Zamtel customer base expansion plan will continue - Mwanakatwe

Zamtel customer base expansion plan will continue - Mwanakatwe
By Speedwell Mupuchi and Gift Chanda
Thu 02 Feb. 2012, 13:59 CAT

NEWTON Ng'uni says Zambia has suffered great losses in privatising some of the public companies. And Zamtel's newly appointed chairman and chief executive officer Dr Mupanga Mwanakatwe says the company's network and customer base expansion programme will continue following the government's recent takeover of the institution.

Congratulating President Michael Sata and his Cabinet's decision to reverse the sale of 75 per cent shares of Zamtel to Lap Green Network of Libya on account of corruption, Ng'uni, former Deputy Minister of Finance during Frederick Chiluba's regime, also said the simplicity with which the head of state is dealing with many of the issues afflicting Zambia must have unsettled many of his would-be critics as they do not know how to respond.

Ng'uni said reversing the Zamtel sale was one of those things that the Patriotic Front government has done correctly.

"Zambia has suffered great losses in privatising some of the public companies. For instance, Zanaco was stolen from the people of Zambia and I do not understand why the transaction has not been reversed or the buyers asked to pay the true value of the bank at the time of acquisition. The mines, Konkola and Mopani, were sold for a song at the behest of the IMF and the World Bank. At least we should have imposed a high tax on these mines to compensate Zambia," he said.

Ng'uni said former finance minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane's sentiments that reversing the sale of Zamtel would be costly and injurious to Zambia's attraction as an investment destination for foreign capital was false.

"Similarly, the declaration by the chairman of LAP Green that Zamtel belonged to the Libyan people and therefore, the Libyan people will fight to retain it is a misplaced form of ill conceived and internally doomed bravado," he said.

"The true position is that the purported sale of Zamtel by the Zambian Government and the purchase of the sale by the LAP Green were non-events as they did not occur. The procedure to buy a parastatal company in Zambia is cast in law. Anything done outside that procedure renders everything null and void, regardless of the position assumed by the President in private meetings with the buyers."

Ng'uni said the transaction consummated by LAP Green over Zamtel was stillborn from the beginning.

He said there was no expense incurred in reversing a fraudulent transaction and urged government to quickly decide whether there should be any compensation to be considered.

"Foreign investors are not thieves and all genuine investors will be happy with Zambia because they now know that one cannot cut corners to acquire public property in Zambia. They will all ensure that procedures are followed to the letter when investing in Zambia," he said.

Ng'uni said the Libyan people were not thieves who want to be going around the world fraudulently acquiring other nations' properties.

And in a statement yesterday, Dr Mwanakatwe assured the general public that Zamtel's ambitious growth and investment plans had remained on track.

He stated that the country's only total communication solutions provider would continue to pursue an aggressive growth path, adding that operations have continued to run smoothly since he assumed office on January 25.

The Zambian government recently wrestled control of Zamtel from Lap Green Networks after a commission of inquiry set up by President Sata revealed irregularities in the sale of the telecommunication company.

Over a week ago, the government announced the reversal of the sale of Zamtel's 75 per cent shareholding to LAP GreenN, saying the transaction was done corruptly.

And Dr Mwanakatwe paid tribute to Zamtel employees for their professional conduct and dedication towards the growth of the telecommunication company.

"Our ambitious growth and investment plans remain fully on track. We are, for instance, currently in the initial phase of replacing our copper wire network with a modern state-of-the art optical fibre network," Dr Mwanakatwe said. "Our 3G roll-out plan is also on course and very soon we shall be inviting some of our valued customers to participate in product testing."

He said the company is committed to running as a profitable entity dedicated to making a meaningful and lasting contribution to national development.

Dr Mwanakatwe further called on stakeholders to support Zamtel by signing up for its wide range of products and services cutting through its three product descriptors - fixed line, mobile and broadband data.

"Our biggest stakeholder is the Zambian people and if we are to show leadership as is expected of us, it is imperative that we have their support," said Dr Mwanakatwe.