OPPOSITION Alliance for Democracy and Development (ADD) president Charles Milupi says the Patriotic Front (PF) and United Party for National Development (UPND) Pact cannot work because it is centered on two people seeking the presidency.

And PF vice president Guy Scott yesterday said he did not have any apology for the UPND over his remarks that UPND did not contribute to the PF campaign in the recent Mpulungu parliamentary by-election.

Mr Milupi said in an interview yesterday that he did not want to be associated with the PF/UPND Pact because it had no future for the country as it was centered on two people who want to get to State House.

Mr Milupi said he could only partner in a coalition that would discuss policies and programmes to improve people’s lives rather creating an alliance to escort people to State House.

The most important thing for opposition political parties was to develop policies that could improve people’s lives.

“In most cases, pacts are always retrogressive because they do not concentrate on developing policies to improve people’s lives, but they are always fighting over who should be the president.

“This is why I would rather go for a grand coalition, which discusses policies and not a pact where people fight for leadership,” Mr Milupi said.

Meanwhile, Dr Scott yesterday said he did not have any apology for the UPND over his remarks that UPND did not contribute to the PF campaign in the recent Mpulungu parliamentary by-election.

Dr Scott also said it would be wrong to make assumptions that the victory in Chilanga showed that the political tide had changed in favour of UPND.

He said to the contrary, the victory by UPND largely borrowed from the popularity of PF in Chilanga, which was half cosmopolitan and half rural with the Tonga influence.

He said the UPND should avoid being emotional and arguing with facts taken from the previous presidential and other elections.

Dr Scott wrote in Wednesday’s edition of The Post that UPND did not add value to the victory by PF in Mpulungu because it was not popular in the area, which attracted angry reactions from UPND national youth spokesperson Ronald Manenga.

Dr Scott said some individuals in the UPND were emotional and reacted without facts, which were in black and white.

Dr Scott said no malice was intended in his observations and would not argue if he were told that PF was not popular in an area like Kalomo where UPND was dominant.

It was wrong to draw conclusions that he was less committed to the ideals of the Pact having taken a central position in convincing other PF leaders to withdraw a candidate before the Chilanga by-election took place.

He said he would always support the Pact but would never shy away from facts about the popularity of the two partners.

Since 2008, President Banda’s administration has managed to upgrade and pave close to four hundred and fifty kilometres of roads across the country.

Among the road projects which have been launched are the Mutanda – Chavuma, Chipata – Mfuwe and Choma – Chitongo roads.

Others are Kasama – Luwingu, Senanga – Sesheke, Luansobe – Mpongwe and Chipata – Lundazi roads.

Infrastructure development is key on President Banda’s government agenda.

On Friday Mr.Banda is expected to commission the Zimba-Livingstone road.

The road has been undergoing a major upgrade and resurfacing in the last one year.

According to a statement released to ZNBC by Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations, Dickson Jere, President Banda will leave for Livingstone Friday morning.

The road is an important trade link between Zambia and other countries in the Southern African region.

The first thirty kilometre stretch was completed in October last year, at a cost of one hundred and twenty-one billion kwacha.

President Banda will commission the remaining stretch of the forty two Kilometre road financed by the European Union and resurfaced by a Chinese firm at a cost of thirty-five million Euros.
[ ZANIS ]

SOME information communication technology (ICT) stakeholders have commended Zain Zambia for introducing third generation (3G) routers on the market saying the speed is amazing.

A router is an electronic device that interconnects two or more computer networks, and selectively interchanges packets of data between them.

Each data packet contains address information that a router can use to determine if the source and destination are on the same network, or if the data packet must be transferred from one network to another.

An internet user Chilufya Musosha said the 3G network is fast and deserves to be on the market.

“I have tested it and the speed is crazy! I am not sure if there is an internet service provider who can offer individual users such speeds for such a charge in Zambia.

“If any user has any auto down-loader programme such as anti-virus and windows updates, they will be shocked at how quickly they exhaust bandwidth but the router gives a breath of fresh air!” he said.

Mr Musosha, who is also an e-Brain member, said this on the e-brain group discussion in Lusaka yesterday.

Another member, Paul Muwowo, said Zain has introduced a 3G wireless router on the market which is going at K855,000 with bundles that range from 1 gigabyte (Gb) at K125,000 to 10Gb at K745,000.

Mr Musosha said the router has four ports and a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) fixed at 10 clients.

“With this cost and if the speeds are really as they say at a minimum of 512 Kilo-bits per second, this could help internet access in rural areas because 1.5 gigabyte of data via VSAT is K1,000,000,” he said.

Another user Lee Muzala perceives a huge boom and a greater improvement in terms of access in rural areas and in urban areas.

Mr Muzala, however, said most ISPs rates are still way too high.

“Just the cost of having a wireless installation done at your home or office, will knock you back approximately K5million (costs of equipment and setup), which some ISPs will claim the equipment is theirs,” he said.

He said with the 3G rates of 1 Gb and 10 Gb by Zain, he hopes to see an improvement on the part of ISPs including Microlink, Zamnet, iConnect/Africonnect and others.

He said costs of bandwidth, service, coverage and setup fees should also be reduced by ISPs.

Another user, Richard Mwanza, who is also Zambia Information Communication Technology Authority deputy chief executive officer, said the network is great though in some parts of the country such as Mongu the speeds are still very poor.

[Zambia Daily Mail]

Secretary to the Treasury, Likolo Ndalamei says government share in profits from the mining sector is expected to rise in the next few years.

This follows the conclusion of negotiations with mining companies to move to the new mining tax regime.

Mr Ndalamei said although the windfall tax was lifted, government still earns a share of the profits that the mining companies make through variable profit tax.

He said this in Lusaka Wednesday during a press briefing with IMF Mission Chief for Zambia, George Tsibouris.

Mr Ndalamei said a wrong impression has been created that mining companies do not contribute taxes to the treasury.

He said Mining companies are currently paying mineral royalty, company tax and variable tax on super profits.

He also announced that the committee constituted to audit mining companies, will establish if they do pay income tax to the government.
[ ZNBC ]