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Lifestyle

Socialite and Former Aspiring Member of Parliament (MP) for Mwandi Constituency Iris Kaingu has advised Zambians to be comfortable in their own skin and be confident enough to wear whatever they feel comfortable wearing.

Yesterday, Singer and Entrepreneur Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin products launched in Zambia. Rihanna launched Fenty Beauty in 2017 in a partnership with luxury goods company LVMH (Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton).

Fenty Beauty reportedly made $100m in its first 40 days and Rihanna is now worth $1.7bn, with an estimated $1.4 bn coming from the value of Fenty Beauty.

The launch of the brand in Zambia saw various personalities from the entertainment industry coming together and Kaingu who was one of the attendees caused a stir due to her revealing outfit, which she says was inspired by Rihanna-the queen of all trends.

Speaking in an interview with the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Kaingu said she is not shaken by public opinion as people always have something to say about her dress code

“I just know that whatever I do, good or bad people will always talk. It is very hard to be body positive, when somebody comes out like that, you might find some people being encouraged to just be themselves, people always find anxiety over these things”, she said.

She mentioned that her actions would not affect her political career in anyway if she stood for public office again in the future noting that the people of Mwandi constituency will understand that they have the freedom to express themselves and feel how they feel.

When asked if her family has any reservations about how she carries herself, her dress code and the photos she shares on social media, Kaingu said she has not had such a conversation with her family.

 

 

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Socialite and Former Aspiring Member of Parliament

Agribusiness

Farmers in various parts of the country have disputed the statement by Zambia National Farmers’ Union-ZNFU that soya beans prices are likely to increase this year compared to last year.

Some farmers in Lundazi District, Eastern Province have noted that soya beans prices have continued to go down as the commodity is currently trading around K8-K8.50 per kg from between K10-K11 per kg around mid-April.

Speaking in an interview with the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, the farmers who asked to remain anonymous claimed that the major offtakers in Lundazi are Zambians of Indian origin, who have decided to buy the commodity at low prices so that they can make more profit from exporting the commodity to India.

According to the farmers, India’s decision to consider cutting an import levy on soybean and sunflower oils in a bid to address the surging local prices of food in that country is the reason the Zambians of Indian origin are buying the commodity at a very low price from local farmers in order to export to India and make huge profits.

They mentioned that demand for the commodity remains very high but most farmers have stacked their soya beans in their houses waiting for prices to go up adding that Mount Meru Petroleum is buying soya beans at K9 per kg and K5.50 per kg for sunflower while Aliboo Trading is buying soya beans at K8.50 per kg and K5.50 per kg for sunflower.

And farmers in Mumbwa District, Central Province who also sought anonymity have expressed concern over the current low prices of soya beans.

The farmers explained that two weeks ago, soya beans was trading at K11.40 per kg but as of this week, the commodity is trading between K9-K9.80 per kg.

“It was expected that because of the high demand, prices would be high but it’s surprising that the prices are low, people are saying there might be a cartel trying to control the price at the expense of the farmers. The fact that demand remains high, farmers are still shelling and it’s not peak period yet, prices should be high unlike what is happening now”, one farmer said.

 

 

 

 

 

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Farmers in various parts of the country

Markets

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has u-turned is now advising governments around the world to subsidize fuel and food for its poorest citizens. This move has been seen as a u-turn and at variance with the advise the fund gave to Zambia just five month back.

In December 2021, the IMF had advised the Zambian government to scrap off fuel and electricity subsidies as part of a staff level agreement which is a precursor to an actual extended credit facility under IMF which finance minister Situmbeko Musokotwane is pushing to get by next month June 2022.

The Zambia Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane has been laboring to sell the message to a skeptical Zambian public on why he has proceeded to remove subsidies at a time when the country is barely out of the woods of the corona virus pandemic and its deep adverse economic and social effects.

