The British government has introduced a new system for assessing highly skilled migrants wanting to work in the United Kingdom (UK).

The new system, which will come into effect on June 30th, 2008, is one of the new Australian style points based system (PBS).

According to press statement released to the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) in Lusaka by the press and public affairs section of the British High Commission, the introduction of the PBS follows the tightening of the British border security arrangements.

The statement indicates that the new system is far easier for applicants to use and is aimed at attracting those who have the highest skills and those who wish to invest in the UK.

It states that further tiers relating to students, workers with a job offer and temporal workers would be rolled out over the next 12months.

UK’s Boarder and Immigration Minister, Liam Byrne noted that the PSB had worked well in Australia, adding that he was confident it would work well for the UK as well.

“UK is a fantastic place to work and develop for those with the skills we need. A points system has worked well in Australia and I think it will work well for Britain. This is a key part of the huge shake-up to our boarder security this year” Mr. Byrne said.

He said all Visa applicants would now have to submit their fingerprints for checking against government database before Visas were approved.

He explained that those who use false documents would face a ban of up to ten years from the UK.

In addition, severe penalties have been introduced for employers of illegal workers in the UK and a new unified border force has been established.

Namibian business community have raised concern on the influx of foreign competitors in the South West African State saying they will take up the issue to the government for redress.

The businessmen are concerned with foreigners dominating business in Namibia and thus met for the second time at Ongwediva on Sunday to discuss the matter before taking up the issue with Government.

They want President Hikefupunye Pohamba’s government to protect them against what they termed, undermining of businesses of indigenous people by foreigners, especially from China, India and Germany.

This, they said, is a result of the policy of free-market system that the Government has introduced since the country’s independence.

However, the community is not completely opposed to their foreign competitors’ investment in the Namibian economy, but only want restrictions on certain business areas where the natives are not performing.

They strongly opposed that foreigners compete with the locals in retailing, even at village levels in the rural areas.

” It is unfair for us to compete with people that are financially backed by bigger companies in their respective countries of origin.

” They should be restricted to manufacturing and wholesale business ventures,” the concerned group charged,” the business community said.

They singled out the Chinese and Indians as the culprits in the opening of small retailing businesses in villages, while Germans are allegedly competing with locals in buying land for commercial purposes.

They claimed that some business personalities of foreign origin have even managed to acquire title deeds to own land at some Namibian business centres such at Oshikango, where portions of land are declared ‘China Town’.

The concerned group has thus decided to approach the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) to take up their concern with the relevant higher authorities as a matter of urgency.

The NCCI, according to the group, is well aware of the issue since 2004.

“We will be forced to take up the issue with the Government or with our country’s President if the NCCI once again fail to respond positively to our concern,” said Vaino Kamati, who chaired last Sunday’s meeting.

Another prominent businessman, Epafras Mukwiilongo said: “It is high time that indigenous business owners stop watching their businesses closing down because of uncontrolled foreign-owned business ventures without taking any action.”

Government has been petitioned to allow children participation in the selection of national leaders through voting.

Children who gathered to participate in this year’s Day of the African Child commemoration in Ndola petitioned government to review the voting age to 16, to allow children participate in the selection of leaders.

Speaking on behalf of other children, Kanseshi High School Grade 11 pupil, Grace Phiri, regretted that the kevels of child participation in national matters and particularly those relating to children still require to be raised substantially.

“We the children of Zambia, feel that the level of child participation in our matters can still be taken to greater heights, we feel that children should be allowed to vote at the age of 16 to allow them to participate in choosing the leaders of the nation,” she said.

The children also advised government to view them as partners in national development and involve them in matters of decision making at all levels.

The children also challenged parents to discuss HIV/AIDS and issues of Voluntary Counselling and Testing, VCT, openly with children.

“We want our parents to openly and willingly discuss HIV/AIDS and VCT issues with us and not to view it as a taboo,” she said.

Meanwhile, government reiterated its commitment to equip children with ife saving skills to help them grow into responsible citizens capable of contributing to national development.

Youth Sport and Child Development Deputy Minister, Angela Cifire, said this today when she officiated at the commemoration of the Day of the African Child in Ndola this morning.

Ms Cifire explained that government reviewed the national child policy, which now takes on board new issues in the area of child welfare and development such as child headed households, child abuse, HIV/AIDS, Streetism, child labour among others.

Speaking earlier, United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, Deputy Country Representative, Elspeth Erickson, emphasised the need for children to realise their rights, that she said, came with responsibility.

Zambia today joined the rest of the continent in commemorating the International Day for the African Child.

June 16 th was declared the Day of the African Child to commemorate the Killing of innocent school children in Soweto, South Africa, on June 16 1976.

ZANIS/ENDS/PC/ZANIS/SJK

Government has called on postal administrators in the Southern African region to invest in Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in order for them to provide value added products and services to the public.

Communications Deputy Minister, Mubika Mubika, urged postal administrations to reform from being traditional operations-led organisations to customer and service-led organisations.

