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Companies

Transparency International Zambia-TIZ has urged government to implement a clear road map in the process of reviewing the Public Order Act (POA) so as to install transparency and confidence both in the process and outcome of the review.

TIZ  President Sampa Kalungu said government needs to make sure that the process is as transparent as possible by stating who exactly is invited to give submissions, how the stipulated submissions must be done, when they will end and who exactly will be looking at the submissions after being successfully submitted.

In an interview with the Zambian Business Times-ZBT Kalungu said there is need to let the public know among other things if there will be a special committee that will be responsible for looking at the submissions apart from the Ministry of Justice since the issue is of great public concern.

He said the process needs to be time sensitive hence the need to put into consideration the activities that will be taking place and key stakeholders that will be involved in looking at whether what the people want is contained in the Public Order Act and is fully protected.

“It is just open for everyone to participate but after its redrafted and reviewed there should be some place where key stakeholders come together and look at if key submissions have been attended to”, he said.

Kalungu noted that he hopes that by mid-next year, everything will be done and concluded.

“Knowing that the United Party for National Development (UPND) went through the face of the brutal Public Order Act, we feel they will find great reason to have this changed quickly, we hope that they won’t use it against their opponents”, Kalungu noted.

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Transparency International Zambia-TIZ has urged government to

Lifestyle

Chilanga Town Council has disclosed that Chilanga Cement Company has cleared it’s January to December 2022 annual property rates bill amounting to K 3,418,320.00 owed to the local authority.

In an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Council Public Relations Officer Chimuka Mbewe confirmed that the company is up to date in terms of paying property rates.

Mbewe mentioned that the Council has employed workable mechanisms in order to maximize revenue collection from property rates by ensuring that companies and property owners who have not been paying property rates do so as it is a mandatory obligation according to the laws of Zambia.

She explained that in order to ensure that the defaulters pay for property rates and money is recovered, the council has intensified stakeholders’ engagement, distribution of rates bills and demand notices for defaulters to clear their outstanding property rates fees.

“Revenue mobilization and management is done through collection of various taxes within our jurisdiction as it is the integral responsibility of local government hence Chilanga Town Council does not share any proceeds with the central government”, she said.

Mbewe said the Council raises its own revenue through property rates, licenses and permits which are used to build its capacity in ensuring that service delivery is provided to residents of Chilanga District.

Chilanga Town Council has managed to build an Ablution block in Sangalala market, electrification of 30 shops at Twatashe market, drilling and installing of boreholes in some wards of Chilanga district adding that recently a water bowser was purchased from the locally generated revenue which comes from fees, licenses, permits and property rates.

 

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Chilanga Town Council has disclosed that Chilanga

Mining

With the objective of developing and formalizing the Gold sub sector in the country, the Zambia Gold Company has disclosed that it intends to open many gold mines in the country.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, ZGC Public Relations Manager Mathews Liyani disclosed that the company is currently doing explorations in Rufunsa District and will soon be doing explorations in Mumbwa District of Central Province.

Liyani explained that the company wants to open more gold mines as a way of increasing gold productions in the country.

He said the company is so far working with 11 Cooperatives in Eastern Province that are involved in gold mining and has helped them with equipment such gold detectors and shaking cables, a situation he said is one way to help them increase production.

Liyani said helping artisanal mining operations and transforming them into commercially viable activities would ensure that the production of gold increases and more people would be empowered economically.

The Zambian government has since the year 2020 tasked ZGCL with the mandate to develop tenements into fully operational gold and other precious mineral mines.

Shareholders of the ZGC are ZCCM-IH with 51% and the Zambian government through the Ministry of Finance has 49%, ZGCL has the mandate to acquire exploration licenses and carry out exploration with a focus on Gold either directly or in partnership with other entities.

ZGCL-the company in charge of Kasenseli gold mine sells all the gold produced at Kasenseli Gold Mine to the Bank of Zambia. Further, the company buys gold from artisanal and small-scale miners (ASMs) as a way of supporting and encouraging them to formalise their operations. The gold purchased from ASMs is sold through off-take agreements with buyers or processed into jewellery.