Situmbeko has been explaining why the adjustment is necessary in order to reduce the pressure that the subsidy support was putting on the national treasury, but this u-turn of the IMF has now questioned his wisdom in going ahead to cut subsidies on advise of an institution that u-turns when its key markets in Europe and USA are now facing up to a rising cost of living.

IMF Managing Director and Chairman of the Executive Board Kristalina Georgieva has called on member countries to consider subsidizing fuel and food for their vulnerable citizens. What is however disturbing is that Zambia’s Finance Minister opted to take the IMF advise and administer the strong medicine to vulnerable Zambians which they themselves seem not ready to take.

Fuel subsidies in Zambia have been cut leading to high fuel pump prices that have resulted in increase in prices for food and other consumer goods. The cost of living in Zambia is high but most people are holding out in the hope and promise that the clinching of the IMF deal may be the silver bullet needed to help the local economy bounce back.

Power utility ZESCO has also put in a proposal to increase electricity connection fees by over 500%, a move seen to be a pre-condition on ending subsidies. The government has also announced that it will streamline the Farmer Input Support Program – FISP with legumes and other farmer subsidies expected to be eliminated.

The U-turn by the IMF is perhaps a lesson to local economic managers who are on the ground not to just adopt prescribed economic policies but look to rather engage financiers such as the World Bank and IMF to sell policies that fit into the local economy. Blanket adoption of policies such as wholesome withdraw of subsidies at difficult times even before the Covid pandemic and its effect has been dealt with risk bringing social and civil strife.

Currently, there are cries that there is “no money” in circulation, but we are yet to hear any tangible solutions from the economic management team on how they are handling this feedback.

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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has u-turned

Agribusiness

The Zambia National Farmers’ Union-ZNFU says soya beans prices are expected to increase this year due to the high demand for the commodity.

ZNFU Public Relations Manager Calvin Kaleyi expressed delight over the current prices of soya beans on the market noting that soya beans is selling between K12 and K13.50 per kg depending on the area.

Speaking in an interview with the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Kaleyi said the prices are expected to increase further as the commodity is on high demand not only in Zambia but also in the region.

Kaleyi stressed that the demand for soya beans is currently high and the only thing that would trigger the soya bean commodity prices is if the market is saturated which has not happened.

“When you see good prices coming out like that, it is an encouragement to farmers to even do much more. This must ensure that everyone in the value chain appreciates and that includes those that are in production”, he said.

He however said he could not project the maximum price but said what is expected is a good price, which will allow farmers to make a full cost recovery in the form of input costs, labour, herbicide costs, fertilizers and other chemical costs.

Kaleyi mentioned that the current price for soya beans has improved compared to last year and this is because the commodity is on high demand.

He noted that the union would like to see farmers get good prices for their commodity as well as a good return on their investment as it is the only way of benefiting the agricultural sector adding that good prices encourage farmers to do much more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Zambia National Farmers’ Union-ZNFU says soya

Lifestyle

The Finnish embassy has refuted claims by the UPND government that it has engaged the embassy concerning the flying of a rainbow flag on its premises on 17 May 2022 as a symbol of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) movement.

Earlier this week, Minister of Media and Information and Chief Government Spokesperson Chushi Kasanda said government had officially written to the Finnish and Swedish embassies demanding for an explanation for their actions as Zambia being a Christian nation does not support LGBT rights.

However, Finnish Ambassador Pirjo-Suo Mela Chowdhury said it is well known that the LGBT issue is a very important human rights issue to Finnish and once a year the LGBT flag is hoisted to stress the importance of human rights in the regard of LGBT.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Chowdhury said the raising of the flag in support of LGBT rights is not new, as it has been done in previous years by many embassies in Zambia as well as in different parts of the world.

Chowdhury said it is surprising that the hoisting of the flag has been given so much attention this year when it is not something new and has been done over the years.

“It is a human rights priority for us, it is for us to express our views in good spirt in different parts of the world not only in Zambia and it is something that many countries do. It is not directed at anyone but it is something important to us and we feel it is important to stress the importance of the matter”, Chowdhury said.

