Scott advises farmers to ensure quality products
By Henry Sinyangwe in Lusaka and Cynthia Phiri in Namwala
Mon 22 Oct. 2012, 15:20 CAT
VICE-PRESIDENT Guy Scott has advised farmers to produce quality products that the hospitality industry can easily purchase and make available to consumers at affordable prices.
And the Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU) has called for policies that will reduce the cost of operations in the agriculture sector to make food more affordable.
In a speech delivered for him by agriculture deputy minister Rodgers Mwewa at the hoteliers and farmers' gala night on Friday dubbed: 'Celebrating 48 years of independence with vision, hard work and unity', Vice-President Scott said the government was putting in place measures aimed at turning around the sector so that more jobs and income could be created.
He said the government would do everything possible to create wealth for its people and ensure that poverty levels were reduced by supporting the agriculture sector.
"We envisage a Zambia which will be able to sustain food security and generate opportunities for employment and create wealth for its citizens through agriculture production," Vice-President Scott said. "Therefore, all of us have a duty to work hard so that together we can achieve our desired goal of creating wealth for the nation and for ourselves."
And ZNFU vice-president, Graham Rae called for transport infrastructure and encouraging public, private investment in appropriate storage facilities in the country.
He said farmers were also worried about the rising cost of labour and the proposed electricity tariffs increases that range from 19 to 37 per cent.
"Farmers in Zambia have also lagged behind because of lack of technology to enhance productivity. Recognising this gap, the ZNFU has been riding on Information Communication and Technology (ICT) revolution to transmit timely information to farmers and have set up communication system for E-market information, the E-transport information and soon to be launched E-extension system," said Rae.
Meanwhile, Hotel and Catering Association of Zambia president Daniel Mweetwa said his organisation was committed to creating appropriate avenues of growth in Zambia in order to realise its vision.
He said the association also had over 650 operators countrywide with a labour force of between 35,000 to 40,000.
Meanwhile, Vice-President Scott has reiterated government's commitment to work with all members of parliament regardless of their political affiliation in order to serve Zambians.
Speaking when he paid a courtesy call on chief Mungaila of the lla people of Namwala on Saturday, Vice-President Scott said PF believed in working with all the members of parliament.
He said if PF does not work with the opposition, the Zambians would suffer and no one would benefit.
"Our working policy is to work with all MPs. In the House (Parliament) she (UPND Namwala member of parliament Moono Lubezhi) shouts at me trying to make me red by questioning me, but outside the House, we are friends and there is no problem," he said.
Vice-President Scott said the PF had laid a lot of value on chiefs and traditional establishments.
He said that his government was the first ever to have created a ministry of chiefs and traditional affairs because of the importance it attached to the traditional leaders.
"When you have a lot of different problems like cattle diseases, maize marketing, fertiliser input, it is only the local governance that is, the headmen, the chiefs who know the people that can organise these things; it's not us people who live in Lusaka, we don't know who the genuine citizens of Maala are, we are trying to build you up," he explained.
Chief Mukobela of Namwala thanked Vice-President Scott for officiating at this year's Shimunega traditional ceremony.
Labels: GUY SCOTT, QUALITY ASSURANCE, RODGERS MWEWA, ZNFU
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KCM backtracks on suppliers quality management system
By Kabanda Chulu in Kitwe
Thu 25 Mar. 2010, 04:00 CAT
KONKOLA Copper Mines (KCM) has rescinded its decision to compel all its suppliers to have in place quality management systems (QMS) before they can be registered for contracts.
And Kitwe District Chambers of Commerce and Industry (KDCCI) president Berry Mwango has said KCM has agreed to proposals to conduct quality certification training for selected companies that mainly feed into the production line of the mining company.
Recently, KCM wanted to extend its QMS to its vendors (suppliers) and would- be vendors in line with requirements of International Standards Organisations (ISO) 9001:2008 quality standards to which KCM is certified.
KCM had argued that it would be easier to validate compliance as the system to be implemented would be compatible with the KCM scenario as it would have demonstrated conformity to ISO 9001 quality standards thereby retaining its certification and continue to contribute positively to the national economy.