 

 

 

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With the objective of developing and formalizing

Lifestyle

The Zambia Air Force-ZAF has denied allegations that it influenced or pressured Chingola Municipal Council to demolish over 300 houses that were built on Kasompe Airstrip land in Chingola.

Speaking in an interview with the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, ZAF Director Public Relations Lieutenant Colonel Helen Chota said unlike public rumors, the claims are incorrect and no other ZAF Airstrips have been encroached.

Officers from the Chingola Municipal Council and Zambia Police Service started the operation around 02:00hrs on August 20 2022 and both houses under construction as well as those that were complete were demolished.

Chingola Municipal Council said the local council did not allocate the land in question and structures were erected without planning permission from the local authority and the Municipality through the department of Development Planning issued enforcement notices on 15 February 2022 for the developers to suspend all works and demolish the structures within a period of 28 days.

However, some residents claimed that some Council officials offered them the pieces of land.

 

 

 

 

 

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The Zambia Air Force-ZAF has denied allegations

Markets

Financing in Zambia remains a challenge for companies and listing on LuSE was seen as an answer to diversify and provide alternatives to bank and micro finance debt sources of finance but LuSE has not attracted any new listings lately.

The Lusaka Securities Exchange-LuSE has disclosed that it has not received any applications for listing on the securities exchange so far this year.

LuSE Business Development Officer Lina Lungu said the company does as much as it can to encourage companies to list on the securities exchange but that is how far it can go, as companies cannot be forced to list on LuSE.

Speaking in an interview with the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Lungu noted that the securities exchange only has 22 companies listed as at now adding that companies are in a better position to explain why they are not listing on LuSE.

“You have to ask the companies to say, what is the impediment, why aren’t you coming to list on the market because the LuSE does as much as it can to encourage but you can’t force the companies to list, it’s a decision the company makes”, she said.

Lungu explained that companies have their own reasons as to why they are not listing on LuSE and these may be economic conditions or they may be finding it difficult to meet the listing requirements.

The Securities and Exchange Commission-SEC had in the past told ZBT that one of the reasons why companies are not listing on LuSE is because the country has SMEs that are small in size and cannot meet the listing requirements but still need funding.

SEC had mentioned that the other major reason is the lack of awareness among Zambians about the possibilities of investing through capital markets and the macro economics which had not been very stable.

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Financing in Zambia remains a challenge for

Mining

The Mine Workers Union of Zambia-MUZ has disclosed that it has resolved to take a lead in participating in mining activities in order to create job opportunities for its members and local Zambians.

Union President Joseph Chewe said the union has been representing and protecting workers’ interest and the country at large in terms of beneficiation for some time now which has not benefited a lot of its members hence the need to acquire a mine that will support members.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Chewe said the union has resolved to acquire a mine in Northwestern Province and is only waiting for the Cadastre to open so that it can push for its exploration license.

Chewe said so far, the union has received favourable response from both government officials and the royal highnesses on the plans to acquire a mine in the province.

He said the Chiefs in Northwestern province have shown delight in the plans by indigenous Zambians to be present in mining activities and create jobs which will to some extent compete with some foreign investors.

The Union representative said the ultimate goal of the union is to create jobs as a local investor and hopefully stakeholders who are Zambians, government and any other investor group will support the move.

Chewe said the investment and the number of jobs that are to be created will only be disclosed once the union acquires an exploration license as he feared that some people might want to sabotage the plans.

He mentioned that what will be mined will depend on the minerals that will be found adding that the country is blessed with a lot of minerals and the union will go with the flow of the minerals available.

“We don’t want to disclose more information on our plans because we know there are some people that want to sabotage us”, he stressed.

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The Mine Workers Union of Zambia-MUZ has

Tech

Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Chipoka Mulenga has disclosed that feasibility studies on the land which has been secured for the manufacturing of electric car batteries are currently underway and commencement of construction of the factory will begin once the studies are concluded.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Mulenga explained that the land is on the Copperbelt Province but declined to state the exact location.

