PRESIDENT Banda has instructed the Ministry of Finance and National Planning to ensure that all the funds allocated for development projects in this year’s national budget are properly utilised to effectively implement programmes as the country approaches general elections.

Mr Banda said even the money that will be allocated for the same purpose in next year’s budget should be properly spent for Government to deliver development to the people.

He said this at State House yesterday when he swore-in newly appointed permanent secretary for financial management and administration in the Ministry of Finance and National Planning, Anthony Undi.

Mr Banda said Minister of Finance and National Planning Situmbeko Musokotwane is looking forward to working with Mr Undi to successfully implement development programmes Government has undertaken.

He said the position Mr Undi has occupied is key to the development taking place in the country.

“We are entering an election year and we don’t have enough time. So, you have to work hard to ensure that the ministry is running smoothly,” Mr Banda said.

He said he is confident that Mr Undi will excel in his new position because he is coming from a rich economic background.

Until his new appointment, Mr Undi was working for Macro Economic and Financial Management Institute for Eastern and Southern Africa.

Meanwhile, President Banda said the Prisons Service is important as it plays a critical role in reforming people.

He said this when he swore-in new Commissioner for Prisons Percy Chato at State House.

Mr Banda regretted the untimely death of Mr Chato’s predecessor Gibbie Nawa, who died early this year after an illness.

Mr Banda said Mr Chato has been in the Prison Service for many years during which he has worked well with his fellow officers.

He said he has been in prison himself before and he knows the important role prison officers play in reforming and looking after people incarcerated for various offences.

The President said the choice of Mr Chato as new Commissioner of Prisons was carefully made and he is confident that he will competently execute his new duties.

AFRICAN Rainbow Minerals (ARM) is set to create about 3,000 jobs at its new mine in the north of Chingola where construction for the production of copper by 2015 has started.

Mines and Minerals Development minister Maxwell Mwale said in an interview in Lusaka that the company would start producing copper in the next five years.

The minister said construction has already started at Konkola North to produce 45,000 tonnes of copper in concentrate in the first phase of the project but this would increase in the second phase to 100,000 tonnes.

And ARM executive chairperson said in a media release on its website that the company was building the new mine in the country with its partner, Vale and described the project as exciting to its diverse commodity portfolio.

The partners had a three-year exploration programme to supply material into that expansion.

The two mining firms were in talks with Mopani Copper Mines, Chambishi Copper Mines and Vedanta Mineral Resources to treat their concentrate.

ARM and Vale spent 18 months studying the copper market and the expectation was for them to grow.

The price of a three-month copper contract on the London Metal Exchange rose 9.75 to 7314,25 a tonne last week.

The reason for the anticipated rapid growth at the new mine was that Anglo American operated Konkola until the late 1950s, when it sunk a 420m-deep shaft there.

ARM and Vale hope to rehabilitate and re-equip the mine, which was forecast to have a life span of 28 years.

Zambian President Rupiah Banda

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda yesterday tabulated development projects that his Government had embarked on saying Government was currently talking with a Turkish company for the refurbishment of the Livingstone – Chililabombwe rail line underscoring the need for infrastructure development if economic growth is to be attained.

Speaking in a special interview with ZNBC’s Kunda Mando and Frankin Tembo Jr last night, President Banda said the country could not realise its vision of prosperity without a good road and rail network.

He said Government was talking to a Turkish company to undertake a study on the refurbishment of the Livingstone – Chililabombwe rail line and that a delegation from that country would be in Zambia this week

“The roads and rail line are important to the country for the movement of goods and for the movement of people and I am happy that the Namwala–Choma Road has finally been completed,” he said.

He said the Namwala–Choma Road had been outstanding for the past twenty years.
“Even our friends who were saying that we are doing nothing now are driving on something,” he said in reference to the completion of the Namwala–Choma Road.

He said the Chipata–Mchinji rail line had been built using the country’s resources.

“With regard to the Mchinji – Chipata rail line it was an old dream of Dr Kenneth Kaunda that we must have an alternative route.”

President Banda said he had been able to respond to his critics through the many development projects dotted across the country.

