PF Nkoloma ward one Councillor Tasila Lungu has insisted that she will contest as Lusaka Deputy Mayor despite the party’s decision to endorse Christopher Shakafuswa.

Ms Lungu says she is going ahead to contest the position as it is her democratic right.
She said in an interview that her mind is made up and that she will not change her mind at this point.

Tasila announced her candidature for the position of Lusaka Deputy Mayor on Monday breaking ranks with the party which had decided to back Mr Shakafuswa.

She said she is qualified for the position of Deputy Mayor having worked for various service organisations.

Tasila also cited the need to have gender equality in running the Lusaka City Council.
Meanwhile, the NGOCC has backed Tasila’s interest to contest the position of Lusaka Deputy Mayor.

NGOCC Executive Director Engwase Mwale said in a statement today that it is high time more women are promoted in decision – making positions.

“At a time we as a country need more women participation in decision making at various levels, we are dismayed at the alleged PF’s reaction to Ms Lungu expression of interest and intension to contest the position of Lusaka deputy mayor, “she said.

Ms Mwale said the reaction of the ruling party is an infringement on Ms Lungu’s democratic right both as a woman and a citizen of Zambia.

“Ms Lungu is a young councillor whose election to the local government should cheer all well-meaning citizens who want to see the youth and women in key positions of decision making become a reality,” she said.

Ms Mwale said the PF manifesto is clear on the party championing gender equality and equity.
She appealed to all political parties to endeavour to create an enabling environment on all regardless of gender especially the PF being the party in government.

Below is the full statement from NGOCC, courtesy of Pan African Radio Journalist Hermit Hachilonde.

Ireland shuns €13 bn tax bonanza in favour of growth and employment

At a time when Zambia, and many other countries, are trying to maximise tax revenue from big foreign companies, Ireland is doing the exact opposite.

 

That’s according to an in-depth article this week on the website Mining For Zambia.com.

 

As a result of its low corporation tax rate of only 12.5%, the article says, many multinationals have relocated to Ireland, creating around 20% of all private-sector employment – around 300 000 jobs.

So earlier this month, when the European Commission ordered Ireland to collect €13 billion in disputed back-taxes from tech giant Apple, which has operations there, politicians and ordinary citizens reacted with fury.

“We will fight it at home and abroad and in the courts,” said the country’s Finance Minister, Michael Noonan. And significantly, a poll showed that 76% of Irish people support this view.

A 2014 report by Ireland’s Department of Finance, Economic Impact Assessment of Ireland’s Corporation Tax Policy, says: “The headline rate of corporation tax is very important for FDI [Foreign Direct Investment] decisions. If Ireland were to increase the 12.5 percent corporation tax rate, it would significantly reduce FDI flows into the country.”
The report adds that lower tax means higher economic growth: “Evidence based on a wide number of countries indicates that a 10 percent reduction in corporation tax could have anywhere between a 0.6% and 1.8% effect on economic growth rates.”

Figures from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) show that from 1998, when Ireland started to phase in the 12.5% corporation tax rate, and 2014, total tax revenues have more than doubled, from €24.8 billion to €55.4 billion.

Ireland’s stance on taxation stands in sharp contrast not only to Zambia’s, but that of many other countries, including Britain, France and the United States.

There is presently a widespread distrust of multinationals in other parts of the developed world. It translates into very high corporate tax rates, which is precisely why so many multinationals have relocated to Ireland.

The lesson from Ireland, the article says, is the importance of a low tax rate to attract foreign investment, which drives economic growth.

“Take North-Western province: in the space of barely 10 years, it has gone from a poor, rural region devoid of any notable economic activity, into a thriving mining province whose three new mines – Kansanshi, Barrick Lumwana and Sentinel – now produce more than half of Zambia’s copper,” the article says.

“Employment has grown, businesses have been created and economic development has been rapid – chaotic in the case of Solwezi, and far more planned in the case of Kalumbila – all as a result of billions of dollars of investment at a time when mining tax rates were lower than they are now.”

