WORKS and Supply Deputy Minister Mwimba Malama has said that President Michael Sata was a courageous leader for embarking on a countrywide vigorous infrastructure development programme, which the MMD had failed to do during its 20 years in power.

“We have had leaders and it’s not politicking, for the past 20 years this nation was stuck in terms of infrastructure. 20 years we were stuck. Most of these things we are seeing were done under UNIP. MMD took over, 20 years, we never saw a new building coming up in Mpika,” he said.

“The people of Southern Province have been crying for Bottom Road, thank God that the President, who is very courageous has given them that Bottom Road, thank God that the President, who is very courageous, has given them the road from Monze to Niko, thank God that what is going on in Western Province will also help to create employment,” he said.

He was also happy to note that works on the roads leading to Nabwalya, Malashi to Mukungule and Lufila areas would start soon.

Mr Malama was equally elated that all the chiefdoms in his constituency which had no mobile phone network would be connected by the Zambia Information Communication and Telecommunications Authority (ZICTA) in phases one and two this year and next year.

And Mr Malama has urged AVIC International, the contractor working on the L 400 road project, not to wait for utility companies to completely remove their structures on road reserves before it proceeds with its work.

Speaking in an interview in Lusaka at the weekend, Mr Malama said he instructed AVIC International during a meeting, which was also attended by officials from utility companies like ZESCO, Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company (LWSC) and Zamtel in Lusaka last week on Tuesday.

Mr Malama called for the meeting after a realization that the progress on the L 400 project, among others, was somewhat being slowed down by the presence of infrastructure belonging to utility companies in selected parts where roads like Chilimbulu and Burma were being expanded.

“We advised the contractor to concentrate on those areas where they can do the works without first waiting for the utility companies to move on. We agreed and we told them to speed up things,” Mr Malama said.

Mr Malama said the contractor and utility companies knew and were doing what they were supposed to do to enable the project progress but attributed the hurdles that had befallen the L 400 programme to the miscommunication between the contractor and the utility companies.

He said the contractor and utility companies had different periods in which to do certain activities.

“It’s just a matter of reconciling the periods of doing whatever they are supposed to do, that is the contractor and the utility companies,” Mr Malama said.

Mr Malama, however, said the utility companies had assured him that they were on course in relocating their structures found on road reserves.

GOVERNMENT has lifted the ban on exports of maize, says Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Wylbur Simuusa.

Mr Simuusa said in an interview yesterday that government has started issuing maize export permits to interested exporters following the issuance of statutory instrument (SI) No. 35 of 2014.

The SI revokes the ban on maize exports requiring exporters to specify the exact volume of maize, the source of the maize to be exported and the export destination of the maize, among other things.

Mr Simuusa called on maize exporters interested to ensure they get a permit or risk being arrested if they are found exporting without the permit.

“The ban on export of maize was lifted a week ago when I signed the SI,” he said.

The minister said government needed to ensure that opening maize exports does not result in increased mealie-meal prices and other grain products.

Mr Simuusa said Government is aware that the lifting of the ban on exports of maize will bring in much-needed foreign exchange in the country.

He said Zambia has vast opportunities for export markets but Government wanted to ensure the country has enough maize stock before considering lifting the ban.

The minister said government has put national food security as top priority and has been working at ensuring the country has enough stock to sustain the country before the new harvest starts.

Meanwhile, Mr Simuusa says several tenders at the Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) were cancelled so that new contracts could be properly awarded to suppliers.

And Mr Simuusa said NCZ has so far produced close to 10,000 tonnes of Compound D fertiliser for this year’s farming season.

Workers at NCZ recently appealed to President Sata to help reverse the cancellation of tenders for the supply of raw materials.

Mr Simuusa said in an interview in Lusaka yesterday that the cancellation of tenders will not affect the production of Compound D fertiliser at NCZ.

“Without going into much detail, government will always insist that things should be done correctly. So, obviously, things have to be done correctly, the whole thing will be re-done,” the minister said.

