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Weekend Scorecard: Algeria is Our Major Target-Renard

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Herve Renard today said Zambia chances of a debut World Cup final hinge on their next two home and away games against Algeria.

Zambia host Algeria on June 20 in Chililabombwe and later travel to Algiers for the next 2010 Group C match on September 6.

Both sides are on 4 points from their last two Group C matches with four more to come.

And Renard also said Algeria’s 3-1 derby home win over Egypt in their 2010 Group C qualifier was a minor setback in the African champions challenge for a place in South Africa.

“It is a good result (for Algeria) but don’t think that Egypt is out. It was very tough for them because they were not on home ground but still have a chance to collect 12 points,” Renard said.

“But that is not our problem, our problem is to win the game at home against Algeria those are the important ones for us in this group.

“We have the chance to beat Algeria at home (next week). It will be good to win  at home and take the advantage to Algeria it will be good to get a result there.”

Meanwhile, the team began training camp today in Lusaka with all the players in attendance at Sunset Stadium except for striker Collins Mbesuma who stayed away due to illness.

The team is due to leave for South Africa either later Wednesday or Thursday for another private training camp before return home on Tuesday.

Algeria arrive in the country next Thursday, June 18 after a week-long training camp in Pretoria.

Weekend Scorecard

Faz Premier Division

09/06/2009

Week 13

Zamtel  0-Choma Eagles 1(Aubrey Zulu 75″)

Nakambala Leopards 0-Chambishi 0

Konkola Blades 2(Maybin chishimba 65″, Musonda Mwape “?)-Lusaka Dynamos 1(Makundika sakala 52″)

Green Buffaloes 1(Sydney Lombe 76″)-Young Arrows 0

Red Arrows 0 City of Lusaka 0

Forest Rangers 0- Power Dynamos 2(Alex Ngonga 36”, Luka Lungu “?)

Roan United 0-Kabwe Warriors 1(Felix Haiinde 75”)

Postponed:

Zanaco vs Zesco United

Week 8

03/06/2009

Zesco United 1(Chalwe Kabamba 57″)-Konkola Blades 1(Chipulu Chileya 34″)

TOP SCORERS

After Games Played 07/06/2009

Patrick Kabamba (Zanaco): 11

Makundika Sakala (Lusaka Dynamos): 6
Luka Lungu (Power Dynamos): 6
Jack Chileshe (Zanaco): 6
Kameta Mutambo (Forest Rangers): 6

Kennedy Chola (City of Lusaka):5
Clifford Chipalo (Zesco United): 5
Simon Lupiya (Red Arrows): 5
Enoch Sakala (Zesco United): 5
Edward Museba (Green Buffaloes): 5
Timothy Mbewe (Red Arrows): 5

Chipulu Chileya (Konkola Blades): 4

Faz Division 1

Week 14

07/06/2009


North

Mufulira Blackpool2- Chindwin 2

Nchanga Rangers 2- Mufulira Wanderers 0

Zesc0-Luapula 0- Indeni 1

Mining Rangers 0- Kalulushi Modern Stars 1

Prison Leopards 3- Afrisports 2

Chingola Leopards 2- Kitwe United 0

Nkana 0- Muchindu 0

Lime Hotspurs 0- Kalewa 0

Ndola United 0- Luanshya United 0

South

Livingstone Pirates 1- Paramilitary 2

Riflemen 2- Zamcoal Diggers 1

Mazabuka United 3- Luena Buffaloes 1

Nampundwe 1- Kascol Rangers 1

Police Bullets 1- Petauke United 1

Green Eagles 0- National Assembly 0

Young Green Eagles 0- Lusaka City Council 0

Profund Warriors 2- Lusaka Tigers 1

Lusaka Celtic 0- Nkwazi 0

North

Week 4

*Replayed Match after rain forced game to be abandoned on 01/04/2009

03/06/2009

Luanshya United 1- Kitwe United 0

Kitwe City Council to lose over K57m in revenue

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Kitwe City Council says it will lose over K57 million in personal levy as a result of job losses in Mopani and Konkola Copper Mines.

