We are saddened by the the upward adjustment of fuel prices because of the unbearable hardships that this move will add to the many excruciating challenges our people are already grappling with.

The hiking of fuel prices will further worsen the already dehumanizing poverty levels most of our people are wallowing in as the prices of essential goods and services such as food, transport, accommodation as well as energy will automatically go up. The price of fuel has been adjusted upward twice in the last three months and with the continued depreciation of the Kwacha the situation is likely to worsen.

The current economic malaise is not an act of nature but a result of bad and inept leadership on the part of the Patriotic Front Government. And for as long as the PF continue to be in power we as a people have to, in the words of the Finance Minister, Alexander Chikwanda “brace ourselves for harder times.”

The adverse effects of a weak Kwacha, a runway budget deficit, rampant fiscal indiscipline that has resulted in a record K13.4 billion, unplanned and unbudgeted for expenditure, a huge trade deficit, continued debt contraction are now crippling our economy and further making it hard for most of our people to meet the cost of essential needs such as food, shelter, transport, health and education.

What is more worrying is that instead of responding to and addressing the fundamental causes of this economic meltdown, the Hon. Minister of Defence Edgar Chagwa Lungu and his Government are playing “Sojo” and “Kalambe” with people’s lives.

They have continued their reckless expenditure on useless trips, meaningless by-elections and unabashedly waxing themselves in extravagant lifestyles at the taxpayers’ expense despite the dwindling revenue collections. Hon Edgar Chagwa Lungu and his Government are not paying any attention to the huge trade deficit and dwindling revenue collections that are further putting a serious strain on the Kwacha. Mr Lungu and his Lieutenants have failed to find ways in which they can generate enough revenue locally without further strangling the poor majority with more tax burdens, instead in their laziness and lack of care and concern for the next generation Hon Lungu and his colleagues in Government have opted to chain and enslave the nation in debt. To them, the only way out of this mess that they have created is to borrow and spend, borrow and spend, borrow and spend. They are like headless chickens who know not where they are going. Unfortunately, their myopic leadership is leading the entire nation into an economic abyss.

These problems that we are facing as nation should save as a sharp reminder to all of us as a people that when a man tells you that he has no vision we should believe him. Honourable Edgar Lungu repeatedly told us that he had no vision, no plan for this country. And he was right. He is a blind leader leading us into a ditch. Running a country is no child’s play. It is serious business and requires vision, discipline, honesty and dedication.

Issued by:

Antonio Mwanza,

FDD Spokesperson.

Government has reiterated that it will soon revive the national airline to meet the country’s growing aviation needs.

Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Margaret Mwanakatwe said government was eager to re-establish a national flag carrier to facilitate the process of linking the country to the rest of the world.

Mrs. Mwanakatwe said this in response to inquiries from the Mauritius government about the lack of a direct flight between Zambia and that country to promote trade and tourism.

Mauritians recalled the days when the defunct Zambia Airways operated a direct flight to that Indian Ocean island nation.

They say there is need for a national airline to service the business needs of the two countries following the signing of the Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (IPPA) between Zambia and Mauritius.

Mrs. Mwanakatwe said government was keen to address flight connection challenges in order to reduce flying hours around the region and bring markets closer to the country.

She said the airline was expected to be operational by the end of June 2016.

Zambia has had no national flag carrier since the demise of Zambia Airways over twenty years ago.

Statement on World Youth Skills Day

15 July 2015

Today we join together as Zambians to celebrate World Youth Skills Day. This is a day designated to generating greater understanding of the importance of technical and vocational education, but also the great need to develop other skills relevant to both local and global economies. If we take time to reflect on the valuable role skills can play in our future it is possible we can take steps towards reducing unemployment amongst the youth of Zambia, and provide them with a brighter future. These skills are so vital that the United Nations has placed education and skills acquirement at the top of their new 2030 sustainable development goals.

Under the PF government unemployment, especially among youths, has reached unprecedented levels with serious ramifications manifesting in increased crime, prostitution, destitution and exploitation. This can only change with a government who is willing to empower individuals and communities through education and training initiatives, which make sure each and every young Zambian has the skills they need to take up jobs, or perhaps create their own job.

With 82% of the population below 35, education is a critical ingredient to the development of Zambia, we need to unlock our young populations skills and talents to actualise our nations economic and social potential.

This empowerment cannot happen whilst a government is in place who oversees the shutting down of numerous higher education facilities. In just one month the University of Zambia and Copperbelt University have had to shut their doors or suspend teaching. How can we expect people to realise their potential and garner the necessary skills for future work, when those who have been charged with educating them are unable to effectively manage and run the universities.

On this day set aside to celebrate technical and vocational education I wish to remind the Zambian people how committed the UPND is to investing time and money into improving the quality and delivery of education across the country. We want to improve access to all sorts of academic, technical and vocational schools to help give Zambia a strong foundation and a bright future.

Hakainde Hichilema
UPND President

Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda says countries like Zambia need to accelerate her economic growth and social development in finance from the private sector.

