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Qualified people are needed for PPP

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Government says it needs qualified and competent people to execute Public Private Partnerships (PPP) projects for the purpose of cutting down on appointments of foreign experts.

Commerce Trade and Industry Deputy Minister, Richard Taima, said capacity building at local level had to be a continuous process if qualified and competent individuals were to be identified for the short and long term implementation of PPP projects within the country.

Mr Taima said this during the on-going Public Private Partnerships and Project Finance workshop organized by Zesco at Chrisma Hotel in Livingstone yesterday.

He said despite PPPs being an attractive mechanism for large businesses as they were more viable for big projects, the local private sector dominated by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) still had opportunities to participate in project implementation through supply of materials and sub-contracting.

Mr Taima said government would strive to empower local entrepreneurs through programs like the Citizens Economic Empowerment fund and business development services to enhance their capacity to explore wider business opportunities.

He said government would not use the current economic problems the country was facing as an excuse to withhold support for the growth of emerging businesses since they had potential to contribute to economic growth.

Mr Taima emphasized the need for the country to counter the risks and threats resulting from the global financial crisis through stronger positive measures and increased private sector participation in economic programs.

Earlier, chairman for the PPP Working Group, Dr Francis Ndilila, called for PPPs not to end up as academic programs but to result in profit, prosperity and progress for the nation.

Dr Ndilila, who is also National Construction Council chairman, said Zambia had great opportunities for implementation of PPPs especially in the housing sector which, he said, had a multiplier effect in the economy of as much as 18 times.

Dr Ndilila said it was unfortunate most home owners in the country resorted to self-induced mortgages when opportunities for formal financing by the private sector lay idle.

He said the country had lost out on big programs like hosting of the 2011 All Africa Games and development of infrastructure to benefit from the spill-over of activities from the 2010 FIFA World Cup because government had not involved the private sector.

ZANIS/ENDS/AMM/EB

Govt. will facilitate investments and job creation – Mutati

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Government has pledged to provide facilities that would help private investors to set up investments and create jobs in the country.

Minister of Commerce Trade and Industry, Felix Mutati said government has nine companies which are introducing a new dimension to its diversification efforts.

He was speaking in Lusaka today when he met investors from Canada, India, and Malaysia.

Mr. Mutati said government will make a practical process of translating initiatives into investments and agree on a clear roadmap on what should be done at the end of the discussions with the investors.

He said the investment will be able to help Zambia achieve the target of five per cent economic growth this year.

Mr. Mutati said the investors were willing to form a joint partnership with Zambians to set up investment in the country.

“As government, we are providing a facility to assist these investors to put up investment and they will also assist us to create jobs,” he said.

He said government would minimise risk factors in order to provide the investors with potential partners, adding that government would make sure that this programme reaches its logical conclusion.

At the same occasion, Ink-Media chief executive officer, William Plant, a Canadian investor, said it was essential that a computer assembly plant is established in Zambia because the country was centrally located.

Mr. Plant said Ink-Media are trying to help bridge the digital divide by bringing the assembly of computers to Zambia.

He stressed that Ink- Media was creating a plant in Zambia to stimulate the people to develop an interest in using computers.

Mr. Plant added that Ink-Media the computer assembly plant was likely to open in the next six months.

ZANIS/WM/KSH/ENDS

Kalulushi traders still selling mealie meal at K75,000

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Kalulushi District Commissioner Joshua Mutisa has warned that it would deal with traders selling a 25 kilogram bag of breakfast mealie meal at K75, 000.

Mr. Mutisa said K75, 000 was not a recommended price of a 25 kilogram bag of mealie meal in the country.

Without stating a specific punishment to be taken against traders violating the law, Mr. Mutisa said government was not sitting idle but checking on those who were allegedly exploiting the public.

He told ZANIS in Kalulushi today that his office had carried out a survey in the district and found out that a 25 kilogram bag of breakfast mealie meal should not exceed K55, 000 in Kalulushi.

