Government has projected price reduction end of 2008 following the procurement 90 metric litre at the cost of US $ 53 million.

And government says it has embarked on a construction and rehabilitation of two (2) million litre-storage infrastructure for petroleum strategic reserves in each provincial centre across the country through a tendering process.

Presenting his his ministrial statement in Parliament , Thursday, Energy and Water Development Minister Kenneth Konga said the projected low fuel prices will also be due to next month’s favourable exchange rate he hoped would be favourable.

He said prices of oil on the world market have reduced from US$140 to US$60 or less per barrel.

He said government has envisaged a subsidizing mechanism that would be administered by the National Union Pricing Programme (NUPP) under the National Energy Policy where fuel would be sold at par (same) in both rural and urban areas.

Mr. Konga disclosed that the construction and other rehabilitation works at Chipata, Mongu, Mansa and Livingstone depots were expected to be completed in February, 2009.

Mr. Konga revealed that government has signed a 2-year contract with an International Finance Company to supply crude oil 30 to 45 days in advance as it has learnt lessons in the past where the country was plunged in fuel crisis.

The Minister said at Indeni in Ndola, government has bought a US$2 million 40 metric litre depot for diesel but was quick to point out that the government has put in place measures to curb the possible shortages that rocked the country in the recent months.

He explained that variation in fuel market prices were done on detects of demand and supply and that lack of adequate bulk fuel storage depots were a limiting factor.

And on electricity, the Energy Minister said load shedding will continue because of the shut transmission line that collapsed at one of the major power stations.

Mr. Konga said government working with ZESCO is rehabilitating the generators so that they normalise soon.

He added that construction of smaller power stations from across the country has started at Kalungwishi at cost of US$780 million to produce 210 Mega watts (MW); Itehzi-tehzi 120MW (US$270m); Kabompo 34MW (US480m) Kariba North Bank Power Extension project 360MW (US$312m) and Kafue Gorge Lower Station 750MW to cost close to US$2 billion respectively.

ZANIS/KC/ENDS/MM

The Zambia National Farmers Union -ZNFU- has warned of higher mealie meal prices for the next two years if the government does not further subsidise prices of fertiliser this year.

ZNFU President, Jergis Zimba, says government should subsidise fertiliser prices further to benefit both small scale and commercial farmers.

Mr. Zimba says if this is not done, maize production will dwindle compelling the government to import the commodity.

The ZNFU president was speaking when he made submissions for the 2009 national budget before Finance Minister, Situmbeko Musokotwane, in Lusaka on Thursday.

Dr. Musokotwane also met officials from the Zambia Association of Manufacturers who submitted that government should not tax manufacturers before production.

Mealie meal prices in the country have been increasing in the last few weeks.

On Wednesday, Bank of Zambia Governor, Caleb Fundanga, called on the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) to start selling maize to millers in a bid to address the rising prices of mealie meal.

[ZNBC]

By Wesley Ngwenya

Several years ago I was privileged to meet former president Levy Mwanawasa in Washington DC when he attended the annual United Nations Security Council Meeting. This was the year that Mwanawasa had just ascended to the highest office in the land. During the semi-formal meeting at the Zambian embassy in Washington DC, the President encouraged the many Zambians present to come back home to contribute to the rebuilding of the economy.

At the time I was doing my last year at one of the universities in the area. With the passion I have for my country, I took the president’s appeal very serious. A few years later I packed my belongings and came straight home to help in the rebuilding of my country. I had been gone to the United States for nine years and during that time had never come back home. I experienced reverse “culture shock” from the dilapidated infrastructure around the city to the many people standing around street corners with nothing to do. It was then it really hit home in my mind on how real and high unemployment rate was in my country.

The next day after arriving I went straight to work—applying for a job to various businesses, government, and non-governmental organizations where I thought my education and experience would be taken advantage of. I have never been offered a job to this day although I was able to attend a few interviews. I must mention here that at my last count I had applied to roughly 260 places over the period of a year and half.

I guess the big question is; Should Zambians Abroad Come Back Home? Or to rephrase the question; Are we ready for Zambians Abroad to come back home? During my stay abroad, I attended meetings of various African politicians and Zambians politicians who continue preaching about creating jobs and appealing for the Diaspora to come back home. Unfortunately, little is being done on the ground to prepare it for these people when they come. I find it frustrating to struggle like this in my home country. In the United States the employers rushed to offer me a position when they looked at my qualifications. On the other hand, employers here don’t seem to appreciate the education and experience I have. Not to mention that I graduated on the top tier of my class in Business Administration and Marketing. My experiences have included working as a manager for one of the largest financial institutions in the world. Not to mention that in all my marketing position I have won awards for best performance. Not to mention that I went to one of the best private universities in the United States. Not to mention that I also got another degree in communication from an elite private school.

If I was an employer here in Zambia and a CV that looked like this came to my desk I would be wanting to talk to this person. Businesses in Zambia must realize that Zambians educated abroad are not a threat to their teams but an asset that they must take advantage of. The world in becoming more and more integrated into one marketplace. Businesses with personnel who have a worldview approach and a global touch to business will stand the chance to benefit. Employees with a global view bring a wealth of experience including the ability to work well with different people from other cultures as well as people of different ages.

