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The National Road Fund Agency – NRFA has confirmed the release of k136 million from the Ministry of Finance and has since commenced the payment process of the Kazungula bridge project and small-scale contractors across the country.

On June 11, 2019 Ministry of Finance released k136 million to NRFA to settle arrears related to road projects and other related activities.

Confirming the development to the Zambian Business Times – ZBT in an interview, NRFA Public Relations Manager Alphonsus Hamachila said K28 million from the released funds has been set aside for ongoing works at the Kazungula bridge.

Hamachila added that the Agency has paid 300 local routine maintenance contractors involved in small scale roadworks with over 15,000 employment workforces across the country.

He further said the Agency is expected to complete the payment process within a week and that main sub-contractors and road consultants will be funded in the next trench to soon be released by government.

“We have been given specific instructions to pay route maintenance contractors in respect to controlling road marking, drainages, pot hoe punching and the Ministry of Finance has assured us that it will release another trench in due course which will now cater for big projects such as the Kafue Mazabuka road” he said.

He explained that Agency has since cleared outstanding invoices for road contractors and that the process will be undertaken in sequence.

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The National Road Fund Agency – NRFA

Politics

Minister of Information and broadcasting Dora Siliya MP has dispelled rumors that there is a solar power grand call for proposals by government through the ministry of energy.

The government spokesperson stated in a statement made available to the Zambia Business Times (ZBT) that government would like to dispel rumors circulating via email and on social media platforms that the Ministry of Energy together with the World Bank and USAID are awarding Grants under a call for proposals.

Siliya said the call for proposals ref: moe/sp/16452/19 Solar Power Grant programme is using the Honorable Minister of Energys name Mathews Nkowa MP which is misleading the general public.
“The General Public is being advised that there is no such Programme being implemented by the ministry of energy or minister’s office.

Government has not issued any communication concerning the alleged Solar Power Grant Programme. The General Public should also note that the email address mathewnkhuwa1@gmail.com being used is a counterfeit and is not honourable Nkhuwa’s official address” the statement reads.

The minister has said that this is fabrication by fraudsters is aiming at swindling unsuspecting solar dealers and as such, any communication originating from the above email address should be ignored.
She says government is investigating people behind this cybercrime and that action will be taken as soon as the culprits are caught.

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Minister of Information and broadcasting Dora Siliya

Companies

The Zambia Association of Manufactures has challenged local producers in the country to take advantage of Zambia’s bilateral agreements with other countries to trade at regional and international levels.

ZAM President Roseta Chabala says there is need for local manufactures to begin to compete at regional levels as government’s agreements with other countries has made it easier for local producers to access internal and regional markets.

In an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times – ZBT Chabala said Zambian manufactures should also take keen interest in producing products that can be exported to other markets to improve the manufacturing industry in the country.

She further noted the need by manufactures to improve the quality of products, packaging and pricing stating them as challenges commonly faced with suppliers hence the need to address these factors if Zambia’s products are to meet regional and international standards.

Chabala further revealed to ZBT that a good number of manufactures are performing well and have gained notable market share outside the country such as Zambeef and Trade kings and has since called on other companies and entrepreneurs to come on board and grow the export industry.

“For those that are joining the industry, I encourage you to be patient, innovative and keep reinvesting as growth in the manufacturing industry does not come easily, so you need to focus and put much efforts and you will definitely grow with time,” she said.

The ZAM president has however appealed to existing and upcoming producers to be efficient and effective in service delivery in order to grow their businesses and gain a larger market share.

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The Zambia Association of Manufactures has challenged

Lifestyle

Financial Sector Deepening Zambia – FSDZ Chief Executive Officer Betty Wilkinson said the creative arts industry has potential to be a significant driver of economy. She said this at the 2019 Arts Business Forum which is being commemorated under the theme “Unlocking the Opportunities in the Creative Industries”

At the same function, Arts and Tourism Minister Dr. Charles Banda has called on Zambians to take up arts as a business venture and develop talents into careers as a way of creating jobs in the country.

Speaking when he officiated at the Arts Business Forum at Lusaka’s Government Complex on June 12th 2019, Dr. Banda said the ministry is aware of the changing dynamics that undermine the works of creative entrepreneurs to transform their talents into viable business venture and that it is for this reason that government is working at creating an enabling environment through policies and legislation.

