early child marriage campaign at global stage? Is it because the donors are promising to provide more financial support in that direction? Or he is so gullible that he can not pick this is another family planning gimmick mutating from contraceptives to early child marriages to sustain the poverty of our masses?

As a leadership and State, we must be wary of some of these donor supported programmes anchored around ulterior motives. We must ask ourselves, why for example, early child marriage campaigns in Zambia should be priority instead of environmental pollution which is ravaging the nation and depleting valuable human capital. We must ask ourselves why all donors, but the Netherlands, have pulled out of supporting environmental pollution when this is the major contributor to the health burden in our country. We must ask ourselves why longevity of our lives should not worth supporting by any well-meaning donor.

We hold the view that Zambians should always be wary of some misleading Western theoretical analyses which argue that high population growth creates pressures on limited natural resources, reduces private and public capital formation, and diverts additions to capital resources to maintaining rather than increasing the stock of capital per worker. If this argument has substance, we must ask ourselves why the top most populous countries in the world are the richest too.

To make sense of our argument, lets scan what will be of the populous nations in next few decades, as discussed below. While we acknowledge that there could no single driver of any nation’s future; and that there could be very different drivers pushing the economies of those countries forward or indeed interacting with each other in some unanticipated ways, no doubt about it, we believe high population is one of the most powerful drivers of any nation’s prosperity.

Here in Africa, for example, we must ask ourselves why Nigeria, the most populous country, is richest on the continent. And we must ask ourselves why Nigeria, as a country which is projected to be the fourth most populace nation on earth in 2050, its economy is set to be almost the same as France and Saudi Arabia. We must ask ourselves why by 2050, Nigeria’s economy is projected to be bigger than economies of South Korea, Italy, Canada, Netherlands, Argentina, Poland and several other rich nations.

As will be noted below from the global economy/population forecast for 2050, Nigeria, which is projected to be the third most populous nation in the world, will enter the Top 20 richest nations in the world at number 14 as follows:

1. China — $58.499 trillion — 1.366 billion people
2. India — $44.128 trillion — 1.661 billion people
3. United States — $34.102 trillion — 0.398 billion people
4. Indonesia — $10.502 trillion — 0.366 billion people
5. Brazil — $7.540 trillion — 0.226 billion
6. Russia — $7.131 trillion — 0.l74 billion
7. Mexico — $6.863 trillion — 0.157 billion
……..
……..
……..
14. Nigeria — $4.348 trillion — 0.397 billion

From above empirical evidence, clearly there is need for more intensive research on the impact of early child marriages on Zambia, currently and in the past. Otherwise, we are shooting in the dark or rather shooting ourselves in the foot because from the economic point of view, one driver is certain: the most populous nations have rapidly advanced as consumers. The wealth created by these countries’ growth has created a substantial middle class. Putting a precise number on the size of this segment of the population remains tricky, but however large it is, the current middle class of any one of the most populous nations is a mere fraction of what it will become as hundreds of millions more people join its ranks during the next decades into 2050. This growth trajectory represents a powerful opportunity to help develop the retail sector of any nation and thereby the prosperity of its people.

On the basis of the foregoing premise, we the Greens posit a different approach to sexuality. We plan to put in place policy interventions which will produce quantum leaps in population growth. If need be, we plan providing enthralling incentives to parents who produce more and more children so that Zambia grows it population ten to twenty fold by 2050. The evidence of population growth as a means to confront head-on the daunting long-term challenge of poverty reduction in the world is compelling.

Peter Sinkamba
President
The Green Party

ZABS calls for re-examination of existing rules that govern global trade

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The International Body for Standardization has called for a re-examination of existing rules that govern global trade to ascertain whether they add value or unnecessarily restrict trade between and among nations.

Held under the theme “Open Minded, Open for Change”, the weeklong Annual General Assembly that took place in the German capital of Berlin and ended Friday, challenged national bodies responsible for standardization to find ways of reacting in good time to the needs of industry and the business community.