Mr. Chikwanda said the private sector provides a long term and formidable avenue to accelerating growth and development.

The Finance Minister said this in Ethiopia during the third International Conference on Financing for Development which runs from July 13 o 16, 2015.

He said business and markets form an important cornerstone for sustainable development hence the need to provide appropriate policy space within which they could operate effectively in Zambia.

He said Zambia has been implement reforms which are aimed at improving tax mobilization in the country which at international levels have been achieved through entering bilateral agreements on tax information.

He disclosed that Zambia, which is the least developed y and land locked country recognizes the importance of trade facilitation and meaningful integration into the world as vital requirement to ending extreme poverty needs support to enhance her export growth and value addition then the implementation of priority areas outlined in the Istanbul program of action and the Vienna program of action.

Mr. Chikwanda called for global community to prioritize investment in technology, research and development that are anchored on three pillars namely research, technology advancement and innovation.

He said the conference provided for an opportunity to emerge into a stronger but well-articulated strategy for putting countries like Zambia on the right economic path.

Mr. Chikwanda said Zambia looks forward to Ethiopia for the outcome which has an ambitious framework to complement the post 2015 development agenda.

Zambia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia Susan Sikaneta and UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon are among those attending the 3-day Conference.

The Governments of the United States of America and Sweden have praised Zambia’s socio-economic development.

Reviewing Zambia’s National Voluntary Presentation during the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Annual Ministerial Review meeting in New York on Friday, Sweden’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Olof Skoog and US Acting Representative to ECOSOC Ambassador Richard Erdman separately commended the Zambian Government’s commitment to reducing poverty and improving the wellbeing of Zambians.

Finance Deputy Minister Christopher Mvunga delivered Zambia’s National Voluntary Presentation report titled: “Managing the transition from MDGs to SDGs: What it will take? The Zambian Experience.”

Ambassador Erdman commended Mr. Mvunga for his presentation on the progress and challenges that Zambia made and faced during the implementation of MDGs and transition to Sustainable Development Goals.

“Thank you, Deputy Finance Minister Mvunga, for your presentation, which well illustrates the challenges of ensuring that solid economic growth also contributes to poverty reduction and sustainable development,” Ambassador Erdman said. “Zambia should be proud of its solid macroeconomic performance, with 10 years of 6.0% annual GDP growth, moderate inflation, relatively low external debt, and an increase in foreign domestic investment.”

Ambassador Erdman said the US appreciated hearing about Zambia’s experiences and lessons learned in trying to translate this performance into poverty reduction and improved sustainable development, including the need to focus on outcomes and the importance of strengthened partnerships with the private sector and civil society organizations.

“While facing many challenges, Zambia has made impressive progress in some of the MDGs as documented in its report, including in the reduction of under-five mortality, a significant decline in maternal mortality, and access to reproductive health,” said Ambassador Erdman.

“The report identifies several issues as essential in the transition from the MDGs to the SDGs.  These include a new development paradigm based on partnerships; national policies that are outcome-based; and, the need to ensure that development of institutions and human capital are an integral part of the development process.”

And Ambassador Skoog said Sweden welcomed the strong focus in the report on issues concerning governance, accountability, transparency, rule of law and participation.
He encouraged Zambia to continue its efforts to empower women and girls.

Ambassador Skoog said special challenges that Zambia faces, including being a landlocked country and being spread over a very wide area, should be recognized.

During a bilateral meeting with Mr. Mvunga, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development in the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Lenni Montiel assured the Government of the UN’s continued support to improve the lives of Zambians.

Mr. Mvunga commended all UN agencies in Zambia for their positive contribution to the country’s development agenda.

The SDGs – a proposed set of targets relating to future international development – will be adopted by Heads of State and Government to replace MDGs at the latter’s expiration during the UN Summit for the adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda to be held from 25 to 27 September 2015 in New York.

The Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA), has warned of taking stern action against tenants and landlords who will fail to remit withholding tax on rental income to the authority.

ZRA Corporate Communications Manager Mumbuna Kufekisa said in spite of the authority having an obligation to sensitize property owners and tenants on the need to pay 10 percent withholding tax on rental income, ignorance on their part was not a defense.

Mr. Kufekisa said failure to pay withholding tax and other kinds of taxes was tantamount to breaking the law and defaulters would not be spared.

“Two months ago we graduated about 35 prosecutors. These are internal prosecutors that are going to prosecute offenders that do not pay tax,” he said.

He said this in an interview with journalists in Livingstone on Tuesday, after a sensitization workshop for the business community on rental income for tenants and landlords and the ZRA electronic paying system, ASYCUDA.

The workshop was held in collaboration with the Zambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ZACCI).

Mr. Kufekisa reiterated that ZRA had a mandate to collect taxes on behalf of government and if people defaulted, there would be less money going to the treasury.

He said ZRA would partner with the Ministry of Lands, ZESCO, Local authorities and other government agencies so as to tap into their data and establish a database that would enable the authority identify and locate tenants and landlords.

