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Students from institutions of higher learning chanting slogans during the gathering the demand for the release of the draft Zambian constitution
The sixteen opposition political parties that form part of the Grand Coalition advocating for the enactment of the new constitution have observed that the Patriotic Front Government is still not prepared to give the people of Zambia a people driven constitution.
Spokesperson of the sixteen political parties in the Grand Coalition Jevan Kamanga said this is despite the change in the leadership at the Ministry of Justice where Edgar Lungu is now the new Minister.
Reverend Kamanga who is also NAREP National Secretary said all the signs are still showing that the Patriotic Front government is not willing to give the Zambian people a constitution that will stand the test of time before 2016.
Rev. Kamanga said they expected that during the opening of the National Assembly last week, President Michael Sata will give a clear road map on the constitution making process.
Rev. Kamanga however said the Grand Coalition will do everything possible to have a new constitution enacted before 2016.
He said government should not worry about the resources for the enactment of a new constitution, stating that there is so much money in the country, adding some donors are willing to fund the process.
Thanks to the Post Newspaper’s invasion of privacy and ‘deep-digging’, we now know indeed that Alexander Bwalya Chikwanda (ABC) is a noble man, a true statesman with a genuine concern for Zambia and its people.
While no one would support private media tapping of private conversations, the conversation between ABC and the Post’s ‘Other Person’ has clearly enlightened many of us that even in Mr. Chikwanda private home, while sipping on ka red wine, he is still concerned about the affairs of the nation.
I can imagine that the publication of this transcript was aimed at painting a negative image of ABC, but I think most would now agree that the effect is otherwise—-his ratings have gone up! The conversation has shown us that he is indeed an honourable man with respect and his character and stature if of a high standing. He is not petty in his dealings, and has larger concerns than petty fights.
Reading through the recorded conversation, many have asked the question: So What? Reading further, any sane Zambian would agree that the conversation reveals ABC as a principled man that is not excited about being in a position of authority. He comes out as a loyal believer of Mr. Sata who is willing to work hard to compensate for his Mr. Sata’s shortcomings.
He is concerned about so many things: From the Millennium Challenge Account to Rajan Mathani’s troubled Finance Bank where he is not willing to compromise the violation of the Banking and Financial Services Regulations of the Zambia. He clearly laments about the injustice Finance Bank faced when it was sold off for K5billion (unrebased) when it was worth over $100millio. He ponders on competition in the Cement industry and expresses his admiration for Aliko Dangote.
Clearly, if the post was hoping to discredit his standing in society, their invasion of privacy has not achieved its intended purpose. A further detailed read shows that ABC is indeed deeply concerned about the state of affairs but is however, willing to go if asked to, but cannot do so given the current state of the president. On his making reference to the Post newspaper, he is clearly not the kind of a politician who would need the Post to lobby for him.
With regards to details of the conversation, who would argue against ABC’s concerns such as:
1. Unnecessary and expensive government travel?
2. Non-Marketability of Wynter due to his arrogance when compared to Edgar Lungu?
3. The need to create a conducive environment for business to flourish?
4. That due to Mr. Sata’s health, someone has to double up their work effort to keep the country going?
5. That ZRA should approach any business entity and make it meet its tax obligations regardless of its real or perceived connections with state-house? That ZRA should be more proactive and focus on real concerns rather than following up small-scale traders and engaging in corrupt activities?
Clearly there is nothing malicious in ABC’s private discussions, and noting that it was over a bottle of red wine, one can only imagine that the man is indeed even more upright when sober!
Such media practice of tapping private conversations however shows us the other side of the paper—it’s a business that has failed to meet its tax obligations and would like to blame it on the Minister of Finance. It also shows how far the Post is willing to stoop, very low, perhaps even get deeper in the ground to survive. Many may be aware of Rupert Murdoch’s case of tapping telephone conversations. Clearly this led him in trouble, and had to pay a huge price. One would have hoped that the Post ‘snooping team’ is aware of the dangers of invasion of privacy and learn, or at least at the bare minimum practice the media ethics they are expected to be trained in.
