DPI calls for strategies to implement sixth national development plan
By Namatama Mundia
Mon 18 Jan. 2010, 04:00 CAT
DEVELOPMENT Partnership International-Zambia (DPI) has said there is need to formulate strategies for implementing the sixth national development plan (SNDP) to empower Zambians, especially the youths.
In a press statement yesterday, DPI-Zambia media and strategy coordinator Richard Msauka called on the government to ensure that the fundamental necessity of the plan should have in place strategies which could identify the people who were target beneficiaries during the design process.
“It is important to note that every society that fails to invest properly in young people shatters the future of such society,” Musauka stated. “In the same way, we wish to state that politics of poverty and insults should remain in the past so that energies can be put together in the nation for identifying solutions to the poverty challenges the common people face in the country.”
He noted that there was need for Zambians not to take advantage of the peace and harmony which the country enjoys.
“What we are saying is that there is need to ensure that sound strategies are put in place upon which development efforts which ensure equitable distribution of the national cake is made reality for all,” Musauka stated. “Why is it that Zambians should be living in dehumanising conditions when they sit on natural wealth which is located underground yet it is not clear what the government projects to generate from the mining sector?”
He also called for the reintroduction of the windfall tax on mining companies owing to the rise in copper prices on the international market.
“Because of the continued widespread poverty and underdevelopment in the country, we are urging the government to involve all stakeholders in the country starting with the civil society, the church, media and young people and women to take a rough audit of previous national development plans,” Musauka said.
He stated that identified areas of weaknesses and strengths could be used as benchmarks for successful design and implementation of the sixth national development plan and designing of strategies for its implementation.
“This can translate in the betterment of the general livelihoods of the people and national development. But looking at the way general development efforts have been handled in the past few years, it is agreeable that the poverty situation in Zambia is man-made due to politics of poverty,” he stated.
Musauka further appealed to Zambians to turn out in large numbers to obtain national registration cards in order for them to register as voters and take part in electing selfless leaders during next year’s general elections.
“There is need for scrutiny of people who aspire for leadership in 2011 because scrutiny has been one of the missing factors behind the choices voters make to elect their leaders,” stated Musauka.
Labels: DPI, RICHARD MSAUKA, SIXTH NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN
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DPI advises on EPAs
Written by Nchima Nchito Jr
RURAL development dialogue must be done before signing Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), Development Partnership International (DPI) has stated.
In a statement, DPI supported commerce minister Felix Mutati’s decision to dismiss the April, 2009 deadline for signing full EPAs.
“Increased budgetary allocation to rural development can help African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries to be in a better position to sign and implement EPAs,” stated Richard Musauka, DPI’s media and strategy coordinator.
Musauka stated that DPI noted the need to develop and improve infrastructure through increased funding. He further stated that the private and public sector needed to partner for ACPs to be ready for EPAs and to make implementation successful.
“Governments in ACP countries should use the macroeconomic environment to build infrastructure and capacity to set the basis for balance and sustainable growth. National budget allocations should improve and continue to put emphasis on the social sector.
More attention is needed to creating value addition to raw materials and direct more attention to domestic private sector investment as a counterpart to foreign direct investment,” Musauka stated.
He also stated that while DPI acknowledged that donor support for African development had been around for a long time, ACP governments needed to work hard to bring development in their countries.
“It must also further be noted that governments and donors come and go and they change their ways and goals quite often. They are a bit unsteady sometimes and this raises a critical need for the people in ACP regions to work hard,” stated Musauka.
Labels: DPI, EPAs
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Sale of parastatals worries DPI
Written by Agness Changala
Monday, February 16, 2009 5:05:10 AM
In a statement yesterday, DPI Zambia media and strategy coordinator Richard Musauka stated that the privatisation programme had failed to provide solutions to poverty challenges in the country.
“We therefore urge the government to suspend the strategic plan for the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry for 2006 to 2010,” Musauka stated.