He said the process of engaging new suppliers has already started and that bids have been advertised in the media.

Mr Simuusa urged the workers at Zambia’s largest fertiliser manufacturing plant to remain calm.

“I am calling on the people to be calm. I know that union leaders issued a statement [on the cancellation], but they should stay calm,” he said.

The minister said the plant has stocked enough raw materials needed for production of fertilisers.

The minister said out of over 100,000 tonnes which NCZ is expected to produce, it has so far manufactured close to 10,000 tonnes of Compound D fertiliser.

Mr Simuusa said despite the cancellation of tenders, NCZ has continued to produce Compound D for this year’s farming season.

“They have produced between 6,000 and 10,000 tonnes of Compound D fertiliser. They are supposed to produce 103,000 tonnes between now and August,” he said.

Mr Simuusa assured farmers that during this farming season there will be no delays in the distribution of farming inputs and that Government will do its best to address challenges faced in the past.

“We are all geared to make sure that fertiliser is in place in good time. We are starting early, within this month we are starting the distribution of the fertiliser,” he said.

Mr Simuusa said all farming inputs will be delivered to farmers by the end of August.

THE Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) has expressed happiness with President Michael Sata over his directive for employers in the country to award workers decent salaries.

MUZ general secretary Joseph Chewe said President Sata had demonstrated his genuine concern for the general citizenry by speaking publicly urging employers to award workers decent salaries.

Mr Chewe said the gesture by President Sata to direct Labour Minister Fackson Shamenda to ensure that employers award workers decent salaries was a clear demonstration that Government meant well for its people.

“We welcome the gesture by the President to direct Labour Minister Fackson Shamenda to ensure that employers award workers decent salaries.

“President Michael Sata has demonstrated that he is a true unionist because if he can speak publicly urging employers to pay decent salaries, it goes to shows that the head of State has got the interest of workers at heart,” Mr Chewe said.

He said President Sata’s directive for decent salaries was a plus on the part of Government whose vision was to reduce poverty among people.

“The message also goes to serve as a wake up call to us unions on the need to effectively represent workers for them to have decent salaries,” he said.

Mr Chewe said President Sata’s directive for decent salaries was timely as it was made at the backdrop of the country’s 50 years of independence celebrations.

He said President Sata’s directive for employers to award workers decent salaries could not have come at any better time than now when citizens expects the 50 years of political independence should translate into decent wages and living.

President Sata during this year’s Labour Day celebrations directed Mr Shamenda to ensure that employers award workers decent salaries.

The Head of State said it should not take workers to go on strike in order to be given decent salaries.

Local Government and Housing Minister Emmanuel Chenda says government attaches great importance to the fire services and is committed to revamping the industry that has been neglected for a long time.

And Mr Chenda has warned traders against illegal practices of turning market stalls into dwelling places.

He said the fact that President Michael Sata directed that the country should start commemorating the Fire Fighters’ Day in 2012 underpins the importance government attaches to the role fire fighters.

Mr Chenda was speaking in Solwezi today during this year’s international fire fighters day.

Mr Chenda said government is also providing appropriate training and equipment in order for fire fighters to carry out their duty of saving lives and protecting property.

This year’s international fire fighters day is being commemorated under the theme “enhancement of basic life support in fire and rescue: a must for saving lives and property.”

The minister said the theme could not have come at a better time than now when the fire and rescue services industry is receiving practical support from government.

He said this can be seen by the number of state-of-the-art fire tenders and rescue vehicles that have been given to local authorities and the recruitment of over 400 fire officers.

Speaking earlier, Fire Services Union of Zambia Vice president Billings Chanda said the investment that the country is recording in the mining, agriculture sectors needs a sound fire fighting service.

However, Mr Chanda said the firefighting sector has continued to underperform because most local authorities have neglected the sector.

Mr Chanda also appealed for the inclusion of a clause on fire fighting in the draft constitution.