He said the ministry believes that tourism and arts business offer the country a unique competitive advantage, potential to drive increased tourist arrival, lengthen their stay and increase the amount of money spent in the country hence the need to grow the sector.

The minister further noted that initiatives such as the Arts Business Forum should be utilized for engagements on ways to improve the business environment and has urged artists in the country to seize opportunities offered through the potential of arts.

“Our focus is to improve the business environment of the creative sector in Zambia and though these platforms, it is important to strengthen the capacity of our sector and link other business services providers and investment opportunities to the creative sector,” he said.

Speaking at the same, National Arts Council of Zambia Chairperson Patrick Samwimbila said this year’s theme reflects the urgent need by all players to join in identifying the focus areas if the country’s creative industry is to move forward.

Samwimbila further noted the need by artists to create sustainable and viable art businesses in order to enhance the power of arts in Zambia. He said the council will dedicate its efforts to find ways of supporting creative and arts organizations to transform and grow.

“We want to strengthen the link between creative products and services to the rest of the economy such as tourism, manufacturing, services and many more,” he said.

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Financial Sector Deepening Zambia - FSDZ Chief

Lifestyle

The Zambia Land Alliance – ZLA, a non governmental organisation has called for the further review of the draft national land policy which does not appear to have a clear goals or clear overall objectives and what they feed into.

ZLA Executive Director Patrick Musole told the Zambian Business Times – ZBT in an exclusive interview that it is not clear from most objectives which entities are expected to play which role in the objectives realization hence, the situation analysis chapter should to be streamlined and be combined with some sections for a clear identification of issues which form the basis of the policy.

Musole also highlighted the need to enhance customary land tenure security stating that it does not have tenure security as there is no documentation linked to it hence, some registration form of customary land right should be considered.

He added that customary land owners should be provided with documentation recognized by government, traditional leaders and other stakeholder such as financial institutions to enhance land tenure security in the country.

“We are also aware of other organisations that are offering land certificates in certain chiefdoms on a pilot basis but these documents are currently not recognized by government, they are not legal documents and so, they are not official, therefore government through the ministry of lands should enhance customary land tenure security,” he said.

He has disclosed that the Alliance has made submissions on what should be reviewed in the draft national land policy and it is glad to report that the current draft has provisions for the certificate excerpt it does not clearly state who is to be responsible for issuing customary land certificate.

The ZLA Executive Director further called on government to maintain the dual land tenure system but added that the current system needs to be enhanced so that it provides a conversion of customary land to state and also to reverse the process to enable land owners convert back to their original status if the intended purpose is not archived.

Some development analysts have blamed the higher levels of rural poverty and under development in rural parts of Zambia to the lack of a secure land tenure system needed in a modern economy to support long term investments. Most rural folks depend on the generosity of their chiefs for their current assigned prices of land which some few unscrupulous traditional leaders have auctioned to city and foreign investors leaving the rightful owners in the cold.

The current system needs to be timely negotiated to balance the powers of the traditional leaders and the rights of their subjects to have a legal or documented claim on their assigned land if this injustice is to be stopped. It’s recognized that the traditional land system works well when the chief or leader is genuine but as leaders change, there has been cases were some few uncaring leaders have displaced and sold off arable land in the name of attracting investments but a great costs to the original long standing rural inhabitants.

 

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The Zambia Land Alliance – ZLA, a

Companies

Mansa Sugar Limited has projected a deficit in Zambians’ Sugar production by 2030 due to the growth in population and the increase of living standards for most Zambians which is leading to growth in demand for the commodity.

Mansa Sugar Head of Projects and Corporate Affairs Bhupender Rathore says Zambia being a surplus country in sugar production expects a good growth rate in production but that currently, sugar productivity in the country has slowed down.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, Rathore said that the estimated and projected deficit of sugar production on the Zambian market is due to the continued improvement in the living standards that Zambians are currently experiencing adding that sugar consumption is mainly dependent on the people’s income generation abilities.

He further stated that Zambia has huge potential to become a hub of sugar production to neighboring countries and that the opportunity can only be seized if the country further improves the sector. He pledged Mansa Sugars’ commitment to continue contributing to the development of the country through job creation and improved forex earnings.