Mulenga said he could not give the timeframe for commencement of the construction of the manufacturing factory stating that it will only commence once all things have been put in place.

“Feasibility studies are happening so once they are done we will guide you, we don’t want to misinform the public whereby today we say this and then tomorrow we come back and change. We want to tell you things that are timely and achievable. Like the President said the land has been found and the location will be communicated to the public once feasibility studies are done”, he said.

He noted that he needs to inquire from the President the size of the land and the investment that will be injected into this project.

The Minister also mentioned that a number of companies have shown interest in developing the manufacturing factory for the electric car batteries.

And Copperbelt Province minister Elisha Matambo has revealed that government is considering three districts for setting up the manufacturing of electric car batteries.

Matambo said the three districts that are being considered are Ndola, Chingola and Chililabombwe.

The Minister however suggested that Ndola would be a better place for putting up such a factory as a way of revamping the area in terms of industry and create more jobs.

He explained that Ndola was known as a place where the industries were found but the previous government killed almost all the small scale industries in the area hence the need to have the factory there.

 

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Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry Chipoka

Agribusiness

Wonderful Group of Companies has disclosed that it has completed phase one of the construction of the United Capital Fertilizer Manufacturing Plant and is ready to start test operations.

Company Board Member Roy Mwamba said the first phase of production will start next week noting that the company has two production lines and the plant has a capacity of over 300, 000 metric tonnes.

Speaking in an interview with the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Mwamba noted that the fertilizer plant is one of the few in the world to be completed in six months especially considering the fact that the construction of the plant took place during the rainy season.

He said phase one of the project has been completed and phase two is yet to be completed adding that one of the production lines will be using coal which will be sourced locally as one of the raw materials for the production of fertilizer.

Mwamba had earlier told ZBT that the US$300 million local fertilizer plant will cut the importation of fertilizer for Zambia by about 60% and reduce the cost of fertilizer by about 40% due to use of local raw materials and economies of scale.

He said once the plant is operational, the company would be able to supply 80% of the total percentage of urea demand and 60% of the total percentage of D compound required for the country adding that all the raw materials, which include coal and phosphate, would be acquired locally in Southern Province and the plant will create about 1,100 direct jobs.

The Board Member further stated that 60% of the investment funds are being sourced from financial institutions outside Zambia with 40% being sourced locally, adding that US$ 20 million from the US$ 300 million is working capital for the first two years as per draft cash flows.

Mwamba said the fertilizer manufacturing company would have a production capacity of 135, 000 metric tonnes per annum for fertilizer and 80,000 metric tonnes per annum for ammonia bicarbonate.

He said the company would have a robust and state of the art integrated cross-circuit production process such that there will be no emission of either smoke or gasses and the smoke will be converted into a gas by-product, for which the company already has a captive market.

Mwamba added that the gas produced in the production process and other by-products that come out of the production of ammonia bicarbonate can be used in the production of fire extinguishers and baking powder.

He stated that apart from reducing the prices of fertilizer, the manufacturing plant would also enhance agriculture activities, which is what the country currently needs noting that the company would be producing ammonia that would be supplied to Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ), and these raw materials are currently imported.

Mwamba further said that currently, every fertilizer manufacturing company in Zambia imports raw materials, mostly from South Africa. The new plant would be producing ammonia as a by-product, therefore there will be no need to continue importing from South Africa, thus boosting the production for local companies such as NCZ.

 

 

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Wonderful Group of Companies has disclosed that

Agribusiness

The Crushers and Edible Oil Refiners Association (CEDORA) says it has acquired about 250, 000 metric tonnes of soya beans that it will process into cooking oil locally.

Association Director Aubrey Chibumba said atleast 45, 000 metric tonnes of refined cooking oil would be processed from the 250, 000 metric tonnes soya beans.

He noted that the country’s demand for cooking oil is about 200, 000 metric tonnes per year and the country only produces around 80, 000 metric tonnes of cooking oil and the rest is imported as refined cooking oil.

