Maravi

LETTERS - Mineral Royalties, MMD Leadership

Mineral royalty renegotiations
By Concerned citizen
Thursday November 29, 2007 [03:00]

Your story (The Post, November 27, 2007) on mineral royalty renegotiations made interesting reading, especially the point from one source who described the exercise as “a deliberate step taken to further exempt mines from paying higher royalties.” After reading that story, I read about Bolivia's amendments to its mining industry's tax regime.

Under the new mining tax code, the Bolivian government has increased income tax from 25 per cent to 37.5 per cent. This move only started early this year. In Zambia, we are far from concluding this critical matter, which we started last year.

Now, if the government of Bolivia has changed the mining tax regime, with the support of the major miners in the country the code only exempts the locally owned mining cooperatives from the new tax regime for now, why have we failed? Is our government waiting until prices collapse so that the mines can say that the metal prices are unfavourable on the international market? Who is benefiting from the government’s playing to the gallery?

Bolivia had development agreements with the country's mine owners but tax changes were made without unnecessary delays. I think it is time the government stopped wasting time and concluded the matter.

If they do not know how to go about it, Nawakwi has offered to help. I’m sure many other experts would come forward.





http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=34521

The blame game
By Chali Chewe
Thursday November 29, 2007 [03:00]

It is interesting to see the blame game going on between finance minister Ng’andu Magande and Edith Nawakwi over whether the government should renegotiate, discuss or take a decisive action concerning taxation vis-a-vis the sale of the mines to foreign investors.

I do not wish to side with Nawakwi but I think she has a point. Magande and his government are in authority now and cannot continue to blame the past government for their failures.

Copper is our God-given asset and the more we delay in making decisions which are beneficial to the Zambians, the poorer this country shall become.

This government must re-draft the agreements which were entered into through blackmail. These international investors are business barons who survive and get away with what they want by arm-twisting and manipulating situations.

If they projected a bleak future for copper so that they could get their hands on it, then I think it’s time we woke up and reclaimed what belonged to us. In Chad, after the government there realised that they had been manipulated into selling off oil fields on unfair conditions. They cancelled everything and started calling the shots with new investors who had to follow conditions as laid down by the government.

We choose governments so that they can correct the past mistakes and forge ahead.

Contracts are not cast in iron or concrete that they cannot be rearranged. Magande must stop complaining of past misdeeds. He is there to sort out that very mess. If he continues crying and telling us why he cannot do his job and correct what was done wrong, then he is just as hopeless as those he took over from and must resign.




http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=34520

Zambia's economy
By Kedrick Sikaona
Thursday November 29, 2007 [03:00]

Our economy requires much attention, analysis, monitoring and review. It needs serious attention and periodical reviews. Otherwise, the current trend where politicians play a huge role may leave us with more problems.

May I request our politicians to be alert and avoid making baseless statements? They need to continually consult professionals more than they did in the past. Otherwise, what may be left for us are big ditches without any minerals.



http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=34478

Don't resist change
By Phillip Zulu
Wednesday November 28, 2007 [03:00]

While I agree with Neo Simutanyi's analysis of Zambian politics, especially regarding new entrants who want to get to the top at the expense of old members, it must be understood that it is this same trend that has brought misery to the Zambian people.

As he rightly put it, several wise men and women have been rejected in the past because Zambians do not believe in serious talk, but jokes.

The majority of Zambians want people who can make them laugh during rallies and shun leaders who tell them the truth about their future. As long as poverty levels remain high, Zambians will continue voting wrongly.

In my view, Hakainde Hichilema and people like Prof Chirwa can help greatly in reducing poverty in Zambia. President Mwanawasa should embrace these two gentlemen if he needs continuity.





http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=34486

Quality leadership
By Munamaimbo D Maimbo
Wednesday November 28, 2007 [03:00]

Prof Clive Chirwa, don’t get distracted by advisors such as Lameck Mangani and Neo Simutanyi. Your credentials are sending shock waves and that’s the reason some people are jittery.

Let us not pretend, Prof Chirwa is the man. Go, go Prof, you’re the uniting factor. We can bank on your rainbow character as easterners have not been tribal in Zambian politics.

We will not allow disgruntled individuals to frustrate well-meaning and capable Zambians because of petty jealousies. I agree with you that some advice is total rubbish.

For example, Simutanyi and Mangani are suggesting that you should not declare your intentions now because it is too early and that you are new in MMD. Come on Neo and Lameck, we still have more than three years before the 2011 general elections.

When somebody declares his intentions early for the Zambians to know him/her, like Chirwa has done, is it wrong? When somebody joins politics late like HH did, is it wrong? Should we choose bad leaders simply because they have been in the MMD for a longer time?

We are interested in quality and that is what I see in Chirwa. In any case, I am sure Chirwa is not suggesting that he will win MMD presidency at all costs. It is up to the people to decide.

Is Neo suggesting that since incumbent presidents have always had an upper hand in choosing successors, then that is the right way to conduct politics, so that anyone interested in a party's presidency should bank on being nominated by the incumbent president?

Please Neo, only a desperate politician will want to do that. If genuine democracy has to be entrenched in Zambia, we need intra-party democracy. It is not right for an academician to advocate for inertia.

There is need to change the way politics are conducted in Africa. Therefore, whether the current president has a say on who succeeds him is not an issue as Chirwa has the right to participate in Zambian politics whenever, and wherever he decides to.

Labels: MINING CONTRACTS

posted by MrK @ 9:51 AM