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(LUSAKATIMES) PF manifesto hollow — MUZ

PF manifesto hollow — MUZ
TIME PUBLISHED - Wednesday, April 13, 2011, 4:03 pm

THE Mineworkers Union of Zambia (MUZ) has said the Patriotic Front (PF) manifesto does not provide any new ideas to improve the mining sector.

MUZ acting president Charles Mukuka said in an interview that the manifesto’s segment on mining did not represent any ideas that were not tackled in the MMD’s 2007 manifesto.

Mr Mukuka said it was disappointing that the PF lifted similar plans from the ones that the MMD had in 2007 to implement in the mining industry instead of working on different ideas that would attract support from the public.

He said various policies and frameworks that the PF were referring to in their new manifesto had already been or were being successfully undertaken by the Government.

“It is surprising that the PF’s manifesto talks of uncertainty in the mining industry when in fact Government has managed to woo a lot of investors to the sector,” he said.

Mr Mukuka said the PF manifesto talked of failure by the MMD Government to diversify the mining sector but he said various new mine activities had been established including manganese and nickel mining in Luapula and Southern provinces respectively.

He said Government had undertaken various policy changes, which had galvanised and increased mining investment in Zambia and that it was unfortunate that the opposition did not provide convincing new policy plans for the sector.

“This is simply a replica of the MMD’s 2007 manifesto which also tabulated how the party would provide among other things revolving funds for small-scale miners,” he said.

Mr Mukuka said under the MMD manifesto also contained plans to diversify mining activities from the traditional copper mining and a review of the legislative frame work.

Meanwhile, the Sub-Saharan Gemstone Exchange (SGE) has said there has been unprecedented investment in the mining sector in the last five years.

SGE president Phesto Musonda said in an interview that the high levels of investment could only come about with the implantation of good economic policies and an attractive investment environment.

Mr Musonda said investment confidence was clear through the amount of pledged investment by mining companies, especially on the Copperbelt.

“Already we have Luanshya Mine committing US $300 million to its expansion, with Mopani and Trident announcing billions of dollars in investments,” he said.

Mr Musonda said the long-term tax regime in Zambia had played an important role in attracting more investment because it in turn allowed the investors to recoup the investment, make their profits and remit the required taxes.

He said policy on small-scale mines had also improved with a focus on empowering Zambian entrepreneurs, especially those in the gemstone industry.

“In the past there had been challenges in implementing diversification but it was realised that the small scale mining industry was a major contributor to the success of the process,” he said.

Mr Musonda said the Government had put up policy that ensured that all artisan licenses such as construction in the industry were given to Zambians.

And some civil society organisations have described the PF manifesto as inadequate and hollow because it was mostly a replica of the MMD and UPND manifestos, with most of the proposals already being implemented by the current Government.

Committee of Citizens executive director Gregory Chifire said in an interview yesterday that his organisation was disappointed that the PF manifesto wants to promote a secular State.

“The manifesto and the party constitution contradict themselves, in their constitution they are saying that State institutions would be run by party loyalists. Instead of giving a proper road map of their own of how they want to manage the affairs of the country, they keep referring to the MMD which means it is a copy cut,” he said.

The PF manifesto did address the real issues and does not inspire confidence that the opposition party would be the alternative Government.

Forum for Leadership Search executive director Edwin Lifwekelo said most of the proposals in the PF blueprint were already being implemented by the MMD Government.

“I have read through the manifesto which the PF is circulating and clearly it is a copy cat of the MMD manifesto which RB (President Rupiah Banda) and the MMD are already implementing even better,” he said.

He said with the revision of the MMD manifesto at the party convention in Kabwe, the ruling party was well placed to move the country forward.

“The PF manifesto is a duplicate of the MMD manifesto, Mr Michael Sata has no capacity to write his own manifesto, he had copied the UNIP constitution as well, so it is a blank cheque,” he said.

Bishops Council of Zambia spokesperson Gibson Nyirenda said the PF manifesto was a confirmation that the ruling party was on the right track in developing the country.

“We have seen how the economy has been growing under the MMD Government and am sure that the PF manifesto is an acknowledgement of that the economy is growing,” he said.

The PF recently launched its manifesto which they have been circulating.

Times of Zambia

Labels: MANIFESTO, MUZ, PF, PHESTO MUSONDA

posted by MrK @ 5:48 PM