If this is the ‘bad’ that the post has on ABC, then we can only imagine the ‘good’ side that they deliberately ignored. Clearly they have failed to get this man bow down to them. They triumphed with MMD’s Magande when he proposed some form of taxes to the media houses which the vehemently opposed, but they clearly have now met an enlightened and non-compromising noble statesman without qualification who does not need their sympathy nor support to execute his duties diligently. Let the show down continue.
Now let me get myself a ka red French wine, tu beko practical!
Former President Rupiah Banda says he has left the debate on whether he should come back into active politics to the people.
Mr Banda told Journalists at his office last evening that it is up to the people of Zambia to decide for him whether to come back to politics or not.
Mr Banda said this shortly after meeting a delegation from the Inter Parliamentary Union that paid a courtesy call on him.
He said he is also following the calls from some sections of society that he returns to active politics with keen interest.
“I’m also hearing the calls but it is you the people that make people bounce back. It is not me to decide. If you were in my position you just sit and listen,” Mr Banda explained.
Mr Banda who refused to discuss the matter further said he is now careful about what he says regarding the issue of returning to politics.
“This is why you have found me with my lawyer (Sakwiba Sikota) so that he can guide me through this mine field. I don’t mean to be uncooperative but I also need to be careful with what I say,” Mr Banda said.
Calls for Mr Banda who ruled Zambia between 2008 and 2011 have heightened with some quarters urging him to bounce back to steer the country in a transitional period in an event of a by election.
PF Cadre displays a placard shortly before President Michael Sata arrived at Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport for the opening of the UNWTO 20th General Assembly -Picture and caption by THOMAS NSAMA
By shi William in chingola
PF GOVERNMENT CORRUPTION FIGHT HAS FAILED TO INSPIRE ZAMBIANS
The corruption fight by the current Government has extremely failed to inspire the many Zambians and Diplomatic missions accredited to her. It is not a disputing fact that among the promised items by the PF to voters during the campaigns was to eradicate corruption as a tool to quality delivery service to the all Zambians, hence, voters turn up in large numbers to cast their votes as the way of ushering the PF into Government in exchange to eliminate corruption for better social services and equity among the citizens. The turning of the events has disappointed majority Zambians and Diplomatic community which is dangerous to our baby economy.
The Anti-Corruption Commission has found itself in the awkward situation as it has been turned into a whipping tool by politicians. People who are perceived to be critics and holding diverging views against the government are in most cases visited by ZRA and Anti- Corruption Commission for various offenses. What is not clear is why only the people who are out of favor of the ruling party are investigated but not those who are still serving at the palace.
When you look at the case of GBM, the police and other Government agencies resumed and paid more attention to his conduct when he resigned from the ministerial post and now is an angel just because he has reconciled with ruling party. No one is hearing that his employees have taken him to police because of assault and no concerned government agencies are screening his businesses for tax compliance and how the contracts are awarded to his companies. All the allegations against him are quiet as at now. Mr. Brian Hapunda is also the victim of manipulation and today is walking with his head high in the streets of Lusaka because he is in good boot with people at the palace together with his collogue MR. Steven Masumba who’s conduct is in public domain. People are still waiting for the out come of the electoral malpractices allegations leveled against Hon. Gabriel Nalumambe MP since 2011.
For Hon. Shamenda Fackson and dangote outstanding bribe case is yet to be investigated according the press statement by the Anti- Corruption Commission public relation office and Zambian people are watching the turning of events. Mr. Wynter Kabimba has also joined the dancing floor after been shown the exit from the party he had defended so much and surprisingly the once buried and rotten corruption allegations are in the process to be exhumed. One wonders where the Anti-Corruption Commission was when he was the minister and secretary general of the party.
The latest one is the raiding of the post newspaper offices by the ZRA officials for non tax compliance cases. It is believed that the firm has not been paying various taxes for many years and people are wondering whether the ZRA were on holiday all these years and what has awakening them today for them to know that post has not been remitting tax for long time now.
The Government should know that people are more than ready to join the fight against corruption as it is an enemy to the much needed development but the way it has been handled leaves much to be desired.
KONKOLA Copper Mines (KCM) has suspended operations at its Nchanga underground mine after miners were trapped in a cage when the mine flooded due to the restriction of power supply by Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC).
