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Traditional ceremonies hold economic benefits - Levy

Traditional ceremonies hold economic benefits - Levy
By Florence Bupe in Kawambwa
Tuesday September 18, 2007 [04:00]

PRESIDENT Levy Mwanawasa has said traditional ceremonies hold economic benefits for local people as they open up areas involved to new markets. And senior chief Mushota of Kawambwa district has said people in his area are still wallowing in abject poverty despite the country attaining political independence. In a speech read on his behalf by science minister Peter Daka at the Chishinga Malaila traditional ceremony last Friday, President Mwanawasa observed that the ceremony had over the years helped empower the local communities economically.

“The ceremony has a lot of economic benefits for the local people in that it opens up this area to outsiders who have now opened up markets for purchase of local products,” President Mwanawasa said. “It is vital for you all to be part and parcel of national developmental issues.”

He noted that 43 years after the attainment of political independence, it should be every Zambian’s responsibility to contribute to economic emancipation, job creation, poverty eradication and uplifting of people’s living standards.

“Our focus should be to build on the economic foundation that was laid by the government in its first five years of tenure of office. We should aim at hard work to consolidate the gains we have achieved as a result of reaching the HIPC (Highly Indebted Poor Countries) completion point,” President Mwanawasa said.

“In meeting all these benchmarks on the path to economic growth, government has recognised the strong and inevitable relationship between good governance and economic development.”

President Mwanawasa disclosed that in a bid to further develop Kawambwa district, the construction of a hydropower station on the Kalungwishi River was under way, and the National Tender Board had awarded the tender to construct the station to Olympic Milling Company of Mufulira.

“We hope the electricity generated will be able to power the proposed sugar factory as well as forestall the frequent power outages experienced by consumers at the far end of that national grid in Luapula Province,” he said.

President Mwanawasa further disclosed that technocrats were still studying the legal implications surrounding the sale of Kawambwa Tea Company.

He, however, said the company management was still failing to meet their obligation of paying salaries and terminal benefits.

“I’m warning Kawambwa Tea management that government will not sit idle and watch its nationals being dehumanised. Government will act at an opportune time to curb the lack of capacity to manage the investment being exhibited by the company,” said President Mwanawasa.

And chief Mushota has complained that so many years after independence, Luapula Province has no industries to talk about.

Labels: CHIEFS, MWANAWASA, PETER DAKA

posted by MrK @ 6:29 AM