”I wish to take this advantage to warn our traders that government is not sitting idle, but watching them and if they fail to follow the law, the consequences will be bad,” he said.

Mr. Mutisa explained that Kalulushi district and the Copperbelt province have enough stocks of maize, noting that the current shortages were artificial.

He pointed out that the maize shortages in the province were created by some unscrupulous business people who wanted to make huge profits from subsidised maize.

He added that there were people in the area that were using small boys to buy mealie meal in bulk so that they could resell.

Mr. Mutisa has since warned the people using boys to buy the commodity to stop and advised traders not to buy more than two bags of mealie meal because there was no need.

And a check by ZANIS in Kalulushi today found that most traders in the town centre were defiantly selling a 25 kilogram bag of breakfast mealie meal at K75, 000.

ZANIS/EZ/KSH/ENDS

No further help for Zambia’s freedom fighters, Kunda

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Vice President George Kunda today told parliament that government would not render any material assistance to freedom fighters who became handicapped as a result of the struggle for Zambia’s independence.

Mr. Kunda was responding to a question raised by Choma central Member of Parliament, George Chazangwe in parliament today.

Mr. Chazangwe asked whether the government would consider offering material assistance to people who became handicapped as a result of the struggle for independence.

The Vice President, who is the leader of government business in parliament, said it was not necessary to render material to freedom fighters that were injured because they were receiving awards with Zambian honours on Independence day and African freedom day respectively.

He said the freedom fighters that were detained or tortured during the struggle should have made such claims immediately after attaining independence.

Mr. Kunda further said it was not possible to set aside a day other than independence and African freedom day to commemorate Zambians who died in the struggle for independence.

ZANIS/AC/KSH/ENDS

Sports Minister Warns CHAN Team

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Don’t waste taxpayers money at the Caf Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) in Cote d’Ivoire was sports minister Kenneth Chipungu’s warning he issued to the Zambia national team today.

Chipungu told the team after meeting them at the end of Thursday morning workout that Herve Renard’s squad should justify why government should spend money on the team with performances on the pitch when the CHAN tournament kicks off next Sunday, February 22 in Abidjan.

“You must justify why we are going to spend so much money,” Chipungu said.

“And you know you should not underplay the importance of winning.

“As you prepare to go to Ivory Coast next week, you will need a lot of money and that’s taxpayers money.

“These are the owners of the money and they are watching you, so as you go there you must win.”

Chipungu also warned the team that poor results on the pitch at CHAN will also be met by a no-show from him at Lusaka International Airport when the team arrives back from the tournament.

Government has yet to release the full budget for the team that is expected to leave for Abidjan next Wednesday ahead of the tournament kick off.

Zambia are in Group A together with Senegal, Tanzania and hosts Cote d’Ivoire whom they face in both sides opening game on the 22nd.

Meanwhile, Tanzania were held to a scoreless draw in Dar-es-Salaam by fellow CHAN finalist Zimbabwe in an international friendly played on Wednesday.

Zimbabwe are in Group B together with Ghana, Libya and DR Congo.

FOOTBALL FIXTURES

CAF CONFEDERATIOSN CUP PRELIMINARY ROUND RETURN LEG

13/02/2009

Dar-es-Salaam

Mundu (Zanzibar)- Red Arrows (Zambia)*

*Arrows lead 6-0 from 1st leg.

CAF AFRICA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE PRELIMINARY ROUND, RETURN LEG

14/02/2009

Nairobi

Mathare United(Kenya)- Zesco United (Zambia)*

* Zesco lead 2-0 from 1st leg.

Disabled may not access CEEF

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Requirements attached to Citizen Economic Empowerment Fund (CEEF) have posed great challenges for the disabled to access the fund.

Chairperson for People Living with Disabilities in Western Province, John Siyubo, complained that the collateral requirement was hindering the disabled people in the province from accessing the fund.

