Finance and National Planning Minister Ng’andu Magande said Zambia has changed for the better and that her citizens are now able to invest in various sectors of the economy.

Mr. Magande was addressing Zambians based in Washington DC at a reception hosted by the Zambian Ambassador to the United States of America, Dr. Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika.

Mr. Magande said Zambia’s economy was on track and that the country has registered positive economic growth over the last few years of the “New Deal” government governance.

He also said Zambia was no longer a debtor nation as the country had managed to reduce debt from $7.2 billion to $500,000.

The minister said that Zambia was now in a position to make its own decisions on how to develop because the donors could no longer instruct the government on what to do.

He urged Zambians living abroad to invest at home because of the good business opportunity that were in place.

The Minister also said he was happy with the 2008 World Bank/IMF Spring Meetings, which he was attending and described them as very positive.

“We have had very good discussions with the IMF and World Bank. I was proud to meet with members of the two institutions because of the good fiscal policy Zambia has pursued,” he said.

He said five years ago, it was difficult for Zambia to negotiate with the two institutions but due to disciplined fiscal management and debt record, Zambia was looked upon as a good partner in development.

He stated that Zambia’s reserves were currently over US$1 billion, adding that this was the highest figure the country had ever recorded.

The side meetings mainly centred on sectors such as energy and water, transport, agriculture, education, health and regional infrastructure.

Mr. Magande also disclosed that Zambia would produce a one million tonnes of copper by the year 2010.

Mr. Magande said the discoveries of new copper mines especially in the North-Western province would have an upward effect on the output of copper in the next two years.

He also stated that the Lumwana Copper Mine had employed to at least 10,000 Zambians who were unemployed.

Mr. Magande also pointed out that other rich minerals like nickel and uranium had been discovered in Zambia.

“The search for uranium in Zambia is part of an exploration that is raising new hopes for jobs and tax revenue,” he said.

He further told the audience that the Munali Nickel Project in Mazabuka district of Southern province was expected to produce over 900,000 tonnes of nickel in the next decade.

“Munali Nickel Project will produce about 8,500 tons per annum of nickel in concentrate from a 900,000 tons per annum underground mining operation involving straight forward extraction methods and conventional processing technology,” he explained.

Speaking at the same function, Bank of Zambia Deputy Governor for Operations, Denny Kalyalya said the Zambian economy has performed very well in the recent past.

Dr. Kalyalya said Zambia had recorded positive real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth and that inflation and interest rates had come down.

He noted that the unprecedented developments in inflation have been due to continued implementation of prudent monetary and fiscal policies, coupled with increased food supply.

He said Zambia had become an attractive country for foreign investors because of its sound economic performance

There is an increased cultivation of canabis in rural areas on a commercial basis. A Senior government official in Mazabuka has attributed the increase in the number of villagers cultivating Cannabis on commercial basis to lack of Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) officer in the district..

Acting Mazabuka District Commissioner, Wilson Siadunka said in Mazabuka today some villagers are now cultivating cannabis especially in Chikakankata area of Chieftainess Mwenda on commercial basis due to the absence of DEC officers.

Mr. Siadunka told ZANIS in an interview that Chiefs have now resorted to arresting suspected drug traffickers that are surrendered to Police.

He said inspite of his office securing accommodation space for DEC, two years ago, the Commission has failed to send officers .

”DEC asked for office accommodation two years ago and we secured but our surprise they have gone for good.

This is despite the alarming cases of cultivation and trafficking of cannabis in my district,” complained Siadunka

Mr Siadunka said the reluctance by DEC to open an office in the district is frustrating traditional rulers who have pledged to join hands in the fight against drug trafficking.

Meanwhile, Mr Siadunka has commended Chieftainess Mwenda for declaring war against drug trafficking in her Chiefdom.

He said the arrest of dangerous drug traffickers in her Chiefdom deserves commendation because it is in line with government policy of drug free country.

And Chieftainess Mwenda in a separate interview told ZANIS, warned that she will suspend all village headmen linked to the cultivation of cannabis on commercial basis.

She complained the cultivation of cannibis in her chiefdom has reached alarming proportions as some villagers had stopped growing maize in preference for Dagga.

” I think people are reaping heavily in Dagga business, but am not going allow this to happen because some youths who smoke Dagga end up running Mad,” said the Chieftainess.

Government has instituted investigations into several named constructors who abandoned a number of developmental projects they were undertaking in the district.

Namwala District Administrative officer Mr. Godwin Sanjase disclosed this in an interview with ZANIS today.

Mr. Sanjase cited Kabanga health post, which was abandoned at roof level and the Kabulamwanda- Maala road projects among several others that were abandoned by some named contractors.

“Government is currently investigating some contractors in the district who were engaged to do developmental projects since 2002 but later abandoned them,” he said.

Mr. Sanjase, who could not say how much all the abandoned projects cost government, said it was retrogressive for contractors to abandon projects for no reason at all.

“I think stern action should be meted out to those contractors who will be found wanting,” he added.

During a full council meeting on April 11 this year, Kabulamwanda Ward Councillor, Hebert Diangamo, raised concern over what he termed prolonged delay in the completion of some developmental projects in the district.

He called for a thorough investigation into a number of contractors failed to complete that projects despite government releasing money for such projects.

Various political parties in Luapula Province have resolved that there be a provision in the constitution to allow for use of local languages in the National Assembly by Members of Parliament (MP) during debates.

The Political parties unanimously agreed that the use of local languages would enable the general public to understand the policy issues easily.

The parties argued that MPs would also express themselves more elaborately during debates in Parliament.

They cited South African National Assembly as one that had no restrictions on language and dress code.

The Political parties made the resolutions during the Zambia Centre for Interparty Dialogue (ZCID )forum held in Mansa.

The Political parties in attendance included the ruling Movement for Muity Party Democracy (MMD) , Patriotic Front ( PF) ,United National Independence ( UNIP),United Party for National Development ( UPND) , United Liberal Party ( ULP) and the Forum for Political Parties.

ZCID is currently holding held sensitising meeting to gather more views from political parties at the grassroots level for submission to the National Constitution Conference (NCC ).

The parties also resolved that all MPs who defect to other political parties should not be allowed to re-contest their seat until the tenure of their office elapses.

They also agreed that the tenure for MPs be limited to two terms of five years in office after which they should not seek re-election.

And the ZCID has refuted recent media reports that it resolved to amend the NCC Act to allow for broader representation.

ZCID Executive Director Chomba Chellah stated that the amendments would take aback and delay the constitution making process.

“This resolution was arrived at by the political parties at a forum recently not the ZCID secretariat and it was just one of those resolutions we gathered from the forums,” Mr Chellah said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Chellah has urged political parties and the general public to take advantage of its Constitution Sensitisation regional meetings and submit their views on the content and formulation of the national constitution.

Mr. Chellah said the forums being held at all provincial capitals across the country had been organised to sensitise and gather more views from political parties at the grassroots level for submission to the National Constitution Conference (NCC).

He said ZCID would soon organise open forums for the general public at district levels to obtain substantial views on the formulation and content of the National Constitution.

He said that the ZCID was organising meetings across the country to sensitise the public on the constitution content and formulation to enable them hold their representatives at the NCC accountable.

‘we are getting views from the political parties on the bill of rights, separation of powers and the electoral systems and we intend to extend these forums to the civil society and the general public,’ Mr. Chellah said.

Mr. Chellah said that the ZCID affiliated political parties through their General Secretaries would advise on how to present the views collected from the forums the NCC.

He said the forums were also aimed at affording various political parties to debate and reach consensus on important constitutional issues.