KCM manager for public relations and communications Shapi Shacinda said yesterday that the Nchanga underground mine was flooded following a further alleged unilateral decision by CEC to step down power supply to a major transformer supplying electricity to the mine.
“The incident put at risk the lives of miners who were working at the bottom of a cage. This occurred on Tuesday, September 23, 2014 around 23:40 hours. When KCM technicians noticed instability and trip-outs of a power transformer, investigations revealed that CEC had further restricted power supply, without notifying KCM, beyond the earlier restriction on Saturday, September 20, 2014, which had prompted the suspension of operations at the Nchanga concentrator,” Mr Shacinda said
He said CEC allegedly “recklessly” stepped down its transformers supplying power to Nchanga underground mine from 150 percent overload settings to 50 percent.
Mr Shacinda alleged that this is in total disregard of the provisions of the Power Supply Agreement (PSA), which requires both parties to be present when restricting supply to avoid creating safety hazards to employees and flooding risk of the mine.
“KCM officials made initial efforts and contacted CEC technicians just after the incident occurred to ask them to resume normal supply to the Nchanga underground mine but the CEC technicians refused to comply,” Mr Shacinda said.
He said supply was only normalised following the intervention of the CEC managing director, who had to be contacted by a senior KCM executive and informed of the flooding and risk to miners trapped underground.
Mr Shacinda said the cage could not be operated to take the miners up due to the restricted power.
“The miners were later rescued and we are pleased to advise that they are in good health. Resulting from the CEC unilateral power restriction and the flooding this has caused, KCM has suspended mining operations at the Nchanga underground and has incurred massive financial losses,” Mr Shacinda said.
He said it will now take weeks to de-water the flooded areas and more time to stabilise and resume normal operations.
Meanwhile, Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development Christopher Yaluma says Government will no longer tolerate the stand-off between CEC and KCM over a commercial dispute because it is tantamount to economic sabotage.
Mr Yaluma said in Lusaka yesterday that Government does not want the restriction of power supply to KCM to result in job losses and to negatively impact on the national economy.
“We think there is need for consideration on the part of CEC because this is a serious economic disruption and Government is very much concerned about the turn of events at KCM.
“We cannot continue tolerating the way events are unfolding. Right now [Wednesday], I am trying to talk to CEC officials. I cannot get hold of Mr Hanson Sindowe [CEC board chairman] because he is out of the country, so I am trying to get hold of the managing director Owen Silavwe to see how this matter can be resolved amicably since it is now tantamount to economic sabotage,” he said.
Early this year, CEC, which supplies power to the mines on the Copperbelt, increased electricity tariffs which KCM disputed and the matter was taken for arbitration.
But last week, the Lusaka High Court ruled in favour of CEC, which is owed about US$44 million by KCM.
Consequently, CEC restricted power supply to KCM and restricted service to critical areas like underground ventilation, pumps and medical facilities.
This development forced KCM to shut down its Nchanga concentrator on Saturday which has affected production at its Tailings Leach Plant, resulting in loss of 482 metric tonnes of copper production worth about US$3.3 million.
One of the streets in Kitwe with statue of a miner called Mposa mabwe or stone thrower
POLICE in Kitwe on Tuesday arrested former Kitwe Mayor Divo Katete for alleged defilement.
Mr. Katete was reported to the police by the victim’s family for allegedly defiling their 15year old daughter who summoned Mr. Katete for questioning at the Kitwe central police station.
The police at central later locked up Katete and said the matter is before Mufulira police and should be taken to Mufulira for further questioning.
” Our duty is to lock up Katete in the cells and wait for police in Mufulira who are handling the case. For us the instructions where that he (Katete) should be locked up when he reports because we are not the ones dealing with the case,” a police source said.
Mr. Katete is expected to appear in court on thursday.
THE Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) says it will ensure that taxpayers who evade taxes are investigated and possibly prosecuted.
This is according to a statement issued in Lusaka yesterday by the ZRA corporate communications unit research and planning department.
“The Minister of Finance does not instruct the Zambia Revenue Authority to undertake enforcement action against taxpayers,” the statement reads
ZRA said it has a statutory duty to collect revenue on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Zambia.