Mr Siyubo told ZANIS in Mongu that disabled persons were among the poorest of the poor and that asking them to produce collateral was disqualifying them from accessing the money.

He said that the disabled, especially those unemployed who form the largest majority, felt sidelined as they cannot meet the collateral requirement.

Mr Siyubo suggested that collateral be eased, if not scrapped, for the disabled so that they also benefit from the initiative.

He said that much as it was a loan, government should find a way of enabling the disabled to access the money.

Mr Siyubo has since called on government to include disabled persons in top policy making bodies so as to tailor government initiatives like CEEF to also suit people living with disabilities.

ZANIS/ENDS/JA/EB

Mugabe swears in opponent as premier

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Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe yesterday swore in his main rival, Morgan Tsvangirai, as the country’s prime minister in a unity government that took months of hard negotiations to achieve.

Several regional leaders attended the swearing in, which is expected to end months of wrangling between the government and the opposition over an inconclusive election held early last year.

Tsvangirai, a longtime rival of Mugabe, was sworn in together with two deputies, one drawn from his party and the other from a smaller opposition party.

The government and the opposition agreed, under the mediation of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), to share power via a coalition government.

Under the agreement, the two sides will share cabinet portfolios and other levers of power, until fresh elections are held.

The agreement followed months of hard negotiations that almost collapsed over the share of cabinet portfolios.

Tsvangirai, taking the oath of office, said he would ‘bear allegiance to Zimbabwe’, contrary to frequent accusations by Mugabe that he was a front for Western powers seeking to oust him from office.

The new government, which is due to be sworn in on Friday, will be immediately confronted by a multitude of crisis, including a raging cholera outbreak, closed educational institutions and severe food shortages.

Over 3,500 people have died of cholera since August last year, and more than 70,000 others infected in an outbreak that has drawn the attention of the world.

Even more worrying is a food crisis affecting over half of the country’s 14 million people.

United Nations agencies said unless international food aid is mobilised soon, millions of Zimbabweans face starvation in coming months.

Poor weather last year and the government’s agricultural policies are widely blamed for the food shortages.

Schools and universities have also been closed because of a long running strike by teachers and lecturers, who are demanding to be paid in foreign currency.

The demand is yet to be met, and the stalemate, which has been running from last year, continues.

Big Western donors, the only hope for the new government to start re-building the country’s shattered economy, have said they will adopt a wait-and-see attitude on the unity government, before unblocking aid and investment.

Earlier this week, South Africa said it would possibly agree to plans by Zimbabwe to use its currency, the Rand, in place of its worthless local dollar.

But large-scale aid from Pretoria, which is also feeling the pinch of the international financial crisis, has been ruled out.

Tsvangirai, whose party controls the key finance ministry, has said his government will target foreign direct investment and aid to revive the economy.
ZANIS/PANA/ENDS

Illegal liquor trading booms in Itezhi-tezhi

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Illegal beer trading has drastically increased in Itezhi-tezhi district.

A survey by ZANIS around the town revealed that numerous makeshift shops and other grocery shops in the township are selling spirits in sachets without any liquor licences.

Meanwhile the sachets are littered all over the market area as the consumers of the spirits just throw the empty sachets any how.

And Itezhi-tezhi District Council Secretary, Cheemo Mangwato, has warned of stern action against those selling alcohol illegally.

Mr Mang’wato said that it is a legal requirement that whoever wants to engage in liquor business must obtain a liquor licence from the local authority before proceeding with trading in alcohol.

“All liquor traders by law are supposed to be licenced by the local authority and all those trading illegally will be followed by the local authority soon,” he said.

Mr Mangwato further said that Itezhi-tezhi district council has already embarked on mass sensitization of people on their need to licence their liquor trading.

ZANIS/ENDS/FM/EB.

K198 million Mongu HIV/AIDS funds returned to treasury

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About K198 million meant for HIV/AIDS programmes in Western Province last year has been returned to treasury because there were no structure for focal point persons to use the funds.