He said the Government had already allocated money for the Mutanda–Chavuma Road and that three contractors had already moved on site.

“Zambia is a big country; there are many other roads we won’t do all but we want to complete most of them. We want to work on the Chipata–Lundazi Road and the Lundazi–Chama Road. For the Chipata–Lundazi Road we are going to put money in the Budget,” he said.

The president said Government would work on the roads to open up the North-Western Province.

“The North-Western Province is the new Copperbelt, there is so much to move from the Copperbelt to Kapiri Mposhi to Dar or to Lusaka, Namibia and to South Africa. We want to be free to move in any direction,” he said.

President Banda said he was happy the country had produced a bumper harvest of 2.7 million tonnes of maize this year.

“We had up to 59 buying depots last year, now we have 165 but still they are not enough,” he said.

There was a delay in the start of the purchase of maize because of the moisture content.

Mr Banda said he was happy Zambians responded positively when they were encouraged to produce as evidenced from the bumper harvest.

He said he has had to work hard within the limited tenure of his presidency because he did not have the luxury of time given that he assumed presidency mid-way.

On his foreign travels, President Banda said Zambia has obligations it had to fulfill as a member of international organisations.
“We belong to SADC, COMESA and the AU and we have obligations,” he said.

He said criticism was good because it reminded Government they needed to do something.

President Banda said the Government was working with the World Bank on the Kafue Gorge power generation station.

He said so far market had been found where the extra power generated could be exported.

“We have linked up well with South Africa and we are talking to Tanzania and Congo so that we can export the power,” he said.

The president said Government would work with investors to work on the Chingola–Lumwana Road.

He said the Government would build 5,000 housing units for the army and other defence forces.

“We also want to build additional houses for the police,” he said.

On the Kalabo-Mongu Road, he said Government had signed all the necessary documents and down payments would be done by this week so that works start.

On the privatisation of Zamtel, President Banda said the country was already getting the benefits through the reduced rates on international calls.

“When privatising we knew that some workers would have to lose jobs but the idea is that they will be paid unlike in other privatisations when people were told that they would be paid later,” he said.

He said some people had a tendency of opposing Government projects.
“It’s not the first time that we have tried to do something and people have opposed. Ask the workers at Zanaco they are now confident and more efficient,” he said.

He said Government was careful with how resources are being allocated concentrating only on those that would result in sustainable development of the economy.

FORMER Finance Bank chairperson Rajan Mahtani yesterday appeared before Lusaka chief resident magistrate Charles Kafunda and pleaded not guilty to two counts of money laundering and acquiring beneficial interest by importing shares of a bank without approval.

In count one Mahtani, 62, a resident of Finance House Cairo Road, Lusaka is charged with acquiring beneficial interest by importing shares of a bank without prior approval in writing of the Bank of Zambia (BoZ) contrary to section 23 (1), (2) (a), (6) of the banking and financial services Act number 21 of 1994 of the Laws of Zambia.

Particulars of count one allege that Mahtani between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2009 without the prior approval in writing of BoZ did acquire beneficial interest in the voting shares of Finance Bank Zambia Limited to enable him to control more than 25 pe rcent of the total votes that could be cast on general resolutions at general or special meetings of the bank.

In count two Mahtani was charged with Money Laundering contrary to section 7 of the Prohibition and Prevention of Money Laundering Act number 14 of 2007 of the Laws of Zambia.

Particulars were that Mahtani between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2009, jointly and while acting with unknown people, directly or indirectly engaged in a business transaction that involved the acquisition or retention of more than 25 per cent shares in Finance bank Zambia limited where by K81,700,253,230 was realised as dividends for the said illegal activities.

And the state prosecutors from the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) Moffat Chilonda and Maxwell Mukumana said they would call 15 witnesses.

Mahtani is being represented by Steven Malama, John Sangwa of Simeza Sangwa and Associates and Ronald Katongo.

The matter has been adjourned to September 30 for mention.

Dates set for trial were October 28 and 29.

COACH Dario Bonetti has said Zambia will take this Saturday’s 2012 African Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier against the Comoros Islands at full throttle in Lusaka as though they were playing a football powerhouse like Brazil.