During a courtesy call paid on the Zambian embassy in Berlin, Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) Director Manuel Mutale said the rules governing standards’ bodies tend to be heavily bureaucratic thereby failing the needs and demands of today’s business. “For instance, if Kenya wanted to import maize from Zambia and the latter has produced excess maize, our conformity assessment system must be quick enough to react and provide test results which can be used for these business decisions”, Mr. Mutale said.

Flanked by his deputy, Mrs. Margaret Lungu, the ZABS’ Director noted that there were policy and legal developments underway in Zambia some of which were announced by President Edgar Lungu in his recent address to parliament that will transform the national standard’s body into an industry and business-friendly institution. Mr. Lungu said ZABS will concentrate on helping industry and the business community in attaining internationally accepted standards for their goods while another body will be responsible for regulations and enforcement.

In her remarks, Zambia’s Charge D’ Affaires, Mrs. Theresa Kimena said the Zambian embassy in Berlin stood ready to work closely with ZABS in identifying opportunities that could enhance the capacity of the standard’s body in undertaking its national duties. Mrs. Kimena said her mission was interested in technology transfer and training of officers at ZABS to match developments both in the Zambian economy and on the global stage.

“Here in Europe, there have been developments in industry that have demonstrated the critical role that bodies responsible for standards play in safeguarding the well-being of consumers”, Mrs. Kimena said. She expressed confidence that the political leadership played at home that has shifted focus to development should be able to see critical economic bodies such as ZABS attaining the same standards as their counterparts in developed nations.

The Zambia Bureau of Standards belongs to the SADC, Continental and International bodies for quality standards. This year’s annual general meeting was held under the auspices of the body in German responsible for Standards, which is also Dean of the world body for national standards.

The statement was released to the media by Kellys Kaunda, First Secretary for Press at Zambian Embassy in Berlin, Germany

Secret dialogue meetings with HH which exclude other political parties will not work-Edward Mumbi

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Mulenga Sata with Edward Mumbi
FILE: Mulenga Sata with Edward Mumbi

Former United Party For National Development Presidential advisor Mr Edward Mumbi has said Secret dialogue meetings with UPND leader Hakainde Hichilema which exclude other political parties will not yield any fruits.

And any fruitful dialogue should incorporate all political parties and must be premised on HH recognising President Edgar Chagwa Lungu as Head of State. Anything short of these conditions will be a waste of time Mr. Mumbi has said.

He advised the opposition leader to stop pre-empting the outcome of the proposed dialogue being spearheaded by the Commonwealth.
He said doing setting impossible preconditions would lead to failure and incite violence.

Mr Hichilema has charged that he was confident that the dialogue would be fruitful, but Mr Mumbi said Mr Hichilema’s initial statements were unacceptable.

“How can he pre-empt the dialogue? Can he tell the Zambians what the context of his convictions are in the dialogue which has not yet been made public? Is he saying that the Commonwealth has a pre-determined position in this dialogue?

“That is very wrong, what does Mr Hichilema say in the event that the dialogue was not successful? That will then be the beginning of violence, because it’s like he has the results already,” he said.

Mr Mumbi said that it was impossible to have a successful dialogue when the opposition leader was still in denial that President Lungu was legitimately elected by the majority of Zambians in the last election.

He has since suggested that the Commonwealth, being the initiators of the dialogue between the political leaders should first demand that Mr Hichilema recognise President Lungu. He noted that failure for the opposition leader to recognise the Head of State was the source of political tension that the country was experiencing.

“The Commonwealth should first make sure that Mr Hichilema recognises the sworn-in President if the dialogue is to be successful. Zambia has a President, there is no vacuum, and elections are over,

“The Commonwealth should be careful, because we are beyond elections and we do not expect them to be silent without advising the opposition leader to recognise and in the process work with the government in power,” he said.

Mr Mumbi also demanded that the proposed dialogue between President Lungu and Mr Hichilema be chaired by Commonwealth special envoy Professor Ibrahim Gambari and open to all political parties for contribution.