This came to light when the newly elected Provincial Focal Point Coordinating Committee (PFPCC) paid a courtesy call on the Western Province Deputy Permanent Secretary, Phanuel Chibala at his office today.

Mr. Chibala said the money was returned to treasury because the province, by then, had not met the requirements by National AIDS Council (NAC) that there should be a focal point persons structure in place.

He has therefore urged the committee to revive HIV/AIDS activities in the province and act as a bridge between provincial management and the departments in order to utilize such monies.

Meanwhile, Western Province Permanent Secretary, Ikanuke Noyoo has called for an intensified HIV/AIDS fight in the province.

Mr. Noyoo, who pledged his support towards the fight against the pandemic, said HIV/AIDS needed an intensified and well coordinated fight to ease its deadly effects in the province.

He said this when the committee paid a courtesy call on him yesterday.

And Acting Provincial Planner, Sineva Kambenja appealed to the Permanent Secretary to help supervise the utilization of funds allocated to various departments in the province for HIV/AIDS programmes.

Mr. Kambenja said though there was money allocated to departments for HIV/AIDS activities little was being done as the monies were usually channeled to other activities.

ZANIS/JA/KSH/ENDS

Let’s unite against counterfeit products in Zambia-ZACA

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The Zambia Consumer Association (ZACA) says more political will must be exercised in the country in order to rid the market of counterfeit products.

ZACA Executive Director, Muyunda Ililonga, said the isolated incidents where the Zambia police service have raided some factories and shops trading in counterfeit products were not enough to rid the markets of these dangerous products.

Mr. Ililonga said counterfeit products that are imported into the country greatly outnumber those that are manufactured locally, adding that it was for this reason that relevant institutions should partner with the police so that the problem is not fought in isolated activities.

He told ZANIS in Lusaka today that while the effort of the police in trying to curb the vice is appreciated, there is need for relevant government institutions tasked to safeguard the interest of consumers to widen their operations.

Mr. Ililonga said a large scale and multi-sectoral operation, which must involve the participation of all relevant stakeholders, needs to be undertaken if the lives of the people are to be safeguarded.

He said counterfeit products have the potential to harm the health of the consumers and could in most cases lead to death.

Mr. Ililonga further said the problem has been getting worse and was wide spread not only along the line of rail but also in rural areas.

He said government through its relevant institutions should not only raid factories and shops but put up stringent measures at border posts if the issue of counterfeit products is to be successfully dealt with.

Mr. Ililonga has meanwhile disclosed that his association has received complaints from the public over the sale of 25 millilitre sachets of liquor by unlicensed traders.

These sachets of liquor are sold at very minimal prices such that even young people were able to access them.

Mr. Ililonga expressed concern that empty sachets of this liquor were contributing to liter in the cities and towns in the country, defeating the “keep Zambia clean and Healthy” exercise.

He has since called on government to completely outlaw the sell of such liquor by unlicensed traders and prosecute any person who will be found selling the commodity to underage persons.

ZANIS/PM/KSH/ENDS

Malawi should grow more food to feed us and vise versa-RB

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Zambia and Malawi have renewed their commitment to work together in developing the economies of the two countries.

President Banda said he and his Malawian counterpart Dr. Bingu Wa Mutharika have agreed on various developmental issues which need urgent implementation for the benefit of the two countries.

The two leaders agreed that priority should be given to infrastructure development such as roads, telecommunication and electricity which they emphasized should be achieved as soon as possible to better the lives of the people in the two countries.

President Banda also stressed the need for the two countries to grow more food so that they help each other in times of poor harvests by one of them.

“It is important that Malawians grow more food to feed us and vise versa in times of food deficit,” he said.
This was said at a joint news conference yesterday to mark the end of his two-day official visit to Malawi.

President Banda said the concerned technocrats and ministers have to work hard in translating the resolutions of the two heads of state into tangible results in order to speed up development in the two neighbouring countries.