And the players are upbeat ahead of the Comoros tie at Nkoloma Stadium and will not underrate the Islanders but aim at picking up maximum points to continue with their surge for a place at the Equatorial Guinea and Gabon co-hosted tournament.

Bonetti said yesterday after a training session at Woodlands Stadium that his players will approach the game seriously knowing too well that in modern football smaller teams could cause upsets and thus the reason for the team to take the match at full throttle.

He said Zambia had no choice but pick up maximum points in the first match and then continue with the same tempo in the upcoming games.

Bonetti expressed happiness with player’s response to training and that the players showed determination and hunger to don the national colours and win it for Zambia.

“The game this weekend is very important for us and we will work hard to ensure that we are in good shape. We have enough time to work together…we are professionals and with hard work we should do well.

“When we play Comoros, I want my players to have good mentality. They have to play as if they are playing the best team in the world. We will play as if we are playing Brazil. That is good for the game,” the Chipolopolo trainer said.

Asked if spending only a few days with team would not work against, Bonetti said he has been closely following the performance of the players with their respective clubs.

On the absence of Jacob Mulenga, Bonetti said he has other capable players to fill in the boots of the FC Utrecht striker though he admitted that he would have loved to have the services of the former Afrisports player.
Striker Emmanuel Mayuka, who plays for Young Boys of Switzerland, said he was ready to fill the boots of injured Mulenga and would use the experience gained from playing in the UEFA Champions League to help Zambia qualify for AFCON and the 2014 World Cup.

Bidvest Wits defender Chintu Kampamba said consistency was key in the national team and called for hard work from players and that they should not underrate Comoros.

“Looking at the makeup of the team, we have many young players with good skills and determination to do well for Zambia. I think with the experience we have, we can do it as a team. Time has come for us to win something big,” he said.

Those who were in the morning training session were Isaac Chansa (Orlando Pirates), Kennedy Mudenda, Simon Bwalya (Power Dynamos), Chintu Kampamba (Bidvest), Billy Mwanza, Nyambe Mulenga, and Jacob Banda (Zesco United) Noah Chivuta and Rainford Kalaba (Unattached), Jimmy Chisenga (Red Arrows), Kalililo Kakonje (unattached) while Fwayo Tembo (FC Basal) sat out training due to injury.

Captain Christopher Katongo (Xanthi, Greece), Kennedy Mweene (Free State Stars), Emmanuel Mbola (Pyunik Yereven), Jonas Sakuwaha (FC Lorient), William Njovu (Hapoel Kiryat Shmone) and Joseph Musonda (Golden Arrows) arrived in the afternoon yesterday and took part in light training.

Felix Katongo (Al Ittihad) and James Chamanga (DalianShide) are expected today while Roger Kola would be in tomorrow.

THE National Constitutional Conference (NCC) yesterday handed over the final Draft Constitution and Report to Justice Minister and Vice-President George Kunda.

Receiving the two documents, Mr Kunda commended the NCC secretariat and delegates for successfully adopting the Draft Constitution saying it compared favourably with constitutions of other countries.

He said the NCC Act of 2007 stood repealed and the membership of all members has expired although some members of the secretariat would continue in office to wind up until November 30.

The NCC had introduced the limitation of two presidential terms and that parliament could not amend it and also introduced national economic planning, recognised gifts and aid-in-kind given on behalf of Zambia.

Mr Kunda said the NCC process started in 2007 when the Government responded to the recommendation by the Mung’omba Constitution Review Commission (CRC) that the Draft Constitution should be adopted by a Constituent Assembly, a constitutional conference or any representative body.

In accordance with the NCC Act, all provisions of the final draft that were adopted should be submitted to his office for presentation to parliament for enactment.

The conference decided that provisions that would alter the bill of rights and article 79 of the current Constitution should be referred to a referendum for the people to determine.

Mr Kunda said now that the Government had received the final Draft Constitution, it would start legislative processes that preceded the submission of a bill to alter the Constitution.

The conference increased the composition of the National Assembly to 266 including the speaker, introduced the parliamentary service commission and adopted the provisions to establish a constitutional and an appeal court.