“Notwithstanding the above, the Zambian citizenry have a civic responsibility to express concern when players in the economy disregard the law passed by parliament for the timely collection of the much-needed revenue for Government to provide services and achieve its development agenda,” the statement reads
ZRA said non-compliance with the tax law is expensive and the authority will ensure that taxpayers who evade taxes are investigated and possibly prosecuted.
This follows media reports that Minister of Finance Alexander Chikwanda allegedly instructed ZRA to pursue The Post to collect tax revenue amounting to K26.8 million.
FILE: UPND president Hakainde Hichilema (left) interacting with his lawyer Jack Mwiimbu
United Party for National Development (UPND) President Hakainde Hichilema says he is the most harassed political leader in the country since 1991.
Addressing his supporters at the Lusaka Magistrate Court complex this morning soon after the case in which he is charged with publication of false news with intent to alarm the nation was adjourned; Mr. Hichilema said he sometimes wonders why he is harassed by the government.
Mr Hichilema assured his supporters that he will never take their support for granted considering that they are always on his side.
The UPND leader has since encouraged his supporters to be strong and always seek strengthen from God to move forward.
Meanwhile the case in which Mr Hichilema is charged with publication of false news with intent to alarm the nation has been adjourned to 2nd and 12th December, 2014 for commencement of trial.
When the matter came up for trial before Magistrate Aridah Chuulu this morning, the state applied for an adjournment stating that witnesses were not ready to proceed with the matter.
This is the fourth time the matter has been adjourned.
Former Patriotic Front Secretary General Wynter Kabimba was to appear as the State’s first witness in the matter.
Mr Hichilema’s case originates from a statement he made that the Patriotic Front had sent its cadres to Sudan to be trained as militias.
The Opposition Movement for Multiparty Democracy says the ruling Patriotic Front (PF)’s performance in their three years in office is dismal and can not be compared to former President Rupiah Banda and MMD’s last three years.
And the Forum for Democracy and Development has described the election of the PF as jumping from a frying pan and landing straight on to the fire as the nation was better of with the MMD than it is with the PF.
MMD National Secretary Muhabi Lungu has observed that the PF’s rule in the last three years has nothing to write home about as they have delivered almost nothing on the promises they made to the people during the campaigns in 2011.
Mr. Lungu said the PF should not be jumping on roof tops lying to the people that they have delivered on their promises when the actual truth is that non of their promises has been delivered and that most of the projects which they are pointing to as their projects are carry over projects left by the MMD.
He said in as much as it should not be taken away from the PF administration for continuing projects left by the former ruling party the PF should be honest enough to acknowledge that most of the infrastructure they are working on were left behind by their friends in the MMD.
He noted that people kicked the MMD out of office because the PF claimed that they could do things better than the MMD but that the complete opposite has happened as the country’s economic growth has stagnated, inflation has risen and the cost of living has gone up.
“If I can compare the economic growth in 2011 the last year of the MMD it was 7 percent and the PF have note reached that figure once in the last three years, if you look at inflation we left it 6.5 the rate of inflation now has hit 10percent and if you look at the foreign debt we left it at 1.2 billion dollars and now it is over 4 billion 3 years done the line while the domestic debt is equally large.
“If you look at the micro and macro economic indicators you will see that there is a huge discrepancy between the last days of the MMD in office and the PF’s three years.
“They are pointing to the roads that they have put infrastructure across the country but most of these roads are carry overs, we started them we planned them we even identified the mode of financing these projects we commend them for continuing with them but it cannot be a basis to be jumping on tables that the PF are delivering on their promises.
“We commend them for continuing the projects but we could have finished them two years ago,” Mr. Lungu said.
Meanwhile the FDD noted that the country was better off when the PF took over than it is now as the PF’s rule has been a disaster and nightmare for ordinary Zambians who voted for them in the hope of improving their lives only to find that they were duped with force promise.
FDD spokesperson Antonio Mwanza noted that all the things which PF campaigned have turned out to be one big lie concocted to win votes without any intentions of keeping any of them.