He also has expressed sadness with continued privatisation of companies even when the privatisation programme of 1990 left sufficient scars from such harsh economic restructuring systems.
Musauka stated that the performance of privatised companies over the last 15 years had been pathetic and left much to desired.
“It is unlikely that the government’s continued pursuit to privatise the remaining public enterprises could add economic and social value to the growth of national economy and welfare of the people,” he stated.
He further stated that it was the government’s responsibility to create an enabling environment for the private sector to invest and conduct business and not to transfer all public companies into private hands.
Musauka noted that there must be a certain level of economic autonomy by the government in every liberalised economy.
Labels: CORRUPTION, DPI, PARASTATALS, POVERTY, PRIVATISATION, RICHARD MUSAUKA
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DPI advises govt to develop agriculture
Written by Fridah Zinyama
Monday, January 05, 2009 6:18:37 PM
DEVELOPMENT Partnership International-Zambia (DPI) has urged the government to critically look at developing the agriculture sector for Zambia to survive the current economic woes.
In a statement, DPI-Zambia Strategy coordinator Richard Musauka stated that the agriculture sector had massive potential to contribute to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“The current 20 per cent contribution that agriculture makes to the GDP is a mockery of its potential,” he stated. “The sector is more than capable of doubling the figure if government seriously invested in it.”
Musauka stated that although past governments had tried to invest in agriculture, action on growing winter maize, irrigation, crop diversification and livestock development had been sluggish and poor in some cases.
“We would like to remind government that eradicating extreme poverty, which is also top of the Millennium Development Goal (MDGs) in a country like Zambia can systematically and strategically be addressed through agriculture,” he stated.
Musauka stated that it was unacceptable that over 80 per cent of the highly impoverished people were in rural areas when Zambia had over 60 per cent of arable land which was uncultivated.
“To this end, we would like to urge government to find a smarter way of encouraging investment in agriculture,” stated Musauka. “It is high time policy-makers realised that agriculture builds a strong economic foundation for any country. It is against such a background that we strongly advocate that the 2009 national budget should be agriculture development oriented.”
Labels: AGRICULTURE, DEVELOPMENT, DPI
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EPAs will not advantage Zambia, says DPI
By Nomusa Michelo
Tuesday January 01, 2008 [03:00]
DEVELOPMENT Partnership International (DPI) Zambia media and strategy coordinator Richard Musauka has said the interim Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA) will not advantage the country if there is no industrial development. In a statement, Musauka said the setting up of industries would undoubtedly put African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries on upright track to supply the open world markets with competitive value added products.
“The recently signed interim Economic Partnership Agreements cannot advantage Zambia and other African Caribbean Pacific (ACP) countries which have signed, unless substantial assistance from donors is targeted at the setting-up of industrial infrastructure which must target increased, balanced and sustainable trade with the developed world,” he said.
He said in order to reach a level of industrialisation, there was need to eliminate the threat of expensive imports from industrialised countries that ACP countries have been subjected to due to the lack of industries.
“The other important factor which must be taken into account is that of industrial technology transfer from the industrialised world into the ACP countries which have to enable the developing world and particularly sub-Saharan Africa which in the African region is much behind in achieving the MDGs,” he said. “If the steps to setup sufficient and suitable processing and manufacturing public and private infrastructure are put into place in the ACP countries and in particular, the case being for Zambia we are not going to make advantage benefits from the interim Economic Partnership Agreements.”
He said the government should seriously take into consideration to ensure that more industries are set up so that the country is not exporting a lot of raw material.
Labels: ACP, DPI, EPAs
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DPI recommends end to mines energy subsidies
By Florence Bupe
Thursday December 13, 2007 [03:00]
THE government needs to discontinue energy subsidies to the mines and use the revenue for the expansion of the sector, Development Partnership International (DPI) Zambia has recommended. And energy permanent secretary Peter Mumba has admitted that at the time the energy subsidies for the mines were being decided on, the government was desperate to bring in foreign mining investment.