“If your organisation is not certified to the quality standard, at least one member of the organisation must be trained in QMS from a recognised institution through your own arrangement. Thereafter vendors will be allowed to trade with KCM and vendors who shall have no representative trained at the time of the expiry period will be on standby until the requirement is fulfilled and vendors seeking registration for the first time must fulfill requirements before they can be registered,” KCM stated.
But following a series of meetings with stakeholders such as KDCCI, KCM changed its mind to have compulsory certification on quality standards by all its suppliers.
In an interview, Mwango said quality should not be compromised at any cost and quality certification should be a continuous process among industry players.
“But some suppliers don’t need it. For example, it will not make sense to compulsory certify all suppliers including those who provide cleaning services or landscaping. We need certification but it should mainly apply to companies that feed into the production line of KCM or those involved in the core business of the mines like suppliers of explosives, pumps and related equipment,” said Mwango.
“In this line, we made a proposal to KCM and they agreed to conduct a certification training for about 100 companies, especially those that participate in the core business of the mines so that suppliers can perform better and KCM will benefit more. But we advise our members to enhance quality training on their own and not wait for it to be compulsory.”
Labels: KCM, QUALITY ASSURANCE, SUPPLIERS
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Sichula demands quality products in textile industry
By Mutuna Chanda in Kitwe
Wednesday August 13, 2008 [04:00]
ZAMBIA Chamber of Small and Medium Business Associations (ZCSMBA) executive secretary Maxwell Sichula (above) has challenged small-scale textile manufacturers to improve the quality of their products to compete against smuggled goods. In an interview on Sunday, Sichula said the Copperbelt Province and other areas along the line of rail were a huge market for smuggled manufactured articles from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
"Those of our members in small-scale textile manufacturing are facing competition from smuggled chitenge materials for example from DRC," Sichula said. "The Copperbelt due to the increased economic activities is a huge market for chitenge material and salaula (second hand clothes) from DRC and other areas. And this is not unique to just the Copperbelt we have also seen trends in areas along the line of rail for example our colleagues from Zimbabwe are smuggling goods into the country and some of what they smuggle is stretching out to the Copperbelt. So our members have to work hard to improve on the quality of what they manufacture so that they face up with competition."
Sichula said small and medium business enterprises needed to lobby the government to urgently tighten border controls so that unfair competition could be dealt with.
"Our members need to make a lot of noise directed at the government to improve the border security situation to curb smuggling," Sichula said.
"If there's efficiency at the border and smuggling is minimised, even the government will benefit as they will increase their earnings through duty."
And Sichula said the officials from the Chililabombwe District Business Association were in touch with their Congolese counterparts on modalities of increasing trade between Zambia and DRC.
"We have been building a warehouse at Kasumbalesa for members to use for exports to Congo," said Sichula. "The Congo is a huge market for Zambian products especially food products.”
Labels: MAXWELL SICHULA, QUALITY ASSURANCE, ZCSMBA
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MTN, Zain Plc wary over sharing infrastructure in expansion schemes
By Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Tuesday August 12, 2008 [04:00]
MAJOR mobile phone companies in the country, MTN Zambia and Zain Zambia Plc have said sharing infrastructure in the rural expansion programmes will make it difficult for them to maintain quality assurance. And Communications Authority of Zambia (CAZ) director for economics and research Susan Mulikiti said the Authority is not mandated to compel mobile phone companies to share infrastructure in their rural expansion programmes.
Commenting on suggestions that mobile phone companies share infrastructure when rolling out their services to rural areas as doing so on a solo basis was taxing on the companies and to some extent unprofitable, MTN Zambia customer services manager Chimfwembe Mzyece said the mobile phone company stood ready to accomplish its countrywide expansion programme on its own.
"At the moment, we don't see any hindrance in infrastructure in pursuing our expansion to rural areas," Mzyece said in Lusaka last week during the CAZ organised public discussion on the Quality of Service in the ICT. "As we expand our network, we are mindful about quality assurance to our customers, and if we are to share the infrastructure it would be difficult for us to control that."