Below is a full statement issued by FFD spokesperson Antonio Mwanza.
Three years ago this country erupted into jubilation and ululation as Zambians from all walks of life celebrated the Patriotic Front’s electoral victory over the MMD with the hope of a better and dignified life.
Little did the raucous and jubilant crowds knew that they were jumping from a flying pan right into the fire.
The PF ran a persuasive campaign, sugar-coated with paradisical promises of Lower Prices, Lower Taxes, More Money In People’s Pockets, More Jobs, Respect For Human Rights and The Rule of Law, A New People Driven Constitution, Media Freedom, Re introduction of Windfall taxes, Better Schools, Better Hospitals, A thriving Agriculture Sector, A Poverty and Corruption-Free Society all within a mystic 90 Day Period.
Today, three years down the line all these promises have turned into lies. Instead of more jobs, the PF has imposed a Two-Year Employment Freeze.
Instead of more money in people’s pockets, the PF has imposed a Two-Year Wage Freeze. Instead of farmers receiving 15 bags of fertilizer as promised, they are receiving 2 bags in February. Instead of more health personnel in our clinics, the PF fired nurses without recourse not withstanding the fact that this country has a shortfall of over 20 000 health personnel.
Today, the price of fuel has doubled; the price of mealie meal has doubled, the cost of water, electricity, transport, school fees has doubled. The value of the Kwacha has tumbled. Today the lending and interest rates have doubled.
Today instead of running a lean and effective government, the PF is running a Family Forest with two or more Deputy Ministers in one Ministry doing nothing but duplicating each other’s jobs, enjoying hefty salaries and allowances while over 50% of our children are malnourished and hundreds of expecting mothers are giving birth on floor of our clinics and hospitals daily.
Today instead of re introducing the Windfall Tax and ensure that Zambia benefits from the mines, the PF Ministers are busy colliding and sharing contracts with the Chinese to the detriment of our people.
Today our country has been reduced to a Debt Country were loans which cannot be accounted for are contracted every month. Today the Media is barred even to cover the President live at Parliament and those who have asked for the Release of the Draft Constitution are told that they are YAPPING.
The PF will leave a legacy of a deceitful, arrogant, irresponsible, irresponsive, lying Government that used cheap lies and propaganda to assume power. In the PF they don’t believe in values, morals or integrity. Its all DONCHI KUBEBA! Its all about ukuyakana ifi puna! Its Bamba Zonke Wena with Mr Sata keeping the resources of the Road Development Agency at State House! The decent people of this great country will surely kick out the PF in 2016 and usher in a caring, humble, responsive and prudent government.
As for the PF, enjoy while it lasts but the day of reckoning is near!
Power Dynamos in-form striker Jimmy Ndhlovu has confirmed he will be out of action for at least one week after escaping death in a car accident on Sunday.
Ndhlovu was driving from Kitwe to Ndola when his car overturned along the Ndola-Kitwe Dual Carriageway near Luanshya.
The accident came less than 24 hours after he had scored four goals as Power demolished National Assembly 7-1 in a FAZ Super League match in Kitwe.
“I am feeling much better now. I am just recovering from the concussion I suffered on the head when the car overturned,” he said.
Ndhlovu will miss Power’s Week 25 match against Green Eagles to be played in Choma on Saturday.
“I will start training next week,” he said.
The ex-Red Arrows and Zesco United forward has so far scored 13 league goals since joining Power on loan from Nkana.
The Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) in Lukulu district is happy with government programmes aimed at alleviating poverty levels in the country through the cash transfer scheme program.
Induna Andisha says Namayula BRE Kuta has welcomed this program but said government and stakeholders have a mammoth task to sustain it.
Representing Chief Anang’anga, Induna Andisha said government should continue working closely with traditional leaders if such programs are to reach the intended people.
The traditional leader has since urged the beneficiaries to own the program and come up with tangible income generating activities so that once weaned out of program, they will be able to continue looking after their households.
He was speaking yesterday at Namayula Kuta when Senior Provincial Social Welfare Officer, Nicolas Goma, accompanied Provincial Deputy Permanent Secretary, Mwangala Liomba, Lukulu District Commissioner, Precious Muyenga and District Social Welfare Officer for Mitete and Lukulu districts called on him on a sensitization program of the cash transfer scheme program.