She mentioned that the channel of communication between Finland and the Zambian government is open and the two are in good spirit constantly at different levels.

 

 

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The Finnish embassy has refuted claims by

Agribusiness

The Zambian Fruit and Vegetable Traders Association says the quality of onion that Zambian farmers are supplying to supermarkets is not substandard, as farmers understand the importance of meeting the set standards when producing crops.

Association President Bernard Sikunyongana said the quality of onion produced in Zambia has improved but admitted that there is more effort needed in order to produce the best quality of onion.

Sikunyongana, whose association buys onion from farmers and offloads it on the market stressed that the onion that local farmers are producing is not so different from the onion that is imported from South Africa but there is room for improvement.

“We are traders, as an association we provide a ready market, when their produce is ready, farmers call us and we buy from them then offload it on the market. Whatever farmers are producing, especially onion, garlic and ginger, we provide a market”, he said.

Speaking in an interview with the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Sikunyongana mentioned that the country has improved in terms of onion production noting that the country only imported onion for two months before the suspension of onion imports compared to six months of imports in the past.

Sikunyongana has called upon government to assist farmers with onion dryers and set up aggregation centres in areas, which would be identified as having a huge number of farmers producing onion adding that aggregation centres would address the challenge of storage facilities.

“If today a farmer does one hectare, they do not have where to dry it so those storage facilities will be helpful for stocking the onion, we do the grading, stock it and then it’s ready for the market. Those are the areas government needs to work on because that will be the buying point and delivery point for the farmer. We need to polish up on the quality but we are almost there”, he said.

He commended government for maintaining its stance on the issue of onion imports, which will protect farmers adding that this will also encourage farmers to improve the quality of onions they are producing.

Sikunyongana explained that some onion varieties need to be handled using machinery while others can be handled by hand therefore farmers are being advised to grow varieties which are not difficult to handle.

 

 

 

 

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The Zambian Fruit and Vegetable Traders Association

Lifestyle

Minister of Information and Media and Chief Government Spokesperson Chushi Kasanda says government has engaged the Finnish and Swedish Embassies concerning the flying of a rainbow flag on their premises, which is a symbol of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBTQI) movement.

Kasanda who is currently Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said government has written to the two embassies demanding for an explanation for their actions because Zambia is a Christian nation and does not support LGBT rights.

Speaking in an interview with the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Kasanda noted that the two embassies are yet to respond to government’s enquiry and then government will be able to provide more information on the matter.

“We have engaged them looking at the fact that we are a Christian nation so we have written to them and we have not received a response yet. You also need to take into account that embassies are a different territory, that is like you are in another country but because we are a Christian nation, we have engaged them”, she said.

May 17 is International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia and aims to coordinate international events that raise awareness of LGBT rights violations and stimulate interest in LGBT rights work worldwide.

On May 17 2022, the Swedish and Finnish Embassies flew rainbow flags in support and commitment of the LGBTQI rights. In a Facebook post, the two Embassies noted that they flew the rainbow flag in support and commitment to LGBTQI rights.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Minister of Information and Media and Chief

Mining

The Emeralds and Semi-Precious Stones Mining Association of Zambian-ESMAZ has advised government to empower local people with the necessary knowledge on mining as opposed to grabbing mines from them on grounds that they have failed to develop.

ESMAZ President Victor Kalesha said the narrative of grabbing mining licenses from local people on the pretext that they are failing to develop and giving them to foreign companies needs correction as it is negatively affecting local people.

Speaking in an interview with the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Kalesha said formalizing the mining operations of local people is the only way Zambia will realise maximum benefits from its minerals unlike chasing away local people, calling them illegal miners while multinational companies that are stealing and not being honest with taxes mine freely.

Kalesha explained that most of the minerals such as manganese and emeralds that are illegally found and sold on the market are mined by Zambians who are called illegal miners hence the need to formalize their operations and give them licenses so that they can mine legally and start selling to those that want to export.