Speaking during a special council meeting held in Kitwe today, Kitwe City Council Town Clerk Ali Simwinga says the local authority will lose K57, 150, 000 adding that the global crisis had negatively affected its’s ability to provide services to the public.

The Town Clerk also disclosed that the Council was also facing problems in meeting the worker’s wage bills.

Mr. Simwinga noted that revenue collections had plummeted thereby negatively affecting council’s capacity to deliver services to the resident’s satisfaction.

Mining,the town clerk observed was the economic backbone of Kitwe and that with Mopani Copper mines not mining at full capacity, it was difficulty for the local authority to collect revenue from the mine.

Mr. Simwinga said this had adversely affected the Council in terms of rates and personal levy as the mining companies were the direct payers of the income.

In view of the situation, Mr. Simwinga noted that there was need to diversify Zambia’s economy from mining to Agriculture and Tourism with a view of processing most of the raw materials including copper so that they could be expanded as finished products.

ZANIS

RB will defeat all presidential candidates, Katele

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MMD National Secretary, Katele Kalumba, says he is convinced President Rupiah Banda will defeat all presidential candidates in the 2011 elections.

Dr. Kalumba says he is happy that the general membership of the MMD appear to have reached a consensus on its preferred candidate for the presidential elections.

He also says the state of affairs will make it easy for him to convene the MMD national convention.

Dr. Kalumba told ZNBC news that the task of convening the convention will be easy because the MMD membership is generally agreed to support one candidate.

And Dr. Kalumba has dismissed MMD Spokesperson, Ben Tetamashimba’s remarks that he was interested in contesting the Presidential elections on the MMD ticket.

Mr. Tetamashimba recently challenged Dr. Kalumba to openly declare his Presidential ambitions.

[ZNBC]

Maize grain price skyrockets in Mungwi

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The price of maize grain at Mungwi open market in Northern Province has gone up in less than two weeks.

A survey conducted by the National Agricultural Information services (NAIS) in Mungwi today indicated that a 5 kilogramme tin of maize grain has shot up from K3 500 to K4 500.

A trader interviewed at Mungwi open market attributes the rise to the high prices of fertiliser, farmers claimed accessed from the open market during the 2008/2009 season.

Mr Mwaba said some farmers bought fertiliser at a staggering price in some cases as high as K250 000 per 50 kilogramme bag.

He said the price of maize grain is likely to continue rising in the next few weeks.

Mr Mwaba said previously he was buying maize at K 3 000 from farmers but the price has gone up to K4 500 per 5 kilogramme tin as some farmers await to sell their maize to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA)

ZANIS

Government urged to clearly state its intended % shareholding in LCM

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An Economic Consultant has urged Government to clearly state its intended % shareholding in Luanshya Copper Mine on the Copperbelt Province which was recently sold to the Chinese Non Ferrous Metals.

David Punabantu told ZANIS in Ndola today in apparent reference to Mines Minister’s recent announcement that Government will increase its shareholding in the mining companies in a bid to have a stronger say in the running of the mining sector in the country.

Mr Punabantu noted that it was important for Government to agree with the new investors on the shareholding adding that having a stronger shareholding in mining companies in the country, would also enable the State to curb possible exploitation of workers and national resources.

He advised that Government should not merely focus on mine development but should equally ensure that possible unfavourable decisions by some investors in the mining sector are curtailed.

Mr Punabantu pointed out that it would not be in the best interest of Zambians to enrich the Chinese economy at the expense of the majority impoverished Zambian citizens.

On Labour laws, Mr Punabantu prodded Government not to be pre-occupied with opening the mine but in the same vein enforce these laws which should be fully adhered to by the Chinese investors.

He further advised Government to be wary of the conditions that will be offered by the new mine investors so that Zambia fully benefits from its copper resources.

During the low copper prices on the global market, Mines Minister Maxwell Mwale announced that Government will increase its share holding in the mining companies to about 35 per cent to enhance its say in the running of the mining companies in Zambia.

The Minister’s announcement followed threats by some major copper mining companies to close due to low copper prices which were obtaining on the global market at the time.