And Mr Goma said government came up with the program in order to find more sustainable ways of helping to reduce poverty levels through income support where beneficiaries engage in income generating activities.
He disclosed that an independent research from Kalabo, Shangombo and Kaputa districts reveals that poverty levels have reduced by 5.6 percent.
The Cash Transfer Scheme under the Department of Social Welfare was introduced in Zambia ten years ago in Kaputa and has since been scaled up in all the provinces.
The Anti -Corruption Commission (ACC) in Kasama has arrested two people for corruption involving K10, 000.
The offence is contrary to the laws of Zambia.
ACC Public Relations Manager Timothy Moono confirmed the arrest in a press statement made available to the Zambia News and Information Services in Kasama today.
Mr Moono disclosed that Thomson Nswima ,46 of Mufulira township on the Copperbelt and George Mubanga, 37 of Chiba village in Kasama, were yesterday arrested and jointly charged with two counts of corrupt practices by the ACC officers in the Northern Province.
He further said that Nswima who is an actor and musician of Sunrise entertainment in Lusaka and Mubanga a local businessman were arrested following an operation conducted by the Commission in Kasama yesterday.
Mr Moono said the Commission confiscated suspected pirated artistic products for Sunrise entertainment.
It is alleged that in count one Nswima and Mubanga on the dates unknown but between 17th September and 22nd September 2014, being a private person namely film actor and representative of sunrise entertainment jointly and whilst acting together did corruptly solicit for K10, 000.
He explained that the duo received K530 as part payment from a named local businessman as an inducement or reward for Nswima and Mubanga to release the two desk top computers and memory cards which they had confiscated and for them not to report the matter of suspected piracy to the Zambia police.
“in the second count on or about 22nd September 2014 in Kasama, Nswima and Mubanga whilst acting together did corruptly solicit for K2, 500 from the initial K10, 000 and infact received K480 from a named person as a second part payment of the inducement or reward from them to release the said two (2) desk top computers and memory cards which they had confiscated from them not to report the matter of suspected piracy to the Zambia police service,” he added.
Mr Moono said Nswima and Mubanga have been detained in police custody and will appear in court soon.
Some small scale farmers of in Kawambwa Central have complained over the delays by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to pay them their money for the maize sold to the agency.
ZANIS reports that the angry farmers are demanding an explanation from the government over the delayed payments as they delivered the maize to the FRA on 9th August.
One of the farmers Mathias Mupasha said the FRA marketing assistant Thompson Mbuzi was allegedly not fair in the manner in which he was releasing the payments as only three farmers out of about 400 had been paid by the end of today.
Mr Mupasha said farmers delivered their maize to the FRA on 9th August but have not been paid up to now.
He said the farmers were worried at the delays to pay them because government had announced that funds to pay the farmers were released.
Another farmer, Agnes Kabwe said he FRA’s delay was worrying because it had made some parents and guardians in the area fail to send children to school.
Mrs. Kabwe says farmers grow maize to help them ease their problems when they sell to the FRA but it was instead bringing more miseries by not paying them on time.
The farmers have also accused the District Commissioner Ivo Mpasa of not helping them whenever they approached him over the delays by the FRA to pay them.
Efforts by ZANIS to get a comment from Mr Mpasa failed as he was reported to be out of office while the FRA marketing assistant Thompson Mbuzi could also not be reached by press time.
And Farmers in Mufumbwe this morning stormed the District Commissioner’s (DC) office to complain over delayed payments for the maize they supplied to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA).
The farmers protested that despite supplying their maize to the FRA the agency has failed to pay them in good time adding that this has affected their preparations for the 2014/2015 farming season.
A Representative of the farmers Lapson Kayombo said the FRA has not been paying farmers in the district despite assurances from government that they would be paid within two weeks of supplying the maize.
Another Farmer, Ackson Likashi, called on government to improve the payment method by the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) especially that only 32 farmers have been paid from the first book at the main depot.
Mr Likashi has since advised government through the District Commissioner to clearly explain its position on the FRA payment.