The introduction of the two courts also had significant implications for which careful planning must be done and at an appropriate time Government would take measures for the implementation of the constitutional provisions and present a bill to parliament.

Mr Kunda said that at the same time Government would prepare to submit to Parliament a Referendum Bill containing the provisions that would seek to alter the bill of rights and article 79 of the current constitution those the NCC failed to agree on.

If the people would approve the provisions through a referendum, a Bill would then be submitted to Parliament for the enactment of the approved constitutional provisions.

Mr Kunda also commended late president Levy Mwanawasa for starting the process and thanked President Banda for supporting and ensuring that the process was concluded.

He said the process had been concluded despite incessant attacks from people who wanted to derail the process as they had ignored the fact that the Mung’omba Draft Constitution recommended the NCC and wanted it to be rubber stamped when it had a mandate to vary or alter the proposals.

NCC chairperson Chifumu Banda said five articles and the Bill of Rights were referred to a Referendum, being article 64 (1) which provided for progressive realisation of economic social and cultural rights and article 79 (1) on the electoral process.

Mr Banda said others were article 143 (2) (I) which provided for legislative power of the National Assembly and article 148 (8) (A) which was about vacation of office of an MP and article 273 (3) (A) on Government borrowing.

He said the NCC decided to take all adopted articles to the National Assembly while those on which consensus was not reached would be taken to a Referendum.

GOVERNMENT has appealed to all financial institutions to maintain a high level of good governance and regulatory compliance for the country to continue enjoying a good reputation on the economic front and improve the flow of foreign direct investments.

Finance and National Planning Deputy Minister Chileshe Kapwepwe said Government will continue to focus policy efforts on credible fiscal measures that enhance prudent financial management of public resources.

Ms Kapwepwe said this in Lusaka on Wednesday night during the re-launch of Ecobank’s rapid transfer product and celebration of the bank’s first anniversary.

“Government remains focused on placing emphasis on growth of economic sectors such as mining, agriculture, manufacturing and tourism while addressing the challenges in health and education,” she said.

She said the resilience shown by the financial market during the global financial crisis reflects the confidence in the banking and financial services sector in the fiscal sustainability and policy responses.
She said Government’s overall macro economic goal is to accelerate pro-poor growth aimed at poverty reduction.

Ms Kapwepwe urged the banking fraternity to consider more innovative but affordable financial service products for women and youths who are in greater needs of financial support for small-scale development.

“I strongly believe that it is by supporting women and youth entrepreneurs that Zambia will attain deeper poverty reduction and wealth creation. I call upon you to fervently support the ‘small-scale ideas and initiatives’ of women and youths to ensure the vision to become a middle-income nation stays,” she said.

Ms Kapwepwe said the rapid money transfer product is important for Zambians but it should also provide a platform for convenient, accessible, reliable and rapid payment solutions for investors coming to Zambia.

She said the product is an earnest effort by Ecobank Zambia to facilitate progressive capture and migration of regional transactions from the informal to the formal sector.

“The product being launched today and many other products provided by your institution should avoid the imposition of excessive bank fees and charges for your clients and therefore you should uphold your promise to provide a convenient, accessible, reliable and rapid payments platform,” she said.

Ms Kapwepwe also implored Ecobank to remain committed to the branch expansion initiative to position itself in harnessing the benefits of expanding economic activities.

She urged Ecobank to consider opening branches in border points like Livingstone, Kasumbalesa, Katima-mulilo, Nakonde, Mwami and Chirundu.

Earlier, Ecobank managing director Charity Lumpa said the bank will continue supporting Government and the Zambian people through its services.
Ms Lumpa said rapid money transfer is a fast, convenient and reliable way to transfer money across Africa.

“We want to facilitate economic integration. The product allows those in the diaspora to easily remit money and reinvestment back home,” she said

Zambian President Rupiah Banda

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda yesterday said donor countries that have taken to interfering with the internal political affairs of the country should pack their bags and leave because Zambia is a sovereign State.

Mr Banda said following the announcement the Government would not appeal against the August 13 verdict by Judge Evans Hamaundu on the registration of the London judgment, several diplomats had queried him and were using shared language and views with opposition leaders.