On the closure of some companies and resultant job losses, President Banda said Zambians should understand that this is not a fault of government as the problem is a result of the on-going economic crisis which has engulfed the whole world.

He called on Zambians to be prudent and be less extravagant in the wake of the current economic challenges.

The President said the late President Mwanawasa had succeeded in attracting huge investment in the mining industry which helped rekindle the growth of the country’s economy.

Unfortunately, the current global crisis has reversed the positive economic strides with the country losing up to 60 per cent of revenue from copper.

But government is working hard to see to it that where jobs have been lost, alternative ways are found to keep the people in employment.

The President disclosed that to this effect, government has found an investor wishing to take over Luanshya Copper Mines which has been placed under care and maintenance with thousands of workers laid off.

But he said long term solutions lie in he diversification of the country’s economy from dependence on cooper to other sectors such as tourism, manufacturing and agriculture.

Earlier, President Banda visited the Mausoleum located in Lilongwe City centre where Malawian founding President, the late Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda is buried.

President Banda was accompanied to the Mausoleum by Foreign affairs Minister, Kabinga Pande, Transport and Communications Minister Dora Siliya, Energy and Water Development Minister, Kenneth Konga, Political Advisor Akashambatwa Mbikusita Lewanika, Zambia’s High Commissioner to Malawi Joshua Simuyandi and other Zambian and Malawian government officials.

He laid a wreath on the grave of the late Kamuzu Banda and later signed a visitor’s book against a backdrop of solemn music by the Malawi defence force brass band.

He said he was deeply touched by what the people and government of Malawi have done by erecting a mausoleum in honor of their late founding President.

President Banda said government wishes to replicate the same on the late President Mwanawasa’s grave at the Embassy Park in Lusaka.

President Banda has since returned home after a two-day official visit to Malawi.

He was seen off at Kamuzu International airport by his host, Dr. Wa Mutarika and scores of enthusiastic Malawian and Zambian nationals.

ZANIS/PK/KSH/ENDS.

Suspected mealy bugs infest Isoka cassava fields

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About 10 hectares of cassava fields in Kantenshya ward and other surrounding villages in Isoka district of Northern Province have been heavily infested by suspected cassava mealy bugs.

A check by ZANIS in the area over the weekend revealed that 70 small scale farmers have had their fields infested by the suspected mealy bugs.

Areas badly affected include Namota, Mukangala, and nearly all the villages in Kantenshya ward of chief Kafwimbi’s area.

Camp extension officer, Bernard Kashiwa has confirmed the infestation to ZANIS in Isoka.

Mr. Kashiwa suspected that mealy bugs have spread across the camp because farmers in the area are growing the same variety of cassava commonly known as “Isunda” which is an early maturing variety which has allegedly lost resistance to the pest.

The Extension Officer said that the pest causes malformation of leaves and poor growth of the crop affecting the development of tubers and rendering the plant worthless.

“The pest would greatly affect the yield if left unchecked and will compromise the household food security as cassava is the staple food in the area,” Said Mr. Kashiwa.

Acting District Agricultural and Cooperative Coordinator (DACCO)Clive Matengu confirmed having received a report on the outbreak of suspected mealy bugs in Kantenshya ward and other surrounding villages.

Mr. Matengu said samples of the same suspected mealy bugs will be taken to Misamfu agricultural research station in Kasama for diagnosis.

The acting DACCO who commended the officer for promptly reporting the presence of suspected mealy bugs in the cassava fields in Kantenshya and other surrounding villages appealed to the farmers to immediately report to relevant authorities if they see any peculiar pest in their crop field.

ZANIS/ENDS/JM/HM/CLM

Kawambwa residents starts road works

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Some Kawambwa residents in Luapula Province have started working on the Kawambwa – Mulwe road using hoes and machetes

This follows the poor state of the road barely 6 months since it was last worked on by Sable Construction Company.