Zain Zambia Plc public relations manager, Bridget Nundwe who did not give an explicit answer on the matter, however said the country's leading mobile phone provider shared the view of MTN Zambia on the sharing of infrastructure in rural expansion programmes.
Nundwe also consented that it was quite taxing for Zain Zambia Plc to take mobile services to rural areas and that the situation had been exacerbated by the current power shortage in the country.
However, she said Zain Group was currently implementing the "One network" programme aimed at providing a borderless mobile phone services to all its subscribers who might be in different countries.
Earlier, Mulikiti said the mobile phone sector was liberalised and that CAZ could not compel companies to share infrastructure.
"Unless maybe we were in an environment where mobile phone companies were restricted to certain parts of the country...but currently all areas are fully liberalised," said Mulikiti.
Labels: CAZ, ITC, QUALITY ASSURANCE
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Bwalya urges promotion of honey products
By Joan Chirwa
Thursday May 01, 2008 [04:00]
HONEY products need strong promotional plans in order to gain domestic and regional market recognition in the highly competitive global market, chief economist in the Ministry of Commerce Lillian Bwalya has said. Launching the ZHC Quality Assurance Mark (QAM) for honey products in Zambia, Bwalya said adhering to product quality guarantee would increase Zambia’s chances of penetrating regional markets for honey.
“I wish to emphasise the fact that we are now living in a highly competitive global market. In this regard, a guarantee of product quality should be adhered to,” Bwalya said.
“As you may be aware, honey packers are improving packaging and products standards that, among others, increase domestic as well as regional market sales at higher prices.”
Bwalya said improved marketability of Zambian produced honey should increase incomes of beekeepers in the country.
“The Quality Assurance Mark will of course enrich the processors by raising their required incomes,” Bwalya said.
“We expect that the improved marketability of Zambian honey with the ZHC Quality Assurance Mark will also enable the honey processors to pay more for the quality honey produced by the beekeepers in this country. Government has since taken deliberate steps to promote export trade in general and composition of non-traditional exports (NTEs).”
The ZHC early this year entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Zambia Bureau of Standards in an effort to highlight issues of transparency over the inspection of the processing plants for honey processors and packers. This will be done in accordance with the agreed standard terms as highlighted in the MoU between the two institutions.
“I wish to mention to you, therefore, that there is need for the beekeepers to adopt best field practices that will provide quality honey of marketable standards for the domestic as well as the regional markets. When value addition is made to the products, jobs will also be created, hence contributing to wealth of our economy,” said Bwalya.
Labels: HONEY, LILLIAN BWALYA, QAM, QUALITY ASSURANCE
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Kansanshi Mine urges suppliers of goods to adopt quality standards
By Joan Chirwa in Solwezi
Thursday April 17, 2008 [04:00]
KANSANSHI Mining Plc has urged suppliers of goods and services in Solwezi to adopt quality standards for their products to maintain supply contracts with the mine. And Kansanshi Mining Plc has advanced its jatropha cultivation project with local farmers as a way of enriching the depleted areas while taking into account modern inventions in the bio fuels industry.
Kansanshi Mining Plc Public Relations manager Godfrey Msiska said the mine had given about 50 per cent consideration to local suppliers for the supply of goods and services in order to promote small-scale entrepreneurs.
"The mine has got a deliberate policy to support local businesses, especially those in Solwezi. We urge the local entrepreneurs and suppliers of goods and services to try and observe the criteria for the provision of any service to the mine," Msiska said on Tuesday.
"The suppliers need to meet the quality standards. They have to be competitive in terms of pricing as well as delivery time of the products. This is the basic criteria for any individual or company to start supplying products to the mine. Once they meet the criteria, there will be no reason for them not to supply goods to the mine."
Msiska said a number of small-scale businessmen within Solwezi had maintained regular supply of products to Kansanshi Mine.
"It is quite easy to do business with Kansanshi Mine as long as business people follow the procedures," Msiska said. " More than half of the business goes to the local suppliers of goods and services and a good number have been quite regular in supplying commodities to the mine."
And Kansanshi Mining Plc Environmental manager Richard Zyambo said the company’s decision to venture into jatropha cultivation was in respect of the need to maintain a safe environment, years after the expiry of the mine life.