He said this would help the Commonwealth gather accurate facts and arrive at an informed decision. Mr Mumbi advised Prof Gambari not to speak to either President Lungu or Mr Hichilema privately, but publicly, saying that the dialogue talks involved all Zambians.

Zambia National Education Coalition condemns proposals to reintroduce corporal punishment in Schools

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A Tungi Primary School pupil planting a Rosewood (Muzauli) tree during the launch of the National Tree Planting Exercise for 2016/2017 Planting Season for Western Province in Mongu

The Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC) has said that it is in support of the ban on corporal punishments in learning institutions and condemned any proposals to reintroduce it.

In a statement released to the media, ZANEC said that ZANEC Members Organisations resolved to reaffirm their position that corporal punishment was not only bad for the learners but equally for the teachers.

Below is the full statement

CORPORAL PUNISHMENT BAN IN SCHOOLS

The Zambia National Education Coalition (ZANEC) has reaffirmed its support for the ban on corporal punishments in learning institutions and condemned any proposals to reintroduce it.

During a special coalition meeting convened on 18th September 2017 ZANEC Members Organisations resolved to reaffirm their position that corporal punishment was not only bad for the learners but equally for the teachers. Members agreed that if corporal punishment was reintroduced in schools, teachers would be contradicting the provisions of the laws of Zambia particularly the Education Act of 2011 (Section 28) that prohibits it. Zambia is also party to the United Nations (UN) convention on children’s rights and the African Charter on the rights and welfare of children that both denounce corporal punishment.

ZANEC, is a consortium of 68, education sector oriented Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) that promote quality education for every Zambian. ZANEC also builds consensus among players on various issues in the education sector to inform its advocacy positions.

It is ZANEC’s view that the ban on corporal punishment should be sustained and advocate for the use of other means to correct learners.

Corporal punishments is not just hurtful to learners but also promotes violence among them and does not show human dignity. Corporal punishment which involves physical canning and hard labour encourages absenteeism among learners due to instilled fear.

We are aware that since the ban of corporal punishment in 2003, some challenges have been faced regarding disciplining of learners but re-introducing it is not a solution as the benefits to the ban are more than the negatives. What is required now are concerted efforts between the parents and the respective schools to invest and engage more in counselling and guidance.

We are aware that the Ministry of General Education (MOGE) has introduced the Guidance and Counseling Department in all schools across the country. This should be the best medium to use in ensuring that learners are disciplined. The coalition members call upon the Government to ensure that Counseling and Guidance is introduced and mainstreamed as a subject in all teacher training colleges.

The responsibility of bringing up morally upright children still remains the primary responsibility of the family. It is therefore important that parents work closely with the schools to ensure that children remain focused and retain the discipline inculcated in them. The function of the schools on the other hand is to blend family and academic values in learners so that they grow into responsible adults.

The coalition members also agreed that there was need for more emphasis on civic responsibility on pupils in the education curriculum so that family values could be inculcated in the leaners. The coalition would like this emphasized to learners, parents, teachers and society as a whole that rights come with responsibilities.

Regrettably ZANEC members also noted that most parents do not attend school Open Days thereby missing out on an opportunity to share well-coordinated approaches with the schools on the correctional strategies on their children’s behavior. Parents have also been advised to attend school Open Days so that they could share ideas with their children’s teachers on how to inculcate better academic and moral values.

Besides encouraging parents to attend Open Days, the coalition members have proposed that Youth Friendly Corner should be introduced in schools to curb misbehavior through peer motivations.

Teachers should also sign a Child Safeguarding Policy upon being recruited for employment as a commitment to prevent corporal punishment.

Finally, ZANEC urges all learning institutions to strictly adhere to the government ban on corporal punishment as the measure was progressive.

Grace M. Sinkamba
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Government starts process of identifying beneficiaries of loans under the youth street vendors empowerment funds

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Government has started the process of identifying beneficiaries of loans which will be disbursed under the youth street vendors empowerment funds in Western Province’s Kaoma district.

The programme, which was initially launched in Lusaka, Copperbelt and Central provinces last year, is being collaborated by the government, the United Street Vendors Foundation (USVF) and the Zambia Postal Services Limited (Zampost).