ZANIS

Other opposition parties show interest to join the PF, UPND pact-HH

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UPND president Hakainde Hichilema
UPND president Hakainde Hichilema

United Party for National Development Leader, Hakainde Hichilema, has disclosed that other opposition political parties have expressed interest to join the political pact recent entered into by the Patriotic Front (PF) and UPND.

Mr. Hichilema further said in an interview that even members of the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) have covertly supported the pact.

He said other political parties have shown willingness to join the political pact but are not yet ready to openly declare their wiliness to join the pact.

Mr. Hichilema said the church, civil society and trade unions are also in full support of the pact as it aimed at bettering the plight of all Zambians.

He appealed to stakeholders who have the interest of the nation at heart to rally behind the pact as it is aimed at providing a better alternative to the MMD government.[quote]

Mr. Hichilema said contrary to the prophets of doom, PF and UPND are determined to ensure that the pact succeeds.

He said lessons have been learned from previous experiences hence the pact with PF and UPND is well-informed about why previous arrangements failed.

Mr. Hichilema called for unity of purpose among opposition political parties in a bid to unseat the MMD.

And Patriotic Front President, Michael Sata, says the PF-UPND electoral pact will succeed because it is different from the previous alliance.

Mr. Sata says the two parties have thoroughly discussed a number of issues that aims to consolidate the pact ahead of the 2011 general elections.

He told ZNBC news that those criticising or condemning the pact will be proven wrong.

The PF leader said he is particularly happy that the two parties have remained consistent from the time the electoral pact was signed.

The UPND and the PF announced last week that they have formed an alliance which will enable them contest the 2011 general elections as a single political force.

The electoral pact has been received with mixed reactions.

Some people say the alliance is just a marriage of convenience, which is likely to collapse.

Others have welcomed the pact saying it will help to strengthen democracy in the country.

[ZNBC]

Cholera claims one life in Sinazongwe

Guest Editor
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One person has died of suspected Cholera while seven others have been admitted to Sinamalima clinic in Malima area in Sinazongwe District of Southern Province.

The deceased has been identified as Sabeta Mpesele aged 62, of Sianvwemu village.

Sinazongwe District Commissioner Mungoni Simulilika told ZANIS that health experts would be dispatched to the district to contain the disease.

A check by ZANIS at Sinamalima clinic further revealed that a shortage of nurses and clinic officers has crippled operations at the clinic.

The suspected Cholera patients are being attended to by daily classified employees, who are unqualified to attend to patients.
The nurse attached to the clinic is currently attending a workshop in Maamba Township, leaving the clinic with no trained medical personnel.
Nurses in most clinics including Maamba Hospital are on strike demanding salary increments from government.

Since January this year, more than 100 people in Sinazongwe District have complained of suspected Cholera resulting in the closure of all schools in Maamba Township.

ZANIS

Government acts to prevent unsafe abortions

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Health minister Kapembwa Simbao says 30 percent of maternal mortality deaths in the country are due to unsafe abortions.

Mr. Simbao says it is in this regard that particular emphasis has been placed on reducing unsafe abortions.
He says government has since introduced several measures and integrated interventions aimed at improving pregnancy outcomes for women in Zambia.

He was speaking in Lusaka today in a speech read on his behalf by his deputy Akandelwa Mwendoi, at the launch by IPAS of the standards and abortions guidelines for reducing unsafe abortion morbidity and mortality in Zambia.

And IPAS Alliance Vice President Dr Brook Amissah said unsafe abortions constitute up to 40 percent of the maternal mortality in Africa.

Dr Amissah attributed this to lack of access to comprehensive reproductive health care and unmet needs for contraceptives.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that every year approximately 66,500 women die globally from complications of unsafe abortions and about 40,000 or half of these deaths occur in Africa.

ZANIS

Voter education is a vital component of the electoral process – Justice Mumba

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Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) Chairperson Florence Mumba says stakeholders need to embrace voter education as a vital component of the electoral process.

Justice Mumba says effective voter education can assist in enhancing the credibility of an election.