“They are not straight people. And also they know we are having an election next year and they are peeping their noses into our business to try and influence the election,” Mr Banda said.

He said the Zambian Government had paid £8 million pounds and another US$2 million to two law firms in the United Kingdom to facilitate the prosecution of former president Frederick Chiluba while MNB Legal Partners lawyers and other local firms were also paid huge sums of money over the case.

He said the Government made several attempts to write the British government asking them to extradite former Zambian Ambassador to the United States of America, Attan Shansonga but they could not even acknowledge receipt of the letters and now wanted to cast the Government in bad light.

Mr Shansonga was among the key witnesses but fled to the United Kingdom at the height of investigations after promising to collect more documents that could have implicated Dr Chiluba and the seven co-accused persons.

President Banda said Zambia was a sovereign State and should not have its internal affairs influenced by foreign donors.

“They must pack and go, they should stop this behaviour. If somebody is fed up with us, they should pack their bags and go,” he said.

Mr Banda, speaking to journalists before departure for Chipata yesterday to launch the Chipata-Mchinji rail line, said some donors were acting strangely because of their interest in the presidential and general elections taking place next year.

He said Zambians who were cowed into towing the foreign donor interests should be ashamed of themselves.

He wondered why critics were fond of accusing the Government each time court verdicts went in Government’s favour while the Government accepted all verdicts passed in favour of the critics.

President Banda said the Government was serious about the fight against corruption and that several suspects were undergoing trial, which was a sign of commitment.

Mr Banda said while foreign donors were condemning the Government over alleged failure to recover the $46 million from Dr Chiluba and seven others, Britain declined to co-operate.

Meanwhile, Chief Government spokesperson Ronnie Shikapwasha earlier said the decision by the British government to decline pleas to release Mr Shansonga was responsible for the weakened case against Dr Chiluba.

Lieutenant General Shikapwasha said in an interview that Zambia had made several efforts to have Mr Shansonga extradited to stand trial in Zambia and give evidence on the allegations but the British government refused.

Gen Shikapwasha said people championing demonstrations were misleading the people of Zambia into believing that the Lusaka High Court did not deliver a good judgment and yet it had been dismissed by the court of appeal in the UK.

GOVERNMENT says Zambia faces a housing deficit of about two million units to meet the growing demand.

Local Government and Housing Minister Eustarckio Kazonga said any upswing in the construction industry has a multiplier effect on the forward and backward linkages on other sectors of the economy such as the cement, timber and steel industry.

Dr Kazonga said this in Lusaka yesterday during Zain Zambia’s ‘The Real 2010’ promotional competition prize handover ceremony.

He said apart from adding beauty to Lusaka, the investment of US$ 900,000 pumped into the construction of the housing units has other positive implications of the economy

“It is gratifying to note that the winners of these housing units have acquired collateral overnight, which can be used to access loans from financial institutions,” he said.

He commended Zain for the outstanding gesture of empowering people with decent housing.
He said the other prize of 20 brand new vans is another empowering feature of ‘The Real 2010’ promotion.

“This is real empowerment of our people by Zain and I would like to take this opportunity to throw a challenge at other companies to engage in such life transforming promotions where practical customer benefits are so evident,” he said.

Dr Kazonga said it makes business sense to give back to communities in which companies operate and Zain is leading the way in doing so.
Earlier, Zain Zambia commercial di
rector Mark Ocitti expressed satisfaction with the tremendous impact of the promotion as it turned out to be one of the biggest and successful promotions in Zambia’s history.

Mr Ocitti said the promotion offered 20 brand new Nissan vans and 10 three-bedroom houses. Each of the vans is valued at US$19,000 while the houses were valued at US$90,000 each.

He said the company spent K5 billion on the promotion which includes other thousands of customers that have won and redeemed instant prizes among them mobile phones, T-shirts and bags through scratch cards.

“As the leading mobile service provider, we believe in empowering the people who have made us grow to this level. The promotion has translated into a huge boost on the subscriber base of the Zain network with now 3.2 million subscribers,” he said.