"We are currently focusing on areas already disturbed by mining activities and that is where we are encouraging farmers to plant their jatropha," Zyambo said.
"At the moment, we have about 150 farmers under an out grower scheme. Kansanshi is providing all the materials for jatropha cultivation at no fee and we are also giving the farmers farming inputs for other crops so that the country’s food security is not disturbed because of increased interests in bio fuel production."
Zyambo said as much as the company valued its core business of mining, its intention was to attract players in the bio fuels sector to set up a plant in Solwezi for the promotion of the industry.
"The farmers we are working with have been trained. We have entered into three-year contracts with them, and by that time, we will have some seed as we have a guaranteed market for the commodity," Zyambo said.
"The use of bio fuels has taken a lot of interests, so we are hoping to attract investors to come and set up a bio fuel plant in Solwezi once we increase on production of jatropha. And as Kansanshi, we are trying to look at a ratio of one to four in mixing bio fuel and fossil fuels. The rising prices of fuel have raised our cost of production thereby impacting on annual profits."
Labels: KANSANSHI MINING PLC, QUALITY ASSURANCE
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Government embarks on quality control project
By Agness Changala
Thursday January 10, 2008 [03:00]
THE government will next month launch a project to improve the quality of goods and services in the country to meet international standards. Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry director of foreign trade Dorothy Tembo yesterday said funding and technical assistance from various cooperating partners had been sought.
“We are receiving support from European Union Development Fund (EUDF) and from United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) to embark on this project that will help to improve the quality of goods and services in order to meet international standards,” she said.
Tembo said the ministry was also working hand-in-hand with the Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) to help it purchase equipment needed to do their assessment programme for the quality of goods in as far as meeting the international standards was concerned.
She expressed happiness at the progress the country had made so far in meeting international standards for the goods the country was already exporting.
“I must say I’m happy because we are meeting the required standards for the goods being exported so far,” Tembo said.
She said trade in Zambia was doing well but the cost of doing business was very high due to the country’s landlocked nature.
Tembo said this was hampering business because it took a long time to move trucks from one point to the other.
“You may find that because of the route being lengthy and complicated, the driver has to take a lot of days away from the family and this requires that these people are paid some allowances which are costly on our part because the more one delays the more money we pay them,” she said.
Tembo said the situation was slowly being addressed to ensure that little time was spent on transportation.
“Because of these problems, we have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Zambia and Zimbabwe called One Stop Border Post (OSBP) which will allow for quick clearance on the boarders,” said Tembo.
Labels: QUALITY ASSURANCE
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Chilipamushi urges local firms to improve products
By Fridah Zinyama
Friday June 08, 2007 [04:00]
MINISTRY of Commerce permanent secretary Davidson Chilipamushi has said Zambian companies need to improve their products and services if they are to capture the local and international markets. During the 2007 Customer Service Expo organised by SS Media group Limited, Chilipamushi said when the business community improved their products and services it would be easy to use specialised forums to showcase their products to their local customers.
“What we need at the moment are more specialised forums such as this expo which accords the opportunity to the business community and various institutions to showcase their products,” he said. “The Customer Service expo will help the business communities to demonstrate to their existing and potential clients what they are doing to improve their services.”
Chilipamushi said the expo would afford the business communities with feedback of what their clients feel about their products.
“Government is also doing its part in ensuring that the business environment in the country is good,” he said. “We have realised that in order to improve service delivery, we will have to form partnerships with the private sector.”
Chilipamushi urged the private sector to take the initiative in those areas where they can add value to their products and services. “Government would like to see more private sector initiatives that help to translate government policies into action,” he said.
And Chilipamushi added that government’s commitment to superior service delivery could be seen in its deliberate measures to restructure key institutions that provide critical services to the business community.
“The formation of Zambia Development Agency is meant to help facilitate investment and trade opportunities, company registration, product quality standards and certification and support to small and emerging businesses through specialised agencies that constitute ZDA,” said Chilipamushi.
Labels: DAVIDSON CHILIPAMUSHI, QUALITY ASSURANCE
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