Justice Mumba was speaking during the official opening of the 2008 Presidential Election Voter Education Review Workshop for the Lusaka District Voter Education Committee (DVEC) members in Lusaka today in a speech read on her behalf by ECZ Manager for Elections and Voter Education, Jocelyn Mubita.

Justice Mumba observed that the low voter turn out experienced in the 2008 Presidential Election could be attributed to inadequate vote education in the run up to the elections.

She further said candidates and political parties have a vital role to educate the electorate about the electoral process.

And Lusaka District Electoral Officer, Timothy Hakuyu commended the District Voter Education Committee and election facilitators for their commitment and dedication exhibited during the 2008 presidential election voter education activities.

Mr. Hakuyu, who is also Lusaka Town Clerk, said the workshop offers participants and the electoral body an opportunity to come up with best practices in enhancing voter education.

Following the Presidential Election conducted on 30th October, 2008, the commission has been conducting postmortem workshops to receive feedback from key players in the electoral process.

ZANIS

RB expected in South Africa to showcase Zambia’s investment potential

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President Rupiah Banda
President Rupiah Banda

President Rupiah Banda is today expected in Cape Town, South Africa to attend the World Economic Forum on Africa to be held from June 10th to 12th at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. President Banda, who will fly direct from Victoria Falls town in Zimbabwe where he attended the launch of the COMESA Customs Union, is expected to land at Cape Town International Airport at 15:45 hours.

Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Leslie Mbula and members of the advance party , who are already in Cape Town, will be on hand to receive the president on arrival. The advance delegation includes Finance Minister, Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane, Agricultural Minister Dr Brian Chituwo, Mines Minister, Maxwell Mwale and Energy Minister, Kenneth Konga.
Others who are already in Cape Town are the President’s Special Advisers for Economics and Political Affairs, Dr Chembe and Akashambatwa Mbikusita Lewanika respectively.

The three-day World Economic Forum on Africa will bring together about 700 government and economic leaders from around the world for intensive discussions on the world economic situation. Prominent on the agenda, among other issues, will be the effects of the prevailing global economic crisis on the economies of Africa and how this could be mitigated.

Mr. Mbula said President Banda will chair and participate in a number of high level thematic discussions, chief among them is tourism, agriculture, mining and energy. Mr. Mbula said the hallmark of Zambia’s participation at the forum will be tomorrow, during what has been dubbed the ‘Zambian Night’ at a dinner where President Banda will lead his ministers, among them Commerce Minister, Felix Mutati, to show case Zambia’s investment potential to the outside world.[quote]

At the dinner, President Banda, flanked by his ministers and other experts, who will include Bank of Zambia Governor, Dr Caleb Fundanga, will answer questions from industrialists and investors from around the globe on what Zambia has to offer in terms of investment.

President Banda ‘s programme also includes a meeting with Zambians resident in Cape Town before returning home on Friday.
And Mr. Mbula has described president Banda’s presence at the forum as a great milestone in Zambia’s on-going efforts to attract investment which is critical for accelerating economic growth.

The World Economic Forum, which brings together leading world economic players and governments, is an important platform for Zambia to sell its vast investment potential. Mr. Mbula said Zambia stands out as one of the best destinations for foreign investment due to various measures government has put in place.

These include tax holidays, externalization of profits by foreign investors and other incentives meant to attract foreign direct investment. He said the measures are bearing fruit as evidenced by the on-going explorations in oil in Northwestern Province and investments in the mining industry.

Mr. Mbula urged Zambians to continue being receptive and friendly to foreign investors who wish to invest in the country.
Zambia has always been known to be a stable and peaceful country which is one of its strongest and unique selling points to the outside world.

Mr Mbula advised Zambians to enter into joint ventures with their foreign counterparts in setting up various business investments such as hotels and other infrastructure development.

And Mr. Mbula has disclosed that the Zambian government, through his office, has invited South Africa’s chief organizer for the 2010 World Cup, Dan Jordaan to visit Zambia and discuss ways and means of making it possible for many Zambians to come and watch the World Cup.

