Zambia: Sikota lauds State over land rates
April 16, 2010, 8:32
UNITED Liberal Party (ULP) President Sakwiba Sikota has commended Government for revoking the decision to increase land rates by 1,000 per cent.
Mr Sikota said in a statement released in Lusaka yesterday that land was a vital component in the development of the country which needed to be handled in collaboration with other stakeholders such as farmers.
He commended the Government for responding to concerns raised by farmers on rates and for revoking its decision to increase land rates by 1,000 percent.
“Currently, most of our farmers cannot afford to pay huge land rates because of limited use of land.
“While we appreciate that Government needs resources to administer land matters, there is a need to develop a system that will help to increase food production and meet the cost of land administration,” the statement reads in part.
Mr Sikota said the ULP hoped the decision not to increase land rates would lead to a system that could benefit both the farmers and institutions that administer land.
He said Government should reform the valuation of land Act to allow for some exemptions to community organisations such as charities involved in farming.
Some of the concessions on land rates could be provided to pensioners who decide to get into farming.
Mr Sikota suggested that peasant farmers that intended to get into commercial farming with land size from 50,000 hectares could be allowed to apply for exemption from paying land rates for two years.
He said Government could also put in measures to ensure there was no abuse of the exemption facility.
Mr Sikota said if land which had been subjected to exemption was alienated within six years of such exemption, the new owners would have to pay the exempted rates.
[ Times of Zambia ]
Labels: LAND RATES, SAKWIBA SIKOTA
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Govt revokes decision to increase land rates
By Lovely Kayombo in Chisamba
Mon 12 Apr. 2010, 04:00 CAT
LANDS minister Gladys Lundwe has said that the government has revoked its earlier decision to increase land rates on commercial farms by 1000 per cent.
Addressing District Farmers Association (DFA) chairpersons at Golden Valley Agricultural Research Trust in Chisamba on Thursday, Lundwe said the government had heard farmers’ cries and appeals. She said the ministry was open to give title deeds to all emerging farmers.
This was after a farmer from Mwinilunga complained that lack of title deeds was the main reason farmers in the area did not progress.
“The reason why we don’t progress is lack of title to our land. In Mwinilunga there are only two commercial farmers with titles,” he said.
And Peter Daka disclosed that the government has partnered with the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) to come up with a good floor price for agricultural produce.
Daka, who is also Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, said the government was the major stakeholder in the marketing of agricultural produce and cautioned farmers against falling prey to briefcase businessmen.
“If we don’t pay our farmers well … next time they will decide to grow something else (tobacco) and we will not have anything to eat,” he said.
Daka said the government would not run away from its responsibility of helping farmers and urged them to diversify.
“The whole essence of business is to grow, therefore the same should apply to agriculture…use of wrong seeds and wrong methods is also contributing to low yields,” said Daka.
Labels: GLADYS LUNDWE, LAND RATES, PETER DAKA, TITLE DEEDS
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Govt has said new land rates were a mistake – ZNFU
By Mutale Kapekele
Thu 04 Mar. 2010, 04:00 CAT
The Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has said the government has responded to the union's reaction over the increase of land rates by nearly 1,000 per cent by the operation of Statutory Instrument No. 110.
According to ZNFU president Jervis Zimba, the government has said the new land rates were a mistake. Zimba said the government has also requested ZNFU to give the Ministry of Lands time to rectify the error after consulting the other relevant government ministries.
He advised farmers not pay any land rates until the alleged anomaly was rectified. The recent increase of land rates by nearly 1,000 per cent by the Ministry of Lands had shocked the farming community.
Less than two years ago, the ministry increased the land rates by between 500-600 per cent.
This was done through the issuance of the Statutory Instrument No. 44 of 2006 under the lands Act CAP 184 (Ground Rent, Fees and Charges) of the Laws of Zambia which came into effect on February 13, 2007.
Zimba said the increase caused a lot of difficulties for farmers of all sizes to meet the land rate payment obligations.
Labels: JERVIS ZIMBA, LAND RATES, ZNFU
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Kitwe’s Cha Cha Cha locals resolve not to pay land rates
By a Correspondent
Sun 21 Feb. 2010, 04:00 CAT
RESIDENTS of Kitwe’s Cha Cha Cha township have resolved not to pay land rates to Kitwe City Council
following the development of an open-pit mine close to their houses by
Mopani Copper Mines (MCM) without addressing their concerns.