“And the house numbering system introduced by ZICTA will also be helpful in growing our database. In the past few years the industry in Zambia has been growing in terms of infrastructure development, so it is not difficult for us to gather that information,” he said.

Earlier, Livingstone Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Miles Daka, said the business community had a challenge of how to access information from the ZRA.

Mr. Daka said this made it difficult for them to understand the policies that government was implementing through agencies like ZRA.

ZAMBIA will be able to export power to Mozambique and Malawi once the construction of the 330kV Zesco transmission line from Pensulo in Central Province to Chipata’s Msekera Sub Station in Eastern Province is completed and commissioned by September this year, TBEA Company Limited Site Manager Shih Shaokuang has said.

Mr Shih said when Eastern Province Permanent Secretary Chanda Kasolo and Deputy Permanent Secretary Patrick Mwanawasa visited the substation on Monday that the province would have enough power adding that the country would be able exporting the power to Mozambique and Malawi once the project was completed and commissioned by September.

He said once the Chipata West sub-station was completed would contribute to the reduction in power outages adding that projects once completed would culminate into increased trade and investment activities in various sectors in the province.

“Eastern province is going to have so much power meaning Zambia will be able to export power Malawi and Mozambique. We are projecting that come September 2015, the project is completed and commissioned,” he said.

Mr Shih said about 85 percent of the total works on the construction of the powerline had already been completed by TBEA at the substation.

And Mr Kasolo said President Edgar Lungu was passionate to see the project completed and commissioned.

He said he was happy with the pace in which the project was going on by TBEA stating that President Lungu would be the one who is going to commission the project by September this year.

“I am very impressed with the works and this is very encouraging to see the company contracted to undertake the project promising to complete and ready to be commissioned by President Lungu in September,”he said.

He said once the project was completed hive of activities would be taking place in the province.

Mr Kasolo also revealed that Zambia National Service (ZNS) was eager to set up a flower plant and ZamCapital was also set up a plant for milling stock feeds in the province.

The Lusaka City Council (LCC) has continued to win back more of its properties and pieces of land in the city which were irregularly awarded to different private individuals and organisations.

Some of the cases are stand no. LUS/12923, also known as the Chinika Hostels, Happy Kids School vs Lusaka City Council – 2014/HP/436 and Trustees of the Apostolic Faith Church vs Lusaka City Council – 2014/HP/1145.

Lusaka Town Clerk Alex Mwansa said the named properties which have been reverted back to the local authority by the courts have been Council property since time immemorial however.

It was recently discovered that Chinika Hostels was subject of a court case commenced in the High Court by Tesno General Dealers who claimed that they were offered the said land by the Ministry of Lands. The Lusaka City Council was not a party to the said action. 

As a result of this action Tesno General Dealers were granted possession of the said land and they proceeded to demolish the said hostels. It was after this demolition that the Lusaka City Council became aware of the case.

Following the demolition, a letter was written to the Commissioner of Lands on 26th May, 2015 infoming the Commissioner of Council’s interest in the said property and requesting that the Certificate of Title issued to Tesno General Dealers be cancelled.

The Commissioner of Lands responded in a letter dated 26th May 2015 by notifying Tesno General Dealers about Council’s interest and giving them seven days to show cause why the Commissioner should not cancel the Certificate of title issued to them.

“I am pleased to inform members of the general public that the Certificate of Title issued to Tesno General Dealers was cancelled and land has been reverted to the Council.”

The council will soon decided on what next action to take with the said piece of land considering that there are people who have built on the said piece of property,” Mr. Mwansa said.

In the matter involving Happy Kids School against the Lusaka City Council, the Plaintiff sued the Council for trespass for attempting to construct a fire station on Stand No. 451 of Farm No. 401A.

According to Council records and layout plans, the said land was designated for community development and the Plaintiff claimed an interest based on a Certificate of Title issued by the Commissioner of Lands with intentions of developing a private school. According to the Court Order, LCC will now retain a portion of that land for its intended use.

In the other case, the Plaintiffs sued the Council claiming ownership to Stand No. 400/ 72 in Chawama. The Plaintiff’s sought an injunction in the High Court restraining the Council from evicting the Plaintiff from the plot and an order directing the Defendant to issue an occupancy licence for Plot 400/ 72 Chawama.

The plot in question as a matter of fact belongs to the Lusaka City Council and was acquired in 2012 using Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and the purpose for its acquisition was to build a Clinic and provide health services to the residents of Misisi and Kuku compounds.

The matter has since been dismissed by Order of the High Court and the injunction discharged which means that the Lusaka City Council can proceed with the project the land was meant for.

Recently, Lusaka City Council won back the former UBZ land in a matter in which Husty Mwachilele and Mohamed Yusuf Patel sued LCC each claiming to be the legal owners of stand 3244 Chilumbulu road (former UBZ land).

And Director of Legal Services, Mwape Moono declared that the Council will ensure that all Council property that was irregularly given out or sold, is repossessed.