United Street Vendors Foundation (USVF) Kaoma district committee secretary Alick Kalimbwe told ZANIS in an interview that 55 youths from the district will benefit from the initiative after the committee scrutinizes loan requests they have received.

Mr Kalimbwe said that the youth street vendors’ empowerment funds will be given to young people with entrepreneurial skills so that they can venture in income generating activities that will eventually help them to become self-sustained.

He said that the USVF district committee has received overwhelming response with over 350 youths expressing their interest in accessing the soft loans and the process of identifying eligible beneficiaries has started.

Mr Kalimbwe said that the youth street vendors’ empowerment fund is a government-financed programme that is non-partisan which was created out of the realisation that most youths in the country are in the informal sector selling on the streets.

He said that the Kaoma USVF district committee has adopted a strict scrutiny process to ensure that only eligible beneficiaries obtain the loans that will help boost their businesses and only those who are currently running small business will get the credits.

However, PF Kaoma district vice youth publicity secretary Maliande Lipoba has expressed dissatisfaction with the selection criteria the Kaoma USVF district committee is using in selecting beneficiaries of the youth street vendors’ empowerment funds.

Mr Lipoba accused the Kaoma USVF district committee of partiality in the selection process alleging that bona fide beneficiaries are being left out at the expense of friends and relatives an assertion Mr Kalimbwe, who is also Kaoma PF youth chairman, denied.

The Kaoma USVF district committee members include Kingford Nasilele (coordinator), Alick Kalimbwe Secretary (secretary), Edinah Kalimbwe (treasurer), Monica Pelekelo (gender coordinator), with Mishengo Mishengo and Kabayo Simanga as security coordinator and programmes coordinator respectively.

Urban Hype collaborate with Kenya’s Kagwe Mungai on Paloma (Remix)

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Urban Hype collaborated with Kenyan artiste Kagwe Mungai , on the remix to their song “Paloma“.

NACRO Opens a Tomato Processing Plant in Chibombo

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New Apostolic Church Relief Organization has launched a tomato processing plant in Chibombo, funded by NAK-KARITATIV, a faith based organization based in Germany.

The launch was done by District Apostle Charles Ndandula on 20 th September in Shamputa village where the organization has 18.5 hectares of farm land. The District Apostle urged farmers to take advantage of the plant and diversify into tomato production seeing that there is ready market for the product. The launch was attended by various stakeholders in the district among them the ZNFU, the District Commissioners and Council Secretary’s offices, to mention but a few.

The land is dedicated for use by NACRO for humanitarian services and economic empowerment of the members of the community, which will be attained through skills training for vulnerable youths, local farmers’ demonstration for horticulture and small livestock, and farmer empowerment through value addition.

The plant will be processing tomatoes into tomato paste, hence farmers will benefit from the project as suppliers of tomatoes. The plant has a capacity of producing 1200kg tomato paste in a day. The project is targeting 5100 farmers and so far, 2000 have shown interest.

Additionally, the farm will also produce 600 x 200 seedlings of HTX 14 variety of tomato under a green house. This is a preferred variety to the local Tengero because it does not contain a lot of water.

Mr. Justin Ngulube, the officer in charge of the farm, requested ZNFU Chibombo office to consider a partnership to see to it that farmers benefit from NACRO projects.

FFD asks Dora Siliya ro Explain the FISP Delivery Tender

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Minister of Agriculture Dora Siliya briefing Journalists shortly after presentation of of the 2016 Quarterly Report at State House
Minister of Agriculture Dora Siliya briefing Journalists shortly after presentation of of the 2016 Quarterly Report at State House
The opposition FDD has asked the minister in charge of agriculture in the country to clarify a number of concerns regarding some operations in the ministry.

In a letter 22nd September 2017 addressed to the minister FDD Deputy National Secretary Antonio Mwanza has asked Dora Siliya to furnish the nation with information regarding among other things what happened to tender number MoA/FISP/S/0002/2017.

