The Zambia Sugar PLC has closed the sugar production and processing period for the 2015/2016 season and described the year as very challenging due to the volatile local and international economic environment.

Zambia Sugar PLC Managing Director, Rebecca Katowa, says the failing Kwacha during the 2015/2016 season resulted into high procurement costs while plummeting commodity prices on the international market caused the dwindling inflow of foreign exchange for the company.

Mrs Katowa says the business also witnessed unprecedented increases in the company’s critical inputs such as fertilisers, field chemical and haulage services during the season.

“In particular, the prices of fertiliser have increased by 60 per cent while haulage costs have increase by about 35 per cent. At the same time, we have been hit by a power tariff increase of 176 per cent by Zesco,” she explained.

She was speaking in Mazabuka last night during the 2015 staff off-crop party.

Mrs Katowa further disclosed that the company had to battle with aphid infestation which affected the entire cane growing area in Mazabuka.

The Zambia Sugar Managing Director said this yellow aphid infestation resulted into low cane yields for Zambia Sugar and the farmers in the out-grower scheme.

“These headwinds have brought us at a point where we have to make sound decisions in order to survive and remain in business,” she said.

Mrs Katowa explained that the company had to, therefore, focus on market development, revenue enhancement, quality assurance and cost reduction, which she said were areas under Zambia Sugar control.

She pointed out that to support these strategic imperatives, Zambia Sugar will enhance the human resource and skills development programme, redefine and straighten out procurement systems and supply chain development.

She said the company will further implement cost management strategies.

“All these will be anchored on foundations of safety and risk management, continuous improvement, legal and governance, communications and stakeholder management,” she said.

Mrs Katowa has, however, disclosed that the company managed to score achievements during the season.

She said the tons of refined sugar made hit a recorded of 44,283 during the 2015/2016 season, beating the 2013 record of 43,979 tons.

“This has resulted into another record for tons refined bagged of 43,755 exceeding the 2013 record of 43, 531,” she said.

Mrs Katowa added that the record for tons bottler grade made was 24,235 tons, exceeding the 2014 record of 21,576 tons.

“Our extraction was a record 96.23 beating the 2014 of 95.94,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Zambia Sugar company won various awards during the season under review despite many challenges it faced.

Mrs Katowa disclosed that from the Illovo Group, which owns the sugar companies in the region and beyond, Zambia Sugar was awarded with the 2015 best agricultural performance award, 2015 best factory performance and the 2015 marketing performance.

Other awards which the company won were from the Zambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ZACCI), the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) and the Agricultural and Commercial Show Society, the International Trade Fair and the Southern Province show.

And Mrs Katowa has said for the medium and long term projections, the company will focus on completing the product alignment and refinery project, which will help it retain and increase its market share at both local and regional markets.

Zambia Sugar plants a total of 17,000 hectares while out-grower scheme farmers cover 11,000 hectares of cane sugar.

The total number of hectares covered for cane production under Zambia Sugar in Kafue flats is 28,000.

DEPUTY Minister of Labour and Social Security Alfreda Kansembe has told Parliament that as of December 31, 2011, there were 1,493 professional medical doctors working in Zambia.

Mr Kansembe was answering a question from Chadiza Member of Parliament who wanted to know how many professionals were working in Zambia as of 31st December, 2011 as Medical Doctors, Electrical engineers, Mechanical engineers, Teachers and Chartered Accountants, and of the professionals , how many were foreigners.

Ms Kasembe also said there were 1,213 electrical engineers, 992 mechanical engineers and 137,119 teachers, 1,530 chartered accountants, including associates and fellows.

“Out of 1,493 medical doctors, 948 were Zambians while 545 were non-Zambians. Out of the 1,213 electrical engineers, 918 were Zambian while 295 were non-Zambians,” she said.

Ms Kasembe said out of the 992 mechanical engineers, 624 were Zambians while 368 were foreigners.

Dr Msiska said following President Lungu’s address at a press conference recently, measures have been instituted in the public service to reduce costs.

“The President talked about abolition of personal-to-holder vehicles, reduction in delegations when travelling out of the country among others. All this will happen in January, so come 1st January 2016, you’ll see a very different public service,” he said.

He was speaking in Lusaka yesterday at Cabinet Office, where he led a group of civil servants in cleaning the surroundings in accordance with President Lungu’s directive of making Zambia clean.

Dr Msiska said having a smart Zambia is about ensuring that surroundings are clean, hence the presidential directive to conduct clean-up exercises every first Saturday of the month.

Dr Msiska noted that the original plan for Lusaka was that it be a garden city.

“Look at these plastics lying around. They block drainages during rainy seasons and then water damages the roads. How can Lusaka be a garden city like that? It doesn’t cost anything to have a clean environment,” Dr Msiska said.

He also said it is the duty of every Zambian to ensure that Lusaka becomes a garden city by ensuring that litter is disposed of in designated places.

ACTING President Inonge Wina yesterday launched the K16.2 billion countrywide rehabilitation and maintenance programme for primary feeder roads.
And in a rare feat, Mrs Wina charmed Litoya residents when she operated a grader to signify the start of the works.

Mrs Wina, who was clad in a white work-suit and safety helmet, drove for a short distance much to the delight of residents who had gathered to witness the event.

Speaking when she officiated at the ground-breaking ceremony here yesterday, Mrs Wina said the programme has been effected following a memorandum of understanding signed on October 9, 2015 between the Road Development Agency (RDA), National Roads Fund Agency (NRFA) and the Zambia National Service (ZNS).

Mrs Wina, who is republican Vice-President, said the works which will be carried out by ZNS will cover 9,430 kilometres over a period of four years.

She said the programme is part of the Patriotic Front (PF) government’s commitment to developing all corners of Zambia, as promised in 2011 when the party came to power.

Mrs Wina also said the roads will open up trade within rural and urban areas.

She said Government has no doubt that the three institutions that have been tasked to do the work on behalf of Zambians will deliver to expectations.

She said RDA is expected to give specifications of the identified roads while the NRFA will be responsible for the timely release of the money.

“For ZNS, we expect them to put the acquired earth-moving machines to good use and also make use of the local labour. As you know, Western Province has no industry,” she said.

Mrs Wina said the people of Litoya, in Nalolo district, should be proud to have the countrywide project launched in the area.

She cautioned the residents against tampering with construction materials when ZNS moves on site.

Minister of Works and Supply Yamfwa Mukanga said the ministry, through the RDA, has continued to deliver government programmes aimed at improving the state of infrastructure, particularly roads.

Mr Mukanga said the project will help improve infrastructure which has been in poor state due to inadequate funding.

Western Province Minister Poniso Njeulu said the people of the area are happy with the various development projects that the government has continued to do.

He, however, appealed to Government to tar a segment of the Mongu-Lusaka road near Kaoma.

“The people of Western Province are beginning to appreciate the works that this government has continued to bring to this province,” he said.

The event was attended by ZNS commandant Nathan Mulenga, Minister of Livestock and Fisheries Greyford Moonde, his Deputy Lawrence Evans, Deputy Minister of Defence Christopher Mulenga, Western Province permanent secretary Mwangala Liomba, district commissioners and PF provincial chairman Charles Mututwa, among others.