Zambia Chamber of Mines president, Nathan Chishimba, is quoted in the article as saying: “As a nation, we are inclined to view economic development and the eradication of poverty through the narrow prism of tax receipts and government expenditure… rather than through the wider perspective of economic growth and employment.”

 

“It’s not wrong to want to maximise tax revenues – after all, they fund the essential operations of government. [But] hitting current taxpayers hard discourages economic activity and new investment, and ultimately stunts future tax revenues.”

Chishimba also emphasises the importance of the Zambian tax authorities being able to monitor and collect all taxes owed.

“This is why we in the mining industry are now strongly supporting programmes designed to build institutional capacity and increase information transparency, such as the EU-funded Mineral Production Monitoring Support Project.”

Countries should focus their efforts on long-term economic growth, rather than short-term tax revenues, the article concludes.

Lusaka City Council has threatened legal action against political parties if they fail to remove political campaign posters stuck across the capital city despite elections having being held over a month ago .

LCC Public Relations Officer Brenda Katongola charged that it is not the mandate of the local authority to remove campaign posters after elections.

The Capital city’s streets and buildings are heavily littered with political campaign posters and materials despite elections having taken place over a month ago.

ZANIS reports that political parties have however maintained that it is the duty of the Lusaka City Council to remove the posters and other campaign materials.

Patriotic Front (PF) Information Committee Vice Chairperson Charity Banda stated that political parties pay a fee before putting up campaign posters.

Ms. Banda said it is only right, fair and up to the council to take down the posters.

United Party for National Development (UPND) Secretary General, Steven Katuka stressed that it is not the duty of his party to remove the posters after elections.

The opposition leader however said it is willing to cooperate with the council to ensure that the posters are removed.

And FDD Spokesperson, Antonio Mwanza said his party will cooperate with the Electoral Commission of Zambia directive to have campaign posters removed.

Mr. Mwanza said though it is the responsibility of the council to take out the posters his party is willing to give a helping hand to the local authority.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia recently reminded political parties to remove all campaign posters since elections are over.

The Zambia Information and Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA) has written to Samsung Electronics SA (PTY) LTD- Zambia Branch requesting them to come up with interventions and indicate to the Authority how best Samsung Galaxy Note 7 will be withdrawn from the Zambian market.

In a statement, ZICTA said Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has a factory defect as the affected device can overheat and pose a safety risk.

Samsung Electronics Corporation has announced a recall of Samsung Galaxy Note 7 smartphones in countries where the device has been launched.

“Although the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 has not yet been officially launched in Zambia, ZICTA has written officially to Samsung Electronics SA (PTY) LTD- Zambia Branch requesting them to come up with interventions and indicate to the Authority how best the device will be withdrawn from the Zambian market, bearing in mind that some Zambian consumers may have purchased the device from other markets where the product had been launched” ZICTA said.

In order to ensure safety of the consumers, ZICTA is urging all consumers with Samsung Galaxy Note 7 to visit the authorised Samsung Electronic Service Partner outlets in Zambia.

 