Mr Mwanza explained that the tender was for “Provision of Service for Management of key Process of FISP Delivery, Electronic Input Voucher Management and Payment of Agro-Dealers under farmer input support programme for the 2017/2018 session.”

Further Mr Mwanza asked Ms Siliya to explain to the nation how much government is paying banks in transactions fees on the Visa/Euro payments cards and the mechanisms the ministry has put in place eliminate ghost farmers on the E-Voucher system.

He added that the minister should also tell the nation the practical measures the ministry is putting in place to ensure that farmers are not inconvenienced as well as ensure that FISP benefits the intended beneficiaries.

Police Commissioner to take action against officers who harassed MUVI TV Journalist

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Eastern Province Police Commissioner Alex Chilufya with other defence and security personnel during prayers and fasting day held at David Kaunda Stadium in Chipata
Eastern Province Police Commissioner Alex Chilufya with other defence
and security personnel during prayers and fasting day held at David
Kaunda Stadium in Chipata

Eastern Province Police Commissioner Alex Chilufya has said an appropriate administrative action will be taken against erring officers in yesterday’s fracas with a Muvi TV journalist Oswald Yambani.

In a statement to media, Mr. Chilufya said the Police Command fully values the services rendered by Zambian Journalists and the police shall always endeavour to promote and entrench rapport and partnership with Journalists in the interests of the common good for the Zambian people.

Mr. Chilufya has since revealed that he had to promptly intervene to avert any further misplaced action against a Muvi TV Journalist in Eastern Province yesterday.

And Mr. Chilufya has expressed gratitude that the misunderstanding which arose from a street filming of officer’s operations and caused an overreaction on the part of some of the Traffic Police Officers against Mr. Oswald was amicably resolved.

According to eye witness reports, three officers were trying to arrest a motorist who was resisting. One of the officers turned around and noticed that Oswald Yambani was filming the incident.

“They grabbed him, confiscated his camera. He tried to hold on to a fence but they harassed him and they threw him into their office. They locked him in the office and they sprayed the room with some tear gas,” said the witness.

Below is the statement:

PRESS STATEMENT

I refer to this morning’s situation involving our Traffic Officers and Mr. Oswald from Muvi TV.

I confirm that there was a misunderstanding arising from a street filming of officer’s operations which caused an overreaction on the part of some of our Traffic Officers against Mr Oswald.

The latter was taken to the Police Station but I wish to state that my office intervened promptly to avert any further misplaced action against the Journalist.

My Office invited Mr. Oswald for a discussion and regretted his mishandling.

However, an amicable, mutual understanding and appreciation were reached. Consequently, appropriate administrative action will be taken against erring officers.

Police Command fully values the services rendered by our Journalists and we shall always endeavour to promote and entrench rapport and partnership with our Journalists in the interests of the common good for the people of mother Zambia.

Thank you!

Alex Chilufya

Eastern Province police commissioner

Nkana Stadium to host Zesco-Kitwe Utd Barclays clash

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Kitwe’s Nkana Stadium will host the rescheduled 2017 Barclays Cup quarterfinal tie between champions Zesco United and Division One side Kitwe United next Wednesday.

This game was supposed to be played on September 23 but was postponed owing to Zesco’s CAF Confederations Cup engagement this weekend.

According to the Barclays Cup schedule published by FAZ, the other two quarterfinal matches will be played as planned on 24th September at Nkoloma Stadium in Lusaka.

Napsa Stars will face Green Buffaloes in the first quarterfinal match to kick off at 13h00.

Lusaka Dynamos and Kabwe Academy will later clash at 15h00 in the second quarterfinal match to complete the Nkoloma double-header on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Zanaco are the first team through to the quarterfinal following a walkover result against Power Dynamos.

Two-time champions Power have withdrawn from this year’s Barclays Cup after stating that it didnt make economic sense to take part in the competition.

204 countries affected by Non Trade Barriers (NTB)

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COMESA director for trade customs and monetary affairs Francis Mangeni
COMESA director for trade customs and monetary affairs Francis Mangeni

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA ) says it has managed to work on 199 countries out of the 204 countries recorded in 2008 affected by the Non Trade Barriers (NTB).