But Kitwe council public relations officer Dorothy Sampa said the residents’ resolution was unfortunate considering that so many consultative meetings had been held between ECZ and the residents to resolve the issue relating to the open-pit mine.
According to a letter signed by 120 Cha Cha Cha residents and addressed to Kitwe Town Clerk Ali Simwinga dated January 26, 2010 and copied to among others, minister environment, Minister of Mines, Copperbelt minister, Environmental Council of Zambia (ECZ) and Kitwe district commissioner MacDonald Mtine, there was no transparency involving the development of the mine.
The residents said their cries and concerns had completely been ignored since MCM had been allowed to start an open pit mine behind their houses without giving due consideration to the environmental consequences and hazards which would affect the residents and the environment.
The residents said following a meeting between, ECZ, MCM, Cha Cha Cha residents and the council, ECZ was mandated to meet their demands, which included production of the public hearing report concerning the open-pit mine, re-measuring the distance between residential houses and the open-pit mine to the acceptable standards and production of the ECZ manager’s press report as part of the Environment Impact Assessment Compliance.
“Amid all these uncertainties and failures to address our concerns with the seriousness they deserve, we Cha Cha Cha residents, have resolved to demand that MCM Plc shift us from Cha Cha Cha Township to a safe place where our safety can be guaranteed. Failure to comply with our first demand, we have vowed not to pay land rates to the KCC,” read the letter.
The residents vowed to see President Rupiah Banda over the matter.
But Sampa said the pertinent issues which the residents raised had been addressed by the ECZ before it granted authority to MCM to proceed with the development of the open pit mine.
“If, however, the residents feel that these issues still remain unresolved, there are channels of appealing to the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, but certainly the stopping payments of rates is not one of the channels of appeal because rates are taxes on properties in order to meet services of public nature like cemeteries, street lighting and others,” said Sampa.
“My appeal to the residents of Cha Cha Cha is that while they may have a good cause, they should not take the law into their own hands. I do wish to state that failure to pay rates by any rate payer may result into a serious matter and may compel the council to send bailiffs which would be regrettable, but unavoidable.”
Labels: ENVIRONMENT, KITWE, LAND RATES, MACDONALD MTINE, MCM, MINING, POLLUTION
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ZNFU resists proposed land rates
By Florence Bupe
Sat 20 Feb. 2010, 03:04 CAT
THE Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has resisted the proposal by the Ministry of Lands to increase ground rates.
Appearing before the parliamentary committee on agriculture and lands on Thursday, ZNFU president Jervis Zimba said the proposed increments, which are as high as 80 per cent, were unjustified and should not be allowed.
“Ground rates have gone up by about 80 per cent. For instance, one would pay K2 million for 250 hectares of land, but the rate has now gone up to K11 million for the same piece of land,” Zimba said.
He said the decision by the land ministry would disadvantage many small scale farmers as the cost of production would increase drastically.
Zimba disclosed that the union was currently engaged in discussions with ministry officials with the aim of reducing the rates payable on land.
“Many farmers will be discouraged by the high cost of production brought about by the increase in rates, and this will have a spiral effect on the production levels,” Zimba said. “Most farmers will give up and the pressure to go into communal land will be high.”
And ZNFU head of outreach, member services and administration Coillard Hamusimbi warned that land encroachments would persist as long as the government did not release part of the state owned land into customary tenure.
He observed that part of the land that had remained reserved would be more productive if used for farming activities.
“As a country, we have about 94 per cent of land under customary law, but 39 per cent of this land is under reserves,” Hamusimbi said. “The population is growing but we don’t have additional land being released for settlement. Some of the reserved land has been idle for too long, we could use this land for agricultural purposes.”
Hamusimbi also called for a land audit to take account of how much land is available and how much of it could be released and customary tenure or leasehold.
Committee chairperson Request Muntanga directed ZNFU to submit a report on the union’s specific land requirements by March 31, 2010 for presentation to Parliament.
Labels: JERVIS ZIMBA, LAND RATES
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