Emirates, which flies daily from Harare to Lusaka and Dubai, has been voted the Best International Airline by the Association of Zimbabwe Travel Agents (AZTA) for the fifth consecutive year.
Members of the Emirates sales team in Zimbabwe received the award on behalf of the airline from the Association of Zimbabwe Travel Agents and thanked the organisation for their recognition. They also pledged that Emirates would continue to provide the high standard of products and service for which it is renowned.
The highly-coveted accolade, voted for by local travel agents, declared Emirates the country’s preferred international airline at its annual awards ceremony attended by representatives from the Zimbabwe Council of Tourism, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority, hotels, tour operators, car hire operators, Ministry of Tourism officials, airlines and other travel industry stakeholders.
The award was presented by AZTA chairperson Betty Katiyo and Zimbabwe Council for Tourism President Francis Ngwenya the association’s annual award ceremony in Harare on Saturday.
Emirates has a strong focus on providing customers with value for money and the best possible service both in the air and on the ground in Zimbabwe and across its global network. The airline operates a Boeing 777-300 aircraft on its Harare route, featuring Emirates industry-leading comforts and award-winning services. The aircraft is fitted with eight private suites in First Class, 42 lie-flat seats in Business Class and 310 seats in Economy Class.
Across all cabins the aircraft is fitted with Emirates’ award-winning ice entertainment system, which offers customers over 2,500 channels of on-demand audio and visual entertainment, from the latest movies, TV shows, music, audio books and games.
Travellers can fly to over 150 destinations across six continents taking advantage of Emirate’s expanding network. Emirates offers excellent on board service from an international cabin crew who come from 130 nationalities and speak more than 60 languages. Those travelling with children can take advantage of the extensive family offering from priority boarding across all airports to special kid’s meals, dedicated children’s entertainment on ice and exclusive toys, including the ‘Fly with Me’ animal collection, and Lonely Planet Kids activity bags on board.
Customers can enjoy the famous on-board hospitality from Emirates multi-national cabin crew, including Zambian and Zimbabwean nationals, as well as gourmet meals and generous baggage allowances, with 64kg for First and Business Class, and 46kg for Economy Class.
Emirates flies to 154 destinations in 81 countries across six continents, and is the world’s largest operator of Boeing 777 and A380 aircraft. The airline operates one of the world’s youngest modern wide-body fleets. These aircraft are not only more efficient to operate, but also provide a more comfortable flying experience for passengers, while also enabling Emirates to install and offer the latest on-board products.
EK 713 departs Dubai every day at 09:25hrs, arriving in Lusaka at 14:35hrs. The service departs Lusaka at 16:05hrs, arriving in Harare at 17:10hrs. The return flight leaves Harare at 18:40hrs, arriving Lusaka at 1950hrs. It departs Lusaka at 21:25hrs and lands in Dubai at 06:40hrs the next day.

President Edgar Lungu yesterday appended Zambia’s Signature to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change during the Treaty Event at the on-going High-Level Segment of the 71st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, USA.

The overall objective of the Agreement is to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees.

According to the statement released to the media by Zambia’s Permanent Mission First Secretary for Press and Public Relations at the United Nations, Mr Chibaula Silwamba, the Paris Agreement was adopted at the Twenty-first Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP21) held in Paris, France on 12th December, 2015, following successful negotiations by 196 Parties to the Convention on Climate Change. The Paris Agreement commits Parties to implement ambitious efforts to combat climate change and adapt to its effects while promoting sustainable development.

To date, about 181 States Parties including Zambia have signed the Paris Agreement and 28 Parties have further ratified. These Nations account for an estimated 39.08 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The agreement will enter into force 30 days after attaining the 55 percent threshold of the total global greenhouse gas emissions.

By signing the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the Government of the Republic of Zambia renewed its commitment and resolve to take action in order to attain sustainable prosperity, safeguard the health of our people and the planet.

Among the Senior Officials who accompanied the President to the signing event, was Mr. Trevor Kaunda, Permanent Secretary at The Ministry of Lands, Natural resources and Environmental Protection who expressed elation at this development.

The Permanent Secretary added that in order to enhance the implementation of the Paris Agreement at country level, Government has developed its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to the Paris Agreement which outlines various mitigation and adaptation programme/actions to be implemented. Mr. Kaunda said the recently adopted National Policy on Climate Change will provide a framework and ensure coordinated approach in implementation of climate change actions with a view to help the country fulfil its obligation under the Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement.

The Zambian Government is confident that through collective implementation of the Agreement, developing countries like Zambia will be assisted increase its ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change and foster climate resilience and transition into low greenhouse gas emissions development.

Ultimately, this will ensure environmental integrity and foster socio economic sustainability and help save our planet.