Government has absolutely failed in changing the unbelievably high unemployment rate in this country. They have failed the Zambian people in having poor labor laws that disadvantage many Zambians. For example, why hire a South African to be a cook at a hotel, or an American to work as a marketing manager, or a Chinese (who can hardly speak English) to work as a secretary? Needless to say that companies go to great lengths in acquiring work permits and other immigration papers for these people. Moreover these people are often paid three times or more what a more qualified Zambians is willing to take home. Is there any business sense in this other than the fact that these business owners have identified our weak labor laws and will relentlessly take advantage of them?

If government will attract the Zambian Diaspora to return home they need to even the playing field for everyone. As a matter of fact, the playing field should advantage the Zambians. Foreigners come to Zambia with little or no capital but within years they get wealthy. Of course they get wealthy since they get the huge government contracts, don’t have to queue for anything, and easily get business loans to start their businesses. Why advantage foreigners over your own citizenry? Do you think this would happen in Canada, Germany, Botswana or India? Of course not. The government, therefore, has an obligation to create an environment suitable for a poor woman in Solwezi to establish her business favorably the way an Australian will. It has an obligation to contract a Zambian owned business in Maamba over a Chinese owned business. It has an obligation to employ a returning Zambian student from the United Kingdom over an unqualified South African.

Sometimes, there is a stereotype that Zambian who come back have money—actually they don’t. Many of them worked hard in their host countries to acquire the little they had. Thank God at least many times they were recognized and appreciated for their hard work. Saving money was not so easy because of the demands that come with living in a foreign country. Therefore, when they come home they equally need to be empowered by giving them opportunities to get loans and establish businesses if they are to be self-employed. The Citizens Economic Empowerment Fund is a great initiative, however many Zambians don’t even know there is such a fund let alone how to access it. The application papers are unavailable and have to be bought at high prices. The application paper itself is complex with financial jargon for a graduate even. How will this help empower Zambians?

As I sit on my computer and put these thoughts to paper, I wonder of how things will be different for me a year from now. Will I find a job—just any job? Will my business pick after accessing that loan? I wonder about the blind lady on the fly over bridge on Church Road or the crippled lady across from Central Park. How will their lives change a year from now? Will their luck to have a meal continue to be in the hands of passer-bys in these tough times? Or should it be in the hands of the government? I wonder.

The Youth Movement for Inter-party Reconciliation has proposed that only two presidential candidates should contest the 2011 elections.

Organisation Executive Director Patrick Samwimbila said this is to prevent vote-splitting and election of a minority president.

Mr. Samwimbila said the organization also desire that the 50 plus one majority votes be be implemented  in 2011 even in the absence of a clause in the republican constitution

Addressing the press in Lusaka today, Mr. Samwimbila has since urged the opposition political parties to start working towards an electoral pact.

Mr. Samwimbila further said the move would go a long way in encouraging people to vote.

Meanwhile, Mr. Samwimbila has said political differences can only be resolved through dialogue.

He said violence would only bring about chaos and instability in the country.

PARLIAMENT has scrapped the responsibility allowance for constitutional office holders and drastically reduced the special and utility allowances in the revised emolument bills that were approved yesterday.

This was when the House passed the three amended emolument bills that seek to increase salaries and allowances for the president, ministers, deputy ministers, members of Parliament and other constitutional office holders.

The amended bills, which were subjected to a vote electronically, saw a significant reduction of the utility allowance while the salary still stood at 15 per cent increment.

The three bills, which had earlier passed through the House, were sent back after President Banda wrote a letter to the Speaker on November 7, asking Parliament to reconsider the bills, as they were costly to the Government in their old form.

Presenting the amended bills, Vice-President George Kunda said the treasury had insufficient funds to implement the earlier proposed allowances, hence the need to amend the bills.

Mr Kunda said the Government had spent huge sums of money to conduct the October 30 presidential election and expenses towards the State funeral of late president Mwanawasa.

According to the amended Presidential Emolument Bill number 18 of 2008, the President’s special annual allowance of K157,210,523 had been reduced to K59,194,734 while the annual responsibility allowance of K150 million was scrapped.

The salary of the president has been increased by 15 per cent and would now annually be pegged at K164, 120, 016.

The vice-president’s annual salary would be K99,227,544 while the special allowance had been reduced to K33, 886,567 from K 94, 119, 870. The responsibility allowance of K90 million has been scrapped and the utility allowance was now K26, 680,000 from K66,400,000.

The deputy speaker, Cabinet minister, the chief whip, leaders of opposition would get an annual salary of K75, 117, 124, special allowance of K26, 382, 673 instead of K64, 412, 182. The utility allowance for the same category of officers is now K26, 680,000 from K66, 400,000.

Back benchers would get an annual salary of K70,161,239, special allowance at K19, 165,615 instead of K66 million. The utility allowance annually was pegged at K26, 680,000 instead of K66, 400,000.

Deputy ministers would get an annual salary increment of K70, 953,196, the special allowance of K24, 107,904 instead of K61, 448, 092 and utility allowance of K26, 680,000 other than earlier proposed K66, 400,000.

The constitutional office amendment Bill now states that the secretary to the Cabinet would get an annual salary increment of K159, 340, 959 and a responsibility allowance of K48, 300,000 annually instead of K80 million.

The Attorney General would get annual salary increment of K135, 485,950 and responsibility allowance of K41, 400,000 annually instead K80 million.

And the Speaker of the National Assembly told the House the three bills were passed with more than two thirds of the majority votes which was done electronically.

[Times of Zambia]