Rathore disclosed that Mansa Sugar Limited currently has over 1,000 local employees and that the company is the largest formal employment contributor in Luapula province. “Being the one of the major economic contributor in Luapula and Chembe district, we have managed to generate employment in Chembe district, a palace which was thought of as being a remote area and literally had no formal employment, however the company has helped improve people’s living standards in the area and the province at large,” he said.

He has however urged locals in the province to seize the developmental opportunities that the province is receiving and that youths should acquire skills to be able to participate in projects being undertaken to avoid being left out giving jobs to other nationals.

Zambia has enjoyed considerable levels of self sufficiency in sugar production and is currently the net exporter of of the sweet commodity. The coming on stream of Mansa Sugar has further boosted the country’s sugar export prospects.

Other major producers in Zambia are Mazabuka’s based and Illovo owned Zambia Sugar, Consolidated Farming Limited and Kasama Sugar.

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Mansa Sugar Limited has projected a deficit

Companies

The just published 2018 Tax Transparency and Contributions to Government Report for First Quantum Minerals (FQM) has revealed that the mine paid more than US$533 million (K5.6 billion) in taxes to the Zambian government in 2018 with an additional US$10 million spent on community and social infrastructure projects.

During the year, the mine reports that it paid US$144 million in income tax to the Zambian Revenue Authority – ZRA, US$197 million in mineral royalties, US$73 million in PAYE, US$8 million in withholding tax and US$90 million in consumption and import taxes.

“The 2018 Tax Transparency and Contributions to Government Report highlights First Quantum’s contributions to the Zambian host Government, which helps to illustrate the positive impact FQM strives to create everywhere they do business. FQM strongly supports the various transparency initiatives which provide all stakeholders with clear information of the contributions which First Quantum makes to its host governments,” the report said.

The company’s Kansanshi Mine in Solwezi accounted for US$315 million of the payments – 58% of the total payments to Zambia, while its Trident project including Sentinel Mine at Kalumbila accounted for 28 percent or US$150 million, a figure that reflected that the mine only began commercial operation in 2016 and has yet to turn a profit.

FQM’s tax payments in Zambia during the year represented 14 percent of the country’s total budgeted tax revenue of K41 billion (US$3.9 billion) for 2018. The calculations are based on the average exchange rate for the year of K10.4781/US dollar.

“At First Quantum, we know that our success is dependent on the wellbeing of the economies and communities where our businesses operate. We also believe that transparency can help stakeholders to understand the economic benefits generated by our activities and how those benefits are distributed for local, regional and national economic and social development. Therefore, we strive to ensure that our disclosures are transparent, consistent, accessible and presented in a way that is easily understood,” FQM Chief Financial Officer Hannes Meyer said.

“In taking this transparent and responsible approach, we provide communities with the opportunity to understand the revenue contributions we make to their governments and how these contributions ultimately assist in the development of local communities and the overall economic and broader positive wellbeing of those communities and countries.”

Meye adds that First Quantum’s approach to tax and royalty payments reflects its underlying core values which focuses on building open and transparent relationships with the tax authorities in those countries.

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The just published 2018 Tax Transparency and

Tech

Vice President Inonge Wina has assured Civil Society Organizations – CSO’s and African Union – AU organs of government’s support to create a conducive environment to operate effectively in the country.

Wina has cited AU organs and CSO’s as equal partners in contributing to national development hence the need to participate in the integration and development agenda of the African continent.

Speaking when she officiated at the 3rd general assembly of the economic, social and cultural council – ECOSOCC of the African union, the Vice President pledged government’s commitment to providing a peaceful, stable and enabling environment conducive for the establishment of a critical African union institution such as the ECOSOCC.

The Veep said it is an honor that Zambia is now host of the key organ of the union which has moved from Ethiopia to Lusaka and that government will look forward to the establishment of the secretariat in Lusaka by the end of the second quarter, this year.

She has however urged the African union commission to hasten the completion of the recruitment process for ECOSOCC secretariat adding that lots of work is required in steering the organ into a more concise and effective mechanism of operation.