Speaking in an interview with the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Chibumba added that the country imports around 120, 000 metric tonnes of refined cooking oil every year in order to meet the demand.

Chibumba mentioned that the country produced about 410, 000 metric tonnes of soya beans in the last season and of that quantity, about 40, 000 metric tonnes was earmarked for export but only 20, 000 metric tonnes was exported.

He explained that there was a balance of 20, 000 metric tonnes left from what was earmarked for exports and it was all finished therefore the country consumed around 380,000 metric tonnes of soya beans last year.

Chibumba said the expectation is that this year’s consumption should increase adding that this year the country may consume between 400, 000 and 430, 000 metric tonnes of soya beans.

Some Oilseed stakeholders had resolved to export 100, 000 metric tonnes of raw soya beans, a decision CEDORA is against because the country has installed capacity to process all the soya produced this year.

Chibumba had earlier told the ZBT that the association members currently have installed capacity of a million tonnes of soya, so the country can process the whole 475, 000 metric tonnes of  soya beans that has been produced this year, but some people in the value chain need to trade soya beans for their own reasons or interests.

He explained that it is understandable that everyone in the value chain has to benefit but the association members have invested over $500 million to put up crushing and manufacturing facilities in Zambia but people who have not made any investment are trying to dictate what happens in the sector, which should not be allowed.

“In every other sector, the emphasis is on value addition so why should this be different, we have got the capacity to process all the produce but we don’t want to look as if we are trying to manipulate the prices, so we understand that a reasonable quantity of beans could be exported”, he said.

 

 

 

 

 

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The Crushers and Edible Oil Refiners Association

Mining

Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane has yet again given mining companies more tax exemptions by suspending import taxes on mining equipment and machinery. This is additional to the making of mineral royalty tax deductible which resulted in the country losing about $200 million in lost revenue.

Mineral Royalty Tax (MRT) was introduced to bring certain loss making mining companies on the tax base as most mining corporations were declaring losses and the tax authorities have no capacity to find loopholes in their tax declarations, which made it difficult to tax the mines.

However, the UPND government in the 2022 budget gave mining companies a tax holiday by reintroducing deductibility of the mineral royalty tax, a move stakeholders described as retrogressive and government has continued to give more concessions to mines which only benefit the mines.

According to Statutory Instrument (SI) No. 50 of 2022 obtained by the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, a rebate, refund or remission of the whole or any  part of the duty paid or payable shall be granted to a holder of a mining right.

This is in respect of a mining plant, mining machinery, mining equipment and other goods used in mining operations, other than spare parts thereof, imported or taken out of bond by that holder of a mining right.

The document further states that a holder of a mining right who intends to claim for a rebate, refund or remission of duty shall provide the Commissioner General with details of the mining right, the activities carried out in relation to the mining right.

Other details to be provided include the nature and quantity, substantive tariff description and classification in the customs tariff and customs value of the goods in respect of which the rebate, refund or remission is sought.

In addition, a holder of a mining right shall complete a declaration in Form CE 25 set out in the Eighth Schedule and the goods in respect of which a refund, rebate or remission is granted under this regulation, shall not be sold or otherwise disposed of without the prior consent of the Commissioner-General and payment of the duty thereon at the rate leviable on the goods at the date of the sale or disposal.

The Commissioner-General may for the purpose of determining the amount of duty payable on the goods sold or disposed of take into consideration the depreciation of the goods from the date of importation or removal from bond, and shall remit the duty if the sale or disposal is effected more than five years after the date on which the rebate, refund or remission was granted.

For the purposes of this regulation, “holder of a mining right” means a person granted a mining right in accordance with the Mines and  Minerals Development Act, 2015; and “other goods used in mining operations” shall include a transmission or conveyor belt of subheading 5910.00.10, dumpers designed for off- highway use of subheading 8704.10.00, conveyors of subheading 8428.31.00 to 8428.90.00 and mine locomotives of subheadings 8601.10.10 and 8601.20.10.

 

 

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Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane has yet again