Maravi

LETTERS - Fundanga's interview

Fundanga's interview
By Chabala Mubili,Canada
Friday February 01, 2008 [03:00]

As Shipota has pointed out in his Post letter of January 27, 2008, Dr. Caleb Fundanga has done reasonably well at Bank of Zambia. But I was saddened to learn from Caleb's interview that his financial system gives "everybody access to finances". This, in my considered view, is a weakness and I know of no other country that gives foreigners (the so-called investors or is it ‘infestors’!) the same access to finances as its own citizens.

Even closer to home in Botswana, you are not allowed to access finances as a foreign investor. In fact, you will be required to have a certain amount of money to be accepted as an investor.

The reason is simple; such a policy of blanket access to finances puts citizens at a disadvantage. While Zambians rely only on local banks for finances, foreign investors have unfettered access to finances from banks in their countries of origin. So this obviously tilts the equilibrium in favour of foreign investors, who are only there to make money, and do not care about Zambia’s development.

Foreign investors must bring money into local banks and not take money out of them. That is the practice in other countries, and that is why you see Zambians readily accepting residence and/or citizenship in those countries; they can have access to credit and other facilities.

I am, however, hopeful that the soon-to-come “Credit Reference Bureau”, if properly implemented, will fix this financial weakness. I, therefore, appeal to Fundanga to ensure that foreign investors are subjected to even longer periods than their Zambia counterparts to build their credit before they can be allowed limited access to local finances.





http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=37026

Mend the roads
By Mukomwa Kambwali,Lusaka
Friday February 01, 2008 [03:00]

It brings to mind unbearable sadness why we Zambians live our lives as though we were living for others. A point in mind is why our leaders cannot see logic in feeding the "goose that lays the golden eggs".

Any sensible civic leader knows, if he knows nothing else, that most revenue for the councils is raised from the transport sector, markets and shops. Surprisingly, very little, if anything, is done to motivate these businesses.

Anyone who has recently gone to Intercity Bus Terminus or Kamwala shopping area in Lusaka cannot help but wonder whether the businesses there pay for services of the Lusaka City Council. If they do, why are the roads in these two business places so neglected? Whose obligation is it to repair those roads, the businesses or the LCC? Heavy rains should not be an excuse for this blatant incompetence.

At national level, we hear ZRA and the Ministry of Finance boasting about how much money they have collected above the targeted amount and how much has been left unspent, on the one hand, while on the other, we wallow in misery.

We may be making impressive economic progress on paper but can we translate this into reality? Surely we don't need a Chinese consultant, or donor aid, to tell the strong correlation between motivated businesses and national income. Someone needs to explain to me what the role of local government is in this socio-political dispensation that Chiluba left us with!



http://www.postzambia.com/post-read_article.php?articleId=37030

Leadership qualities
By John Milimo,Lusaka
Friday February 01, 2008 [03:00]

One fundamental leadership quality is lucidity of vision. A good leader must always have a clear and distinct vision of what he wants to achieve.

This vision must be convincing and the people must see it as that which is practical and able to alleviate their problems from their present state to a better future. With this in mind, the motivation to reach the desired goal can easily be cultivated.

Most of our leaders do not have a sense of direction and vision once given leadership positions, they do not deliver. Such leaders cannot solve our problems but in fact, become a problem themselves.

Labels: CALEB FUNDANGA, ROADS

posted by MrK @ 4:59 AM