He said that this is an African World Cup, and the Zambian government, like others on the continent would like more of their nationals to be given the opportunity to travel to South Africa and watch the world’s greatest soccer tournament.

“South Africans, for example, are to pay less, about R100 for a ticket to watch a match during the World Cup. This is what we want to discuss with Mr Jordaan to see whether it can apply to Zambians as well,” said Mr Mbula.

ZANIS

Best Home Lodge asks employees to stay away

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27 employees at Best Home Lodge have been asked to stay away from work by their management without any payment almost five weeks after the ACC raided the premises.

Although the lodge remains open, no single client has been there since the ACC’s visit, resulting in the workers seeking legal guidance and an explanation from the management.

The workers had been reporting for work until a few days ago when management advised them to stay away.

Some employees said since all the bank accounts for the lodge had been frozen, it became difficult to even get their salaries.

“Some of us have worked for a long time at the lodge and we cannot just leave like this. We need to be paid something for us to find our way out,” one of the workers said.

Former Ministry of Health senior human resource officer, Henry Kapoko owns Best Home Lodge located in Lusaka’s Roma Township.

Mr Kapoko was arrested for obtaining money by false pretences involving over K1.9 billion. He appeared in court and remains in custody after the magistrate’s court denied him bail.

And four people in Lusaka are registered as the owners of ESU Nursing School Limited, believed to have benefited from the K27 billion scam at the Ministry of Health.[quote]

The shareholders of the school of midwifery in Lusaka’s Kalundu area include Barbara Ushibantu, Dorcas Siafwa of Kaunda Square, Miriam Phiri of Longacres and Edwin Ushibantu who was registered as secretary.

According to a search at the patents and companies registration office, the school started with a nominal capital of K400,000,000 in 2003 and 50,000,000 shares.
{Times of Zambia]

Government departments in Choma grind to a halt

Guest Editor
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OPERATIONS at most government ministries and departments in Choma District of Southern Province have remained paralyzed due to the ongoing work stoppage by unionized public service workers.

Nurses, teachers and other civil servants have downed tools to pressure government to award them a 25 percent salary increment and not less than K 450, 000 housing allowance across the board.

Members of all three teachers’ unions in the district have been on strike for the last two weeks while nurses and other civil servants downed tools last Friday.

A check by ZANIS found several government offices closed with only senior management officers found manning offices.

Most patients have now resorted to seeking medical services from private clinics because most government clinics are not operational due to the strike.

District Commissioner Laiven Apuleni confirmed to ZANIS in Choma today that the strike action by unionized workers has crippled the operations of the majority of government departments and ministries in the district.

Mr Apuleni said only emergency cases are being attended to at Choma General Hospital due to the strike action by nurses and other support staff.

“The situation is quite serious. Only emergency services are now available at the hospital,” Mr Apuleni told ZANIS.

And Civil Servants and Allied Workers Union of Zambia branch secretary Peter Phiri told ZANIS in Choma today that his members will not resume work until government meets their demands.

Mr Phiri said no amount of intimidation will force the workers to resume work as they are fighting for a justified cause.

He said members of the Civil Servants and Allied Workers Union of Zambia and the National Union of Public Service Workers in various government departments and ministries have all joined the strike.

ZANIS

Be patient, Dr.Simon Miti told

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Dr.Simon Miti
Dr.Simon Miti
THE United Party for National Development (UPND) has

advised former Health permanent secretary, Simon Miti to wait until he is indicted to defend himself in court should he be linked to the K27 billion scam.

And the Southern Africa Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (SACCORD) said it was wrong for Dr Miti to write the letter to the president asking to be treated with compassion.

UPND spokesperson, Charles Kakoma said in Lusaka yesterday that it was inappropriate for Dr Miti to write to President Rupiah Banda asking to be treated with compassion and fairness when he had not been indicted.

Mr Kakoma said by writing the letter to Mr Banda on a matter that was under criminal investigations, Dr Miti was only creating an impression that he was trying to hide something.

He said Dr Miti should allow the law to take its course instead of pleading with the president.