DPI Zambia media and strategy coordinator Richard Musauka said the current energy subsidies granted to the mines could have gone towards the empowerment of rural communities through increased electrification.
“The policies government puts in place should be of benefit to both the local people as well as the private foreign investors,” Musauka said. “It must be noted with shame that a country with vast water resources cannot provide electricity to the majority of its citizens.”
Musauka advised the government to listen to the appeals by various sectors of society to scrap off the energy subsidies to the mines as a way of increasing access to electricity, especially for the rural communities.
“It is advised that the government should cancel the energy subsidies given to rich investors at the expense of poor rural communities. Would it be okay, for example, for a family man to buy a bag of mealie meal for his friends when his own children are in starvation?” he asked.
Musauka further said the continued energy subsidies to the mines were negatively impacting on Zambia’s efforts to environmental sustainability.
“The energy subsidies Zesco has given to the mines are contributing to deforestation in the country and this will in the near future affect Zambia’s preparatory efforts to ensuring environmental sustainability,” Musauka said. “The huge volumes of charcoal being consumed in Zambia are going to make it difficult for the country to survive the calamities coming with global warming.”
But Mumba said that the government was not relaxed about reviewing energy tariffs for the mines in a bid to improve the living standards of millions of its citizens.
“The tariffs the mines are paying are being reviewed, just like we are reviewing the development agreements,” Mumba explained. “At the time energy tariffs for the mines were being negotiated, we were in a hurry to attract investors into the sector. I’m sure you will recall that Anglo-America pulled out at a very critical stage, and government had to find a way of pulling investors.”
He said the government was already in the process of reviewing energy tariffs for the mines, and expected that new tariffs would be effected early next year.
“I agree that it is only proper and correct that energy tariffs for mining houses are reviewed as soon as possible. However, the first step is to negotiate with CEC (Copperbelt Energy Corporation) as the major supplier to the mines, who in turn are expected to renegotiate directly with the big mining houses,” he said.
And Mumba disclosed that the country would be adequately covered in terms of fuel availability during the festive season.
“There is completely no need for motorists to worry as we have more than enough fuel, we don’t know what to do with it. We are expecting 90,000 metric tonnes of feedstock to dock in Dar-es-Salaam on December 14 (Friday) and this consignment will last until the end of February next year. By then, we will be ready to engage the supplier under the long term procurement strategy,” said Mumba.
Labels: DPI, ENERGY, MINING
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Review mineral royalties in 2008 budget - DPI
By Fridah Zinyama
Tuesday October 30, 2007 [03:00]
DEVELOPMENT Partnership International (DPI) Zambia has echoed statements by stakeholders that government reviews the mineral royalties and corporate taxes in the 2008 national budget. DPI-Zambia strategy coordinator Richard Musauka said development agreements should be reviewed including concessions so that the nation can benefit from increased earnings from the mines.
“The tax measures should include withholding tax on dividends, interest, royalties, management fees and payments to affiliates or subcontractors in the mining sector at a standard rate,” he said.
Masauka said mining firms that had received tax incentives in 2000 to enable them stabilise their operations at that time of low prices should be made to contribute more to the national treasury since the mineral prices at the international market were at their best.
Masauka said the 2008 national budget should provide for mining companies in the country to pay mineral royalties and corporate tax at a revised standard.
And finance and national planning minister Ng’andu Magande said government had only received K300 billion from mineral royalties and company tax as of August this year.
“Questions have been raised as to whether the concessions are still justifiable. We have seen an unprecedented increase in the international metal prices. Therefore, the basis on which these concessions were given no longer exist which is why our renegotiating team is retreating to find the best way in arriving at a status that benefits both the mining companies and the people of Zambia,” he observed.
Labels: 2008 BUDGET, DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS, DPI, MAGANDE, MINING CONTRACTS
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