Maravi

(DAILY MAIL) Magande calls for harmony

Magande calls for harmony
By REBECCA CHILESHE

MINISTER of Finance and National Planning, Ng’andu Magande, has urged mining companies to work in harmony with Government to bring sustainable economic development to Zambia. Mr Magande said in Parliament on Thursday that Government was committed to an environment where investor protection was guaranteed. He said Government took into consideration the interests of the mining companies before revising the mining tax regime. Mr Magande was winding up policy debate on the national budget for this year.

“After more than 100 years of copper mining and over 16 million tonnes of copper exported from this country, Zambians who are the owners of the copper, have been left poor.

“The mining companies must accept the new tax regime and agree to work in harmony with Government because they will still remain viable and profitable, even after the new taxes have been effected,” he said.

Mr Magande said President Mwanawasa’s new deal administration would continue to focus on building an economy based on public private partnership to protect private investment.

He said it should be appreciated that once effected the new tax regime would bring economic empowerment to the people of Zambia and improve service provision.
Mr Magande urged members of Parliament to support legislation he would be presenting to the House.

He said Government would remain prudent in the way it managed funds from the treasury and that no funds would be used without Parliament’s approval.

Mr Magande said his ministry was now able to get data on bank accounts of other ministries and was able to know how much of the requested funds had been utilised.

He said to avoid a repetition of last year when over K900 billion remained unutilised, money would this year be released upon request from a respective government institution.

On the request from Monze MP, Jack Mwiimbu (UPND), for Government to declare the current floods a national disaster in order to attract donor funding, Mr Magande said the floods were under control.

He said even if the floods were declared a national disaster, donors would not release additional funds to Zambia, as they would merely divert some of the funds that have already been allocated.

Mr Magande criticised the Department of Veterinary Services under the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives for alleged failure to deal with various livestock diseases in the country.

He said Zambia has failed to establish herself as a producer of beef because of livestock diseases despite having good cattle breeds.

Labels: CATTLE, CATTLE DISEASE, MAGANDE, WINDFALL TAX

posted by MrK @ 11:38 AM