Republican Vice President Inonge Wina says the Patriotic Front led Government will for the next five years focus on improving agriculture countrywide if Zambians re-elect them in the forthcoming 2016 general elections, reports Pan African Radio Journalist Hermit Hachilonde.

Speaking when she addressed hundreds of PF supporters at a campaign rally in Chikankata District in the Southern Province, Ms. Wina reiterated the PF government’s commitment to uplifting the lives of citizens at household and national levels.

Ms. Wina explained that it is for this reason that the PF Administration will in their next five year mandate be devoted to agriculture as the mainstay of the country’s economy.

The Vice president stressed the need to harness agriculture in a bid to better the livelihood of Zambians.

“In the next five years the PF government will focus on improving agriculture” Ms. Wina said
And Ms Wina who is also PF candidate Edgar Lungu’s Presidential running mate in the forthcoming general polls said her party will ensure that deliberate policies are put in place to diversify the agriculture sector by encouraging farmers to embrace other crops as opposed to focusing on maize alone but also promoting livestock farming.

She said this is why the PF administration has embarked on building deep tanks countrywide especially in areas where water is a challenge.

“we will promote diversification in agriculture that is why we are building deep tanks in the country” she said

Speaking at the same event, Southern Province Minister Nathaniel Mubukwanu urged Zambians not to experiment with national leadership.

Mr Mubukwanu said among the presidential candidates and their running mates, no one’s pedigree matches that of President Lungu and his team as they are more experienced in governing the nation.

He advised the electorate against voting the opposition as doing so will be done at their own peril.
The Provincial minister further warned that Zambians risk committing political suicide if they elect the opposition who barely have experience in presiding over national affairs.

“among all the presidential candidates and their running mates no one is more experienced like Edgar Lungu and Inonge wina, so Zambians should not risk giving a mandate to the opposition” he said
Meanwhile, Chikankata constituency PF parliamentary aspirant Kavwumbu Hakachima seized the opportunity Hakachima to unreservedly apologize to the people of Chikankata constituency who may have unknowingly and knowingly offended during her tenure of office as District Commissioner.

Ms. Hakachima who curbed her resentment and swallowed her pride pointed out that sometimes people offend others unintentionally, adding that humbling oneself to apologize to such individuals is cardinal for the sake of oneness as a people in the district and the country as a whole.
“I apologize to those I offended when I was a District Commissioner” she said

Government says it will continue with ongoing power imports from Mozambique despite increased power generation at Itezhi Tezhi power station.

ZESCO recently announced that the generation capacity at its Itezhi Tezhi Power station has increased to full capacity following a rapid improvement in water inflows.

He development has seen load shedding hours reduced from 8 to 4 Hours daily.

But Energy Permanent Secretary Emelda Chola said Government will not discontinue power imports because they are playing an integral part in the reduction in load shedding hours.

Brigadier General Chola revealed that Government cannot unilaterally cut the power importation contracts because they are binding for a year.

She said Government will only review them after the expiry of the initial one-year period.

Brigadier General Chola said Government is importing about 300 MegaWatts from three different entities and it would be irresponsible to cut the contracts mid-way.

She also revealed that an additional power is exported to be fed into the main ZESCO grid by mid-July once the thermal power plant at Maamba is commissioned which will significantly improve load management by ZESCO.

The European Union says the lifting of the ban on Zambian registered airlines into the EU airspace will provide immediate economic benefits to Zambia.

The EU delegation in Zambia says travel agents across the globe now have information that the country’s airlines are safe.

EU Head of Delegation Alessandro Mariani says this will see an increase in the number of tourist inflow because international tourists will now be able to have confidence in using local airlines.

Mr Mariani says travel agents will now be able to process flights for European tourists to Zambia because travel insurance would not cover that.

He has attributed the lifting of the ban to a number of solid works over the years.

Speaking during a briefing in Lusaka yesterday, Mr. Mariani also revealed that Zambia’s Civil Aviation Authority has an opportunity to benefit 3-million Euros in support from the EU aimed at assisting it improve safety performances, regulation and training o

He said the EU is also working on a new program with the Ministry of Transport and Communication and Civil Aviation Authority worth 5 POINT 6 million Euros as part of further consolidating air safety in Zambia.

Transport and Communication Permanent Secretary Misheck Lungu is optimistic that the resumption of Zambian registered airlines flying into the EU airspace will boost exports of fresh agro produce.

Mr Lungu said Zambia has continued producing organic products which are on high demand in the EU.

He said current development projects like airports and a national airline being undertaken are coming up at the right time when the ban which lasted for 7 years has been lifted.

And Civil Aviation Authority Director General Gabriel Lesa said the lifting of the ban is a reflection of the hard work by authorities which has now made airlines in Zambia and Africa even safer.

ZAMBIA Revenue Authority(ZRA) Commissioner General Berlin Msiska has said voluntary compliance of paying of tax was the best way to deal with business.

Mr Msiska said at ZRA stakeholders meeting held at Protea hotel in Chipata yesterday that business becomes expensive if the business community do not comply in voluntary compliance.

He said it was better to pay the tax in order for the Government to carry out various developmental projects in the country.

Mr Msiska said there was need to comply by obliging to voluntary tax so that the business becomes cheaper.

“Voluntary compliance is the best way in dealing in business.As you might be aware,Government depend on the same resources to carryout developmental projects in the country.So please comply to voluntary in paying tax so that your business cannot become expensive,”he said.

Mr Msiska said ZRA has undergone several reforms since 1994 with the help of the Government made several reforms in a number of areas.

He said ZRA had put some online systems which would assist in knowing who have complied in the payment systems.

He said the online systems,one was placed in Ndola,Kabwe and Lusaka respectively in an effort to ensure that there was efficient in the payment systems by the business community.

Mr Msiska said he was happy that ZRA has also upgraded the Chipata domestic office in order to meet the requirement of the authority.

He said he said the construction of the One Stop Border post at Mwami border would assist in boosting up regional integration between Zambia and Malawi.

He said he was also happy that ZRA has put up scanners at Chanida and Mwami border posts which were able to scan what was in the transit containerised trucks exiting and entering the country.

And ZRA Commission of Finance,Bridget Muyenga refuted claims that ZRA was only following those perceived to be on opposing side.

Ms Muyenga said ZRA was an independent body which was focusing on collecting tax without any discrimination.

She said ZRA had a duty bound to ensure that various taxes were collected in the professional manner without targeting the opposition political parties.