“ I am therefore, confident that once the secretariat is fully established in Lusaka, the African union will through ECOSOCC, soar to greater heights as strong partnerships are forged between governments and all segments of civil society, in particular, women, the youth, children, the diaspora, organised labour, the churches, the private sector and other professional groups,” she said.

Speaking at the same event ECOSOCC presiding offer Abozer Almana has urged members of ECOSOCC and CSO partners to take advantage of the political stability in the country and lobby for development for the vulnerable.

Almana also thanked government for giving CSO’s an opportunity to be integrated in the developmental agenda of the country.

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Vice President Inonge Wina has assured Civil

Companies

The Ministry of Finance has released K136 million to the National Road Fund Agency – NRFA to settle arrears related to road projects and other related activities.

NRFA is however expected to pay k28 million for the ongoing works at the Kazungula bridge project, a multi-million bilateral project on the north-south corridor on the border between Zambia and Botswana.

In a statement made available to the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, Finance Minister, Margerate  Mwanakatwe said once the project is complete, Kazungula bridge will facilitate trade, commerce and investment through improved efficiency of transit traffic and reduction in the time that local and international freight takes to be cleared at the border.

She said part of the funding tranche has been earmarked for the local routine maintenance contractors under the road development agency – RDA, and those under the ministry of local government.
She added that the release of the money is not only a cash flow stimulus for the small-scale contractors but also a demonstration of the government’s commitment to the domestic arrears dismantling strategy.

Mwanakatwe said the ministry has since put in place a system that will ensure that main road contractors, sub-contractors and consultants are also paid in due course. “My ministry wishes to see that the government’s policy of building local contracting capacity by allocation of 20% of major contracts to this category is sustained in order to empower our own citizens. Going forward, my ministry through the NRFA will continue to strengthen its domestic resource mobilisation efforts for the road sector by increasing the road tolling footprint across the country from the current sixteen to twenty-eight by the end of 2019,”

The Finance Minister is however keen to see that strong internal systems and controls are maintained at NRFA in order to remain on track and ensure that targeted road works are duly completed, and that the debt dismantling strategy is not derailed.

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The Ministry of Finance has released K136

Companies

National Development and Planning Minister Alexander Chiteme has disclosed that his ministry is on the course of instituting plans towards its responsibility of becoming a focal point in the implementation of Zambia’s diversification agenda.

During a cabinet meeting that took place on May 27th, 2019, Ministry of National Development and Planning was designated as a center lead in the implementation of the diversification agenda for better accountability.

In an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, Chiteme said the ministry is in the processes of finalizing the set up of a public investment board aimed at assessing projects done by government to ensure social visibility and transparency in service delivery.

He mentioned that projects such as road construction and infrastructure will be benchmarked by the ministry in order to have a cost-effective project and avoid spending a lot of funds on certain projects which have low returns.

“We are enacting a public investment board which will make sure that every project that is being done by government passes through the ministry for appraisal before it takes course so that our projects can be effective and this is being done in line with pillar number one on the 7th National Development Plan – 7NDP,” he said.

The minister further revealed that the progress towards the implementation of the 7NDP is currently at 40% and that government has secured over K150 million towards its implementation. He has however noted the need by both private and public sectors in the country to play their specific roles in the implementation of the 7NDP if various objectives are to be archived.

Zambia has struggled to launch a sustained diversification drive as the dominance of the higher retuning copper mining industry seems to overwhelm other key sectors. The country only engages in serious diversification pronouncements when copper prices fall and those plans get abandoned as soon as copper prices pick up.

Experts have pointed out the need for serious and sustained investments in power generation which can easily be exported to other countries. Another industry is Tourism, with the peaceful people who readily welcome visitors, this can be an asset to get more tourists and host more conferences which would bring in the much needed forex as an alternative to over dependence on copper mining industry.

Agriculture and Agribusiness especially exports to neighboring countries with vast markets such as Angola and Congo DRC which even local Zambians can drive has remained on paper with no tangible bilateral deals being signed by the country.

In the end, the country has been trying to do everything every time which needs to be whittled down to specific focus sectors for investment so that the funds put in can have a higher impact and provide a long term platform for diversification.

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National Development and Planning Minister Alexander Chiteme