And a check by ZANIS yesterday (Tuesday)found a group of people filling potholes with burnt bricks and charging motorists K5 000 for using the road.

Speaking on behalf of the group, Davis Kabila told ZANIS in an interview that the residents took the initiative as patriotic Zambians who wanted to complement Government’s efforts in ensuring good road networks.

Mr Kabila complained that potholes had become big forcing motorists and pedestrians to create alternative roads.

He warned that if the road was not urgently worked on it would become impassable.

He appealed to the Road Development Agency (RDA) to consider renegotiating with Sable and claimed that the company did absolutely nothing.

He said though they were unqualified, they were in a position to see how deplorable the road had become and called for immediate Government intervention.

Mr. Kabila said they took the initiative as patriotic Zambians who wanted to complement government’s efforts to ensure good road networks.

Asked if they were not worsening the state of the road, Mr. Kabila said his group was doing a perfect work although they lacked bigger equipment.

And Mr. Kabila expressed fear that unless Government worked on the feeder roads in Kawambwa, the distribution and marketing of agricultural products this farming season would suffer a serious setback.

Efforts to get a comment from district director of works proved futile as he was reported to have travelled to Lusaka.

ZANIS/ENDS/LC/CLM

Ministry of Health recommends closure of Choma State Prison

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The Ministry of Health has recommended for an immediate closure of Choma State Prison due to the poor sanitary conditions at the prison.

District Commissioner Laiven Apuleni who confirmed the development to ZANIS in Choma today said the move is aimed at safeguarding the lives of inmates and prison warders.

The move comes on the heels concerns raised last week by the District Joint Monitoring Team on Sanitation chaired by Chief Macha on poor sanitation at the prison.

Mr. Apulen said the State Prison has been without water for the past three weeks following the disconnection of water due to non-payment of bills.

The letter addressed to the Prisons Officer-in-Charge advising closure of the State Prison copied to among others, the Southern Province Prisons Commander, has quoted sections of the Zambian laws defining the current situation at Choma State Prison a statutory nuisance and a public health disaster.

According to the letter obtained by ZANIS in Choma today the ministry conducted a public health inspection on the prison premises last Friday and made several findings which have to be addressed before the detention facility can be allowed to operate.

It has implored prison authorities to take necessary measures to ensure that recommendations are carried out promptly while the prison remains closed, stating that the detention facility was not fit to harbor human beings.

At the time of inspections, the prison with a total number of 184 male and female inmates, there was no water while maggots were found on the premises.

“The Public health Act Chapter 295 Section 67 of the Laws of Zambia defines the situation at Choma State Prison a Statutory Nuisance, hence a public health disaster,” the report reads in part.

ZANIS/CM/AM/ENDS

Two people gets prison sentence for flouting fish ban

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Two people of Chief Mwata Kazembe’s area have been sentenced to four months imprisonment with hard labour in a Kawambwa magistrates court in Luapula Province for unlawful possession of fish.

And a 31-year old woman of the same area has been fined K100, 000 in default four months imprisonment with simple labour for being found in possession of 180 kilogrammes (Kg)of fish.

Magistrate Felix Kaoma slapped the sentence on Martin Muyunda, 27 and Moses Mukaate, 29 for being found with fishing nets during the fish ban contrary to section 18 of the fish ban Act cap 200 of the laws of Zambia.

In mitigation, Muyunda said he was a double orphan and had two children whom he was supporting while Mukaate told the court that he was looking after his mother, four children and two orphans.

The duo asked for leniency saying they had people they were taking care of.

But Mr. Kaoma rejected their pleas saying the convicts were found in the fish camp when the ban was still in effect.

The Magistrate added that they defied the fish ban and that if the fish became extinct, people would suffer.

Meanwhile, in the same court, Dorothy Kafuti who was found with 180 Kg of fish has been fined K100, 000 in default four months imprisonment with simple labour.

ZANIS/ENDS/LC/CLM

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