Mr Chenda said the country has recorded numerous fire accidents in markets such as Chisokone market in Kitwe because people have turned these places into their homes.

He said fires in the market have destroyed goods worth colossal sums of money rendering owners bankrupt some of whom have become destitutes.

Mr Chenda has also appealed to residents across the country to refrain from the tendency of calling the media whenever there is a fire instead of informing the nearest fire station.

He said this trend delays quick response by fire fighters and results in loss of valuable property.

Government has released K569.7 million to fund development programmes and operations of government ministries and departments.

Secretary to the Treasury Fredson Yamba said the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives has been allocated K122.3 million out of which K102.3 million will fund various facets of the Farmer Input Support Programme(FISP).

In a statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka today by Ministry of Finance Public Relations Officer Chileshe Kandeta, the balance of K20 million will be used to purchase crops.

The Treasury has further released K61.3 million to the Ministry of Local Government and Housing for Constituency Development Funds (CDF).

The Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child Health, which is scaling up social cash transfer across the country has received K15 million for the programme.

Mr Yamba noted that social cash transfer and CDF are key accelerators of development and poverty reduction at grass root level and called for timely implementation of development programmes.

The Auditor General’s office has received K4 m to enhance operations and K9 m has been released for restructuring of the Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA).

The Treasury has also released K84.3 m fuel levy revenues to the National Road Fund Agency for road maintenance, rehabilitation and construction programmes and a further K1.8 m for rural roads in western province.

The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources has been given K15 m to undertake a national land audit and titling exercise to give a complete picture of Zambia’s land ownership and usage situation.

The Treasury has further released operational funds to Ministries of Health, Finance, Home Affairs, Mines and the Judiciary.

In addition K12 m has been released for rural electrification programme, K2.5 m for Copperbelt Environmental Programme, K13 m for payment of outstanding bills and K34 m for external debt service

Government says the funds are intended to stir the country’s robust development drive and crystallize the positive strides made in job and wealth creation and poverty reduction.

“The Treasury wishes to see that the funds given to the Ministries, Provinces and other government spending agencies to produce results beneficial to the people of Zambia,” said Yamba.

The Forum for Democracy and Development FDD has called on government to consider reinstating subsidies on fuel and farming inputs which were removed last year as there removal has not benefited the public.

Speaking in an interview FDD spokesperson Antonio Mwanza said government has no choice but to reinstate the subsidies on fuel and farming inputs as their removal has done nothing but add to the high of living the country is experiencing.

Mr Mwanza observes that the agriculture sector is in a mess and that the country’s food security is threatened because small scale farmers can no longer manage to buy fertilizer due to the removal of subsidies from farming inputs.

He explained that the removal of fuel subsidies has added to the high cost of living obtaining in the country hence the need for the government to reinstate them as mitigating measure to the high fuel costs.

“The government has no choice but to bring back subsidies on production. It has to bring back subsidies on fertilizer, subsidies on fuel. Look at the agriculture sector, it is in a mess because most of our peasant farmers can not afford fertilizer which simply means that we have no food security in the country,” Mr Mwanza said.

He further said, ” And if you look at fuel, at the rate we are going with this PF government and its lack of fiscal policy pump price of fuel is likely to go beyond K12.00 per litter in the next 6months and that will even become more costly for businesses which will lead to job cuts or closure of some businesses due to high cost of production.”

He said with high cost of living which has continued to escalate government should reinstate subsidies without any delay and help reduce the cost of living so that citizens can afford to live a decent life.

And Citizens Empowerment Forum Executive Director Edger Siyakachoma said in view of the escalating fuel prices government should reinstate the subsidies so as to help maintain the prices of goods and services.

Mr Siyakachoma said fuel drives the country’s economy hence high fuel costs hurts the country’s economy.

He added that citizens are not benefiting from the removal of subsidies as the cost of goods and services continue to go up despite citizen being promised that the removal of subsidies was in their best interest.