He however noted that there is need to put in place monitoring mechanisms for the few Zambians that have mining licenses in order to know how much is being mined, exported and how much the nation is realising out of it in terms of taxes.

“There is need for extensive exploration and declaration of how much reserves the country has for manganese and other minerals and how much is produced so that we are able to know the extent in which the manganese can contribute to the national economy”, he said.

The Association President said all mineral resources have the potential to drive the country’s economic fortunes and manganese and emeralds are no exception noting that manganese is on demand and Central and Luapula provinces have good grades with most of it illegally mined in Luapula province.

“We need to take advantage of each mineral as they bring contribution to the economy of the country as they all have the potential in their own way. By doing so, Zambia will have resources coming from all spheres of the mining sector which will benefit the nation by receiving more resources in the national coffers”, he said.

Kalesha mentioned that Zambia will never have a better time than now to correct the mistakes that have been happening in the mining sector adding that there should be a policy that directs that whatever foreign company wants to invest should partner with Zambians to a certain extent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Emeralds and Semi-Precious Stones Mining Association

Markets

The Bank of Zambia-BOZ is on track to hit the $100m end of year 2022 target it has set.

BOZ has however been challenged to be more ambitious and aggressive to target a reserve chest of about $1 billion worth of gold for it to be tangible enough to be able to help stabilize the kwacha.

In response to a question from the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, during the Monetary Policy Committee Announcement and Press Briefing on Wednesday, on the current gold reserves the country has, BOZ Deputy Governor-Operations Dr. Francis Chipimo said the bank currently has US$63 worth of gold bullion reserves.

Dr. Chipimo had earlier stated that the central bank intends to purchase US$48 million worth of gold from Kansanshi Copper Mine in 2022.

He said the bank was purchasing gold from Zambia Gold Company, a subsidiary of ZCCM-IH but that is currently on suspension until the issues surrounding the operations of Zambia Gold Company are resolved.

The Deputy Governor mentioned that the central bank’s reserves were around US$48 million in , which is more or less, what was purchased in 2021.

Dr. Chipimo explained that there are other precious minerals, which exist but in terms of what qualifies as international reserves; gold is what is traditionally used in the market therefore the reason for building gold reserves.

He noted that gold was purchased to help build international reserves so the focus and qualification for what the bank purchases is based on what can count as international reserves.

“Gold is one of those things which is traditionally known and well traded as it has a deep market so for now that is what the bank is focusing on”, he said.

 

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The Bank of Zambia-BOZ is on track

Lifestyle

State House Media Director Clayson Hamasaka says all the press secretaries that President Hakainde Hichilema has so far appointed into Foreign Service are qualified for the job.

Speaking in an interview with the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Hamasaka said it does not matter where the selected press secretaries are coming from, as what matters is that they are qualified, drawn from across the country and are from different media houses.

Hamasaka however declined to state which media institutions the journalists are coming from noting that all the public needs to know is that the appointed individuals are qualified Zambian journalists.

He refuted allegations that some of the journalists appointed are not qualified and stressed that they are all qualified journalists who are Zambians.

“Asking such questions is not helping the country, when we appoint citizens, does it really matter where they come from other than just their qualifications, they are Zambian journalists and that’s enough for the public”, he said.

The press secretaries appointed are Julia Malunga-Botswana, Pamela Mulenga-Italy, Charles Tembo-Washington DC, USA, Lloyd Kapusa-Brazil, Charles Mucholo-Australia and Hambaya Munang’andu-Belgium.

Others are Kashewe Lubinda-Germany, Tamara Nyirenda-South Africa, Faith Chilube-Japan, Naomi Ng’andu-France, Inutu Mupango-Ethiopia, Pamela Nkeete-Turkey, Speedwell Mupuchi-London, UK, Bennie Mundando-India and Namatama Njekwa – New York, USA.

 

 

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State House Media Director Clayson Hamasaka says