Mr. Mubika was speaking in Siavonga today at the official opening of the Southern African Postal Operators Association (SAPOA) Annual General Meeting.

He said investing in ICTs would help postal administrations in the region to compete favourably with other countries on the continent and protect their revenue base.

He noted that the postal services sector was, together with other economic sectors, transforming itself on the basis of economic and market integration.

And speaking earlier, ZAMPOST Board Chairperson, Jazzman Chikwakwa, prodded government to use postal services to deliver salaries to civil servants in rural areas where financial institutions do not exist.

Mr. Chikwakwa said ZAMPOST was found in many areas of the country, making it easier for early delivery of salaries to civil servants who, in most cases, travel long distances to provincial centers to get their money.

The Human Rights Commission has expressed happiness at the corporate social responsibility exhibited by Lumwana mine in North Western Province.

Speaking to ZANIS in an interview in Kaleni yesterday (Saturday), Vice Commissioner Palan Mulonda said the Commission was happy with the move taken by Lumwana mines to build a school and clinic for the local people.

He said Lumwana has recognised the rights of the people such as the right to eduction and to health services.

The Vice Commissioner stressed that mines should be in the forefront promoting the right to eduction and health by building such facilities in areas they are operating as part of their social responsibility.

”We are impressed with the move taken by Lumwana mines to build a school and a health clinic for the local people,” he said.

”Mines should be able to help communities to meet the right to eduction and health by building such facilities in the area they are operating,” he said.

He said Lumwana mine has dojne a recommendable job to put a school and a health clinic as such development will assist in meeting the rights of the people.

Commissioner Mulonda implored other mining firms to emulate Lumwana mine by putting up education and health facilities as these would help meet the rights of the people.

And on Kaleni Mission Hospital, Commissioner Mulonda said he was pleased to know that the hospital has adequate bed space.

He told ZANIS after touring the hospital that it was gratifying to see that the hospital has more than 160 admission beds for patients.

ZANIS/ENDS/LM/SC/CLM

Twenty six people have died while 52 others were seriously injured in a road traffic accident involving a Lusaka bound NPS bus in Nyimba District in Eastern Province yesterday (Saturday).

25 passengers died on the spot in the accident which occured when the driver of the bus failed to negotiate a corner after a front tyre burst while one person died upon arrival at Nyimba District Hospital last evening. This brings the number of those who have died to 26.

Both Eastern Province Deputy Police Commanding Officer Chrispin Mudene and Nyimba District Commissioner Alenxander Miti confirmed the accident to ZANIS which happened yesterday around 14 hours at Nyalugwe turn off about 72 kilometres from Nyimba on the Great East Road.

Out of the 25 who died on the spot, two were children, eleven males and 12 were female and the 52 that survived were last (Saturday) evening admitted to Nyimba district hospital.

The driver of the bus has not yet been established and it is not yet known whether he could be among the dead or those that survived.

Local Police say some bodies could still be trapped in a ditch where the accident occurred because the bus overturned after a tyre burst and was not yet placed on it’s tyres by early this morning.

Nyimba and Petauke hospital mortuaries could not accommodate the dead bodies prompting a transfer of some of them to St. Francis’ hospital in Katete while others were referred to Chipata General Hospital this morning.

Nyimba district Hospital could only accommodate six bodies among them two children and six female adults while Petauke District hospital mortuary received bodies of two female adults.

17 bodies that include 11 males and six females were received by Eastern Province Deputy Permanent Secretary, Eularia Syamujaye, Chipata District Commissioner Nicholas Banda and other Government officials at 02:15 hours this morning at Chipata General Hospital.

Four accidents have occurred involving long distance buses since January this year along Great East Road, claiming a number of lives.

And four people out of the 27 who died in yesterday (Saturday)’s Nyimba accident about 13 hours on Great East Road, more than 70kilometres from Nyimba near Nyalugwe turn off in Eastern Province have been identified.

Zambia Police Service Spokesperson Bonny Kapeso told ZANIS in an interview that the deceased have been identified as Paul Simukoko 28, of Chipata, Mwalwa Kalasa 41, and Moses Kalasa 34 of Gonda Barracks,and Winston Mwanza of Lusaka ‘s Chilenje.

Mr Kapeso disclosed that among those who escaped death was a police officer only identified as Constable Phiri No 36957 of Roan Police station and the wife who sustained serious injuries.

The Police Spokesperson noted that the driver of the bus Scania NPS registration number ABD 5666 which overturned has not been seen
but it is suspected he could be among the dead. He however, said Police were still investigating the matter.

On the cause of the accident, Mr Kapeso noted that the bus was overladen with an excess 22 passengers saying it has a capacity of 60 passengers but 82 were on board at the time of the tragic accident and that technical problems triggered a tyre burst causing the bus to overturn.

The deceased have been taken to Chipata, Petauke and Nyimba Hospital mortuaries and those who survived the accident are receiving treatment at Nyimba District Hospital and St Francis Mission Hospital in Katete District.