Mr Kakoma said the mentioning of his family in the letter was out of context and meant to seek sympathy from the appointing authority.

“If he is innocent, he should not go to that level. Why should he be dismissed if he has not done something wrong? Why should he plead for a job if he has not done anything wrong?” he wondered.

SACCORD information officer, Michelo Mwaango said Dr Miti should not have taken that step as it was sending a wrong message to members of the public.

Dr Miti in his letter dated May 24, 2009 to President Banda gave his reflections and observations on the scandal at the Ministry of Health and asked to be treated fairly and with compassion.

Dr Miti, who has been sent on forced leave pending investigations, is permanent secretary at the Ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Training.

The joint team investigating the scandal at the Ministry of Health recently summoned and questioned Dr Miti.
[Times of Zambia]

Govt releases K300m for Pedicle road facelift

Guest Editor
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Government has released K300 million for the rehabilitation of the Pedicle road which connects Luapula and the Copperbelt Provinces.

Luapula Province Minister Boniface Kawimbe revealed to ZANIS in an interview in Mansa yesterday that works on the road would commence next week.

Dr. Kawimbe said the Pedicle road which was in a state of disrepair after the rain season would be rehabilitated using the Rural Roads Unit earth moving equipment.
He said the 70 Km stretch which normally took less than an hour to drive through was now taking long hours due to its state of disrepair, and added that the road would be included in next year’s budget so that it could be tarred.

Dr. Kawimbe said the rehabilitation of the Pedicle road would be completed by July 15 this year because the province was expecting an influx of visitors from other places during the Umutomboko ceremony which takes place every July.

On the Mansa – Kashikishi road, Dr. Kawimbe explained that the road would be rehabilitated using two phases that included pothole mending using a mixture of gravel (latterite), cement and sealing with shumba, a tarmac premix.

Dr. Kawimbe said eight thousand pockets of cement had been procured and that one thousand five hundred pockets of Shumba had been provided for works to commence on the Mansa – Kashikishi road.The projected time-frame to complete the task was July to coincide with the Umutomboko ceremony.

He said phase two would involve resurfacing of Mansa-Kashikishi and this was expected to also be included in next year’s budget.

Dr. Kawimbe also revealed that Works and Supply Minister Mike Mulongoti has issued instructions to pay the contractor who is already on site to kick start resurfacing of Tuta road.
The Minister further said that the Mansa – Luwingu road needed urgent attention as the road had become impassable.

He said the road would also be worked on using the Rural Roads Unit earth moving equipment adding that the Mansa -Chembe road which was in a fairly good condition would be resurfaced by Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA).

On feeder roads in Luapula province, the Minister assured that they would all be worked on following an agreement that has been reached with all District Councils to contribute K200 million from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF)towards roads rehabilitation.

ZANIS

ZRA – still room for improvement

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By Ian K. Mwila

BACKGROUND

This article is written as a commentary reaction to the recent announcement by the Commissioner General of the Zambia Revenue Authority Mr. Chriticles Mwansa – Mr. Mwansa announced that trade tax collection had subsided by 27% in the first quarter of the year as compared to the same period in the preceding year.The announcement was made followed by an explanation by the Commissioner General that this drop was mainly attributed to the ‘elusiveness’ of unscrupulous traders operating across borders who had found ways to evade paying taxes thus the decline.He further stated that this behaviour,”tax evasion” was probably created by the ‘global economic meltdown that was forcing people not to pay trade taxes.” Furthermore, he mentioned that through sensitization campaigns of the importance of paying taxes, an increase in tax collections could be observed in the second quarter of this year and that the Zambia Revenue Authority was not sitting idle, but had ‘put up stringent measures’ that would help with customs data and collection management.

OPINION

While Mr. Mwansa’s work and efforts are greatly appreciated, the ZRA’s operations and structure leave much to be desired.First of all if the Commissioner General believes or purports to believe that the reason why his team was unable to collect the trade taxes according to set targets is attributable to the global economic slow down, unscrupulous traders and a generally unsensitized public, then we have a more serious problem than any one person can imagine.