Speaking during the Common Market Eastern and Southern Africa, Zambia media Workshop ,Director of Trade and Industry, Francis Mangangeni said there were 204 COMESA countries with the NTB but only 5 are remaining.

Dr. Mangangeni said the remaining five countries include Zambia are under high level of consultations.

And speaking at the same event, Director of Industry and Agriculture, Thiery Mutombo said the authority head of states declared COMESA as a common investment area in 1998.

Dr.Mutombo said in most African countries agriculture remains the source of livelihoods and the largest employer of any sector in the economy.

“However we should not only look at our internal business but meet the needs of the outside economy when it comes to agriculture “,said Dr.Mutombo.

He said although there has been as decline in the relative number of agriculture workers it still accounts for the majority of the working population in the region, employing about 65 percent of the total labour force for Sub Saharan Africa (SSA).

“The population in SSA is expected to more than double by 2050 coinciding with an associated increase in demand for food and employment hence ,a significant need to enhance agriculture, said Dr.Mutombo.

Trend analysis shows that COMESA exports to the rest of the world (ROW) has grown from US $ 5 billion to US $17 billion between 1997 and 2013, a 240 percent Increase added Dr.Mutombo

REA connects more govt institutions in Chinsali District

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The Rural Electrification Authority (REA) has started connecting all the government institutions with power in Chinsali District of Muchinga Province.

This is in readiness to connect all government institutions to ZESCO power supply.

Chinsali District Commissioner, Maximo Chitambi has confirmed the development in an interview with the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) in Chinsali today.

Mr. Chitambi said that the programme of electrifying all government institutions along the REA’s phase 1 and 2 project is one of the policies that President Edgar Lungu has been emphasising on as one of the policy matter to be implemented.

He disclosed that the electrification exercise will benefit about 35 staff houses, two chiefs’ palaces, a local court and two health posts, all along Chinsali /Kaso via Mulilansolo.

Mr. Chitambi has since thanked government through REA project on the fulfilment of the project which will motivate field officers including teachers in rural areas.

The electrification of the area will benefit the community such as school and health facilities among others and subsequently improve the quality of service delivery to the public.

The project will later proceed into phase three targeting Tongotongo School up to Mbesuma Ranch in Chambeshi area.

REA embarked on a project from Chinsali to Kaso via Mulilansolo to construct a powerline in 2014 the project which is expected to be handed over to the public next year.

Zambeef creates 1300 jobs countrywide

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Zambeef trucks

Zambeef PLC Zambeef PLC Chief Executive Officer Francis Grogan says his company will create about 1300 new jobs countrywide through its expansion program.

Mr., Grogan says ZAMBEEF is currently implementing a three year project to construct new macro structures, which will result in 1300 new jobs created countrywide by the end of the project.

Mr. Grogan was speaking to ZANIS in an interview after the opening of a new macro structure in Mufulira District, constructed at a cost of one thousand united states dollars.

“ Zambeef has this year invested about 21 million United States dollars countrywide in a bid to expand its operations, “ he said.

.
Mr.Grogan said the expansion program includes expansion of the hatchery and farm in Mpongwe District , as well as construction of new macro retail outlets.

He said the move will see jobs created in the company’s processing plants, the Mpongwe Farm, as well as the retail outlets countrywide.

So far, Zambeef has employed 7000 people countrywide in the processing plants, retail outlets, and the company’s farm.

He noted that his company has this year opened 10 macro retail outlets, and will open 12 more macro outlets across the country next year.

And Mufulira Deputy mayor Beatrice Kapasa welcomed the investment by Zambeef PLC saying it will contribute to diversification of the economy.

Ms. Kapasa applauded Zambeef for its huge investment in the agricultural sector, saying this was in line with government’s vision of diversifying Zambia’s economy from mining dependence.

She said the investment by Zambeef will greatly contribute to reducing levels of unemployment.
The expansion project which commenced in 2016 is set to be completed by the end of 2018.