“there are some farmers that supplied their maize in August but up to now they have not been paid,” he said.
And, Chamuzuma Kapalu, another farmer , said delayed payment has greatly affected them as they are not able to mobilize themselves for the upcoming farming season.
Mr Kapalu expressed fear that the situation would only lead farmers to sell their maize to briefcase middlemen.
But Mufumbwe District Commissioner Mankishi Mukokwe appealed to the farmers to exercise patience as government was working tirelessly to address their concerns.
Ms Mukokwe assured that government remains committed to paying farmers for the maize they supplied to the FRA.
“Let us be patient as my office looks into the issue. I will call the FRA depot manager to get the details on the ground then we can look at solutions from there,” said the District Commissioner.
The Chamber of Mines of Zambia has appealed to the government to urgently resolve issues surrounding Value Added Tax (VAT) Rule 18 .
The Chamber of Mines also wants government to ensure that VAT refunds are made to all exporters so they could continue to progress in increasing mining and manufacturing production to sustain and continue to create jobs.
The Chamber said in a statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today that the non-payment of the withheld VAT refunds have had and continue to have a major adverse impact on the operations of the Mining companies.
It stated that cash flows have been seriously constrained following the withholding of the refunds resulting in many Mining companies suspending, deferring, and cancelling capital projects among other undesirable actions to keep operations going.
The Chamber of Mines said the effects of these actions are already being felt noting that in the medium to long term, there would be a negative impact on mine production, production costs, suppliers of goods and services to the mining industry.
The Chamber noted that the mining industry needs to be nurtured for it to continue to generate revenues required to diverse the economy.
It stressed that the mining industry in Zambia will continue to be the engine of the economy for a long time to come hence the need for the relevant authorities to ensure it is safeguarded.
Government through the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) amended Rule 18 of the Value Added Tax (VAT) General Rules of 1997 to safeguard government revenue with effect from September 8, 2014.
UPND vice president Dr Canicius Banda
The opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) has described the United Nations 2013 Hunger index Report released recently as embarrassing and humiliating.
Last week, three of the United Nations’ agencies, namely the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP) indicated that undernourishment prevalence in Zambia is first in Africa and second to Haiti in the world.
Lead Rome based FAO recently issued the State of World Insecurity Report which showed that Zambia has the highest number of undernourished people in Africa and second in the world with Haiti on the top slot.
UPND Vice President for Politics Canisius Banda argues that the Report says Zambia has enjoyed a steady economic growth of over six percent per annum in the last few years.
Dr. Banda says the Report uses data obtained from the 2007 Demographic and Health Survey which some have been dismissive of the findings.
In a press statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today, Dr. Banda said no Zambian government official was consulted to the said UN Report in question.
Dr. Banda reiterated that the UPND believes in “more food on the table” as the solution to undernourishment and also eating the right food as well.
The opposition leader suggested to the PF Government to put in place adequate interventions to mitigate undernourishment and stunting growth among the Zambian people especially children.
“Let Government re-introduce food subsidies for the 60% Zambians that are poor people who spend 70% of their meagre income on food, that is not even adequate to meet their dietary requirements,” Dr. Banda said.
He accused the PF government for the removal of subsidies on the staple food (maize and fuel) a move he said was not only highly irresponsible but negligence of poor peoples’ needs.
He boasted that the UPND would train more nutritionists and deploy them in all districts on a long term basis and also prioritize improving and diversifying the agriculture sector in Zambia in order to increase the quality and quantity of food at household and national level.
But Republican Vice President Guy Scott disputed the Report released by the Food and Agriculture Organisation that Zambia was the most undernourished country in Africa describing it as inaccurate.
Dr Scott said the Report was not factual and does not represent the happenings on the ground.
He said the criteria used by FAO to determine the nutritional profiles of some people in Zambia was wrong and does not translate into being under-nourished.
The Vice President said there were a number of countries in Africa that are struggling with issues of undernourishment and Zambia does not rank among them.
“We need to be careful with these people coming here and telling us that we are undernourished. They used defective tools in their research and we should not pay attention as a country,” Dr. Scott announced at a recent public meeting.