In my opinion this is just an inch of a two mile stretch and the biggest problem that the Zambian government has including its so called autonomous bodies such as the ZRA, is corruption and the perpetual maintenance and defense of a colonial style of government – the centralized one.[quote]

This system probably worked best when the majority of influence over government resources was in the hands of the minority (colonialists) who felt secure by being in a closely knit environment.

At least there was some justification for this type of inefficient government structure and I personally believe that whatever their intentions were, this system of government, probably served them well.

But in this day and age when all control and resources are in the hands of Zambians, this problem should not be entirely tied to Mr. Mwansa’s reasons.One can clearly attribute such failures and inefficiencies to the levels of corruption taking place in all these border posts and an old system of administration that seems to blind side and cause our leaders into believing otherwise.

Has it ever occurred to the Commissioner that trade tax collections could have been diverted to ventures like “The Best Home lodge” for the Kapokos of this world? Possibly so, but that is not something some people are willing to look at as the main cause of this deficiency.

Since the creation of the Zambia Revenue Authority in 1994 the Zambian government has reported tremendous increases in tax collection because of the decentralization of this unit of government into an autonomous body.

Many people can attest to how helpful this arm of government has been and still is in helping fund government programs, including the lavish life style of the current day politician.The improvement in tax collection mechanisms can clearly be attributed to this decentralization and as long as we continue to focus on insignificant issues as our excuse for our failures, this trend will not go away anytime soon.We appreciated the decision to decentralize the Customs and Exercise Division into becoming its own entity because of the benefits we have seen this has produced over the years,from increased tax revenue for the government and of course the creation of employment.

I can confidently say that we can still do better by decentralizing the operations of ZRA further into ‘Regional Head Offices’ (RHO) were each office is managed independently and mandated with the collection of taxes in the assigned ‘regions’ while away from the main ZRA head office in Lusaka.

Below is a sketch of how this decentralization can be achieved, each RHO would be assigned three provinces as illustrated:
rho

Of course this exercise cannot be achieved overnight as reorganization and decentralization comes with its own costs and challenges. Under this suggested system, the Head Office of the Authority could still be maintained in Lusaka for administrative purposes and also for possibly housing RHO staff for Lusaka, Central and Copperbelt provinces. These Regional Head Offices can be points of contact for all border tax collections taking place in each province and it is through these offices that new swifter sensitization campaigns could be executed.

Overall these offices could execute all non-administrative and probably a small portion of administrative functions that are currently being run from Lusaka hundreds of miles away from the main points of activity.The effects of such a new structure and system could be felt within a reasonable time space and surely government and the entire ZRA board are encouraged to consider this option.

EXAMPLE

For example, to alleviate the incidences of corruption on border posts and discourage huge amounts of taxes being collected by almost every employee of ZRA and also diverting these funds; it would be wise for the ZRA to consider a system whereby individuals and businesses are encouraged or more confidently informed that all taxes will be paid at these centers:

For instance, if I chose to purchase an automobile outside the country, a system could be put in place where I am required to go to the RHO port of entry and get a one-time-importation license that requires me to pay provisional taxes attributable to my importation based on the description that I give and use during my license application.

On my return with an automobile, the vehicle could be held in bond at a ZRA holding facility at the port of entry for a period not exceeding 72 hours until the vehicle can be cleared through screenings with the Interpol for vehicles reported as stolen in neighboring countries.

Within this period the buyer should have been given adequate time to travel to the RHO to present his title (Blue book) and also an inspection license and photographs from the customs officer describing the vehicle in detail (Data collection) and allowing the ZRA to determine the importer’s correct tax liability or whether a refund is due on the provision taxes I had previously paid, before a clearance certificate can be issued.

Note that this system eliminated the need to make payments at the port of entry thus reducing the most likelihood of corrupt practices recurring as all payments regarding imports could be handled by the RHO which we hope can operate equitably and independently towards the citizens of Zambia. A small portion of the payment can still be made to the border authorities for storage of the vehicle for each of those three days that the vehicle is held as is the case today.

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