Maravi

Simuusa urges Rupiah to stop bootlicking investors

Simuusa urges Rupiah to stop bootlicking investors
By Zumani Katasefa in Kitwe
Mon 04 Jan. 2010, 04:00 CAT

NCHANGA Constituency member of parliament Wybur Simuusa has urged President Rupiah Banda’s government to stop bootlicking investors, especially those in the mining sector.

And Roan Constituency member of parliament Chishimba Kambwili has urged the government to ensure†that effects of the Chinese investments trickle down to ordinary citizens.

In a telephone interview on Saturday, Simuusa said the government had in 2009 lamentably failed to address matters affecting the mining industry in the country because of bootlicking the mine investors.

He said President Banda had failed to act on the job losses that took place in the mining sector because of the stubbornness of the investors and the support that State House gave them.

He said 2009 was a tough year, adding that people lost jobs following the global economic meltdown yet there was no action from the government to cushion its impact.

“This year (2010), I hope to see an easing up of these things, I hope to see suppliers paid on time, workers paid good salaries, above all I hope to see a reduction of poverty especially in my constituency which houses Zambia’s largest mining firm,” he said.

He said poverty levels in Chingola were very high, adding that most people were even failing to pay for services such as water and electricity due to the high levels of unemployment.

“I hope to see government stop giving mining concessions and tax holidays to the foreign investors. Let them (government) relook at these. Government should make sure that Zambians benefit from the minerals that these investors are getting from this country. Government should stop bootlicking the investors,” he said.

Simuusa urged investors to stop being stingy and offer the workers reasonable salary increments this year.

He also said he was disappointed with government’s silence over Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) workers who were dismissed after they took part in a strike last year.

“I am disappointed with the government’s silence over the KCM workers who were dismissed. I expect government to say something over these workers but government has decided to remain silent,” he said.

Simuusa said he was, as Nchanga Constituency member of parliament, making frantic efforts to ensure that the matter was resolved amicably. And Kambwili said without a trickledown effect, Chinese investments in Zambia would have no meaning.

“I want to tell my Chinese friends at Luanshya mine, to pay the workers well. Their (Chinese) investment will mean nothing if it does not trickle down to the workers and their families. Government should seriously look into this. Investment should not just be to the advantage of the investor,” he said.

And Kambwili called for responsible leadership in this new year for the country to advance economically.

“This year Zambia needs responsible leadership, starting from a nuclear family up to government level, you cannot run a political office when you are not a responsible leader. We need to build a strong political empire through responsible leadership,” he said.

Kambwili said Zambians, regardless of their positions in society, should work hard this year and move this country out of poverty. He also said the MMD government had failed to respect the power that Zambians had given them to govern this country.
Kambwili said this was evidenced by their failure to provide better services to the people.

“You cannot have a leader who has seen a pothole on the road and he drives on that road everyday and always sways it. Copperbelt minister Mwansa Mbulakulima passes through the Luanshya-Masangano road which is in a bad state and sways the potholes, he has failed to take action,” he said.

He said the Luanshya-Masangano road was an eyesore and needed urgent attention from the government.

“Government should also make sure that the Mufulira-Sabina road is worked on, the road is in a bad state,” he said.

Kambwili also challenged civil servants to change their culture towards work, saying government workers, especially those in his constituency were just concentrating on their private jobs and not government work.

He said government workers must strive to earn a salary and not just to get it without any input.

“I also want to warn school headmasters in my constituency that they should ensure that the pass rates improve in their schools. The performance of pupils last year in most schools in my constituency was very bad, this year headmasters should work hard and ensure that the performance of pupils changes for the better,” he said.

Kambwili also promised to donate four ambulances which he had sourced from the United Kingdom to his constituency.

Labels: CHISHIMBA KAMBWILI, FDI, RUPIAH BANDA, WYLBUR SIMUUSA

posted by MrK @ 9:35 AM