ZCCM-IH not positing profits
By KALONDE NYATI
THE
ZCCM-Investment Holding (IH) has not posted profits or given dividends since its inception over 10 years ago and Government will re-brand the organisation to make it operate profitably and promote local participation in the ownership and management of mining assets.
Mines and Minerals Development Minister Wilbur Simuusa said in an interview that Zambia has for along time not yielded benefits from the mining sector due to the ineffectiveness of ZCCM-IH.
“ZCCM-IH is currently irrelevant and obscure…it is supposed to be like the watchdog for Zambians because it was set up to hold investments in the mines for Zambians,” he said.
He said ZCCM-IH is an important unit which if properly managed, can help the country realise huge benefits from the mining resources.
Mr Simuusa said there is need for the country to have increased ownership in the mines and ZCCM-IH is an engine which can facilitate the process.
He said Government will also engage mining firms on possibilities to list on the Lusaka Stock Exchange (LuSE) to enable Zambians own shares.
“We will get mining firms to float shares on LuSE to give locals the chance to own shares in the mines and benefit from the country’s mineral resources,” he said
Mr Simuusa said the mining sector needs to be fully reviewed if it is to contribute to economic development.
He cited the current tax regime as one of the areas that need to be revisited.
Mr Simuusa said the tax system is complicated and is not fully understood by stakeholders such as the Zambia Revenue Authority which has resulted in failure to collect adequate taxes from the sector.
“We have not collected adequate taxes in the past because ZRA has no capacity to collect the taxes due to the complicated tax regime,” he said
Mr Simuusa said there is need for a simplified tax regime which will benefit both the country and the mining firms.
“We want to look into the whole tax regime and come up with a system which will be a win-win for all stakeholders,” he said.
And on possibilities of re-introducing the ‘controversial’ windfall, Mr Simuusa said Government will decide on whether to re-introduce it after reviewing the mining sector.
“Government will look into the whole process and should it be necessary to bring windfall tax back, we will re-introduce it, though it may take a different form,”
He said Government will engage the mining sector in the whole process.
Labels: DIVIDENDS, TAX EVASION, WILBUR SIMUSA, WINDFALL TAX, ZCCM-IH
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COMMENT - VP Kunda believes that statistics on trends in unemployment in Zambia would embarass the (neoliberal) government. He is probably right. It would also show that throwing open the borders to goods and foreign corporations doesn't 'bring jobs'.
Kunda shoots down motion on employment statistics
By Ernest Chanda
Wed 22 June 2011, 07:50 CAT
VICE-PRESIDENT George Kunda led MMD members of parliament in shooting down a private members’ motion that
could have compelled the government to release consolidated annual statistics on employment levels in the country.The motion was presented to Parliament on Wednesday last week by Nchanga Patriotic Front member of parliament Wilbur Simuusa and seconded by Chongwe MMD member of parliament Sylvia Masebo.
Earlier in his debate on the same motion, Roan member of parliament Chishimba Kambwili revealed that Vice-President Kunda and MMD parliamentary chief whip Vernon Mwaanga had indicated to him that they would reject the motion.
And leading the onslaught on the motion, Vice-President Kunda said it was meant to embarrass the government.
“Honourable Kambwili talked about a private discussion we had with the chief whip, and we were trying to look at the position we were going to take on this motion. So, we agreed that we should reject it. This gives me an opportunity to punch a death nail in this motion; this is a futile exercise. We don’t work at random, we prepare ourselves. And on this side of the House we are going to vote ‘no’ against this motion,” debated Vice-President Kunda.
“This is not the first time I’ve dealt with motions of this nature. Private members’ motions are meant to embarrass government, pour scorn on government and disturb the good nature of government. So when we see such motions we prepare ourselves.
I saw a statement from the minister of labour, which was indicating that government is already doing something on this matter.
And I came to a conclusion that this motion is frivolous and vexatious; therefore we should reject this particular motion. So I urge Honourable members who are properly directing themselves to reject this motion.”
When deputy Speaker Mutale Nalumango put the motion to a vote, it was rejected, as majority MMD members of parliament celebrated and shouted, “ya, ya!”
Earlier, in a keynote speech, Simuusa said the motion was critical in tracking the nation’s fight against poverty and the promotion of sustainable economic growth.
He said in view of the inadequate information on the labour market, it would be good for the government to annually publish consolidated labour statistics which reflect current employment and unemployment trends.
Simuusa said the statistics would also show targets and pledges set by all investors against actual jobs created, both in the public and private sector.
“The importance of labour statistics as an economic and social indicator cannot be overemphasised. These statistics are key in the effective planning, analysis, evaluation, and monitoring of the economy.
They are necessary in assessing the performance of a wide range of government policies and strategies (relating in particular to employment, income and effect of investments on overall employment),” Simuusa said.
“Labour statistics indeed are very much about people’s participation in the labour force, their success in finding employment, their earnings and other benefits, their type of work and their working hours. Labour statistics ultimately provide an indication of the intensity of poverty in the country.”
He said labour statistics were not only important economic indicators; they also measure the performance of labour market.
Simuusa said political leaders also needed labour statistics to show to their constituents the progress government policy had contributed towards achieving social justice in particular and economic development in general.
“Labour statistics are useful to a wide array of stakeholders: government and its agencies and advisors, business people, trade unions, employer associations, academia, civil society organisations, politicians, parliament, etc.
In this regard, labour statistics are not only used to measure and describe the size, structure and characteristics of various entrants into the labour market but also enables the government to design appropriate employment and socio-economic policies,” said Simuusa.
And supporting the motion, Kambwili said it was only in Zambia where election campaigns were not based on labour statistics.
He said in developed countries like the UK and US, labour statistics were a serious issue among various political candidates.
“Any reasonable government should be able to accept their mistakes. Labour statistics are a serious campaign issue all over the world.
If you create employment that has no value to the people then it is as good as not creating it,” said Kambwili.
Labels: GEORGE KUNDA, SYLVIA MASEBO, UNEMPLOYMENT, WILBUR SIMUSA
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Mutati challenged to apologize over windfall tax remarks
Sunday, December 5, 2010, 8:52
Commerce Minister Felix Mutati has been challenged to apologize for saying that Zambians don’t understand windfall tax. Chingola Central Member of Parliament Wilber Simusa has said that Mr. Mutati insulted Zambians for alleging that Zambians don’t understand windfall tax.
He said that it was unfortunate that the Minister of high caliber could issue such a statement on behalf of the government. Mr. Simusa believes that Zambians understand the windfall tax unlike what the Minister said this week.
He said that Zambians wanted to seriously benefit from the mining activities that were taking place in the country.
He said that it is quite unfortunate that the Zambian government had failed to clearly explain on the proceeds it made from the mining activities.
He added that it was a must that the Minister of Commerce Trade and Industry apologize for the comments he made.
QFM
Labels: FELIX MUTATI, NEOLIBERALISM, WILBUR SIMUSA, WINDFALL TAX
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PF MPs query Rupiah’s ‘achievements’
By Darious Kapembwa in Kitwe
Sun 07 Nov. 2010, 03:59 CAT
NCHANGA Patriotic Front member of parliament Wylbur Simuusa has said the MMD is using cosmetic expressions about President Rupiah Banda’s achievements in his two years in office in order to cheat people.
And Nkana PF member of parliament Mwenya Musenge has said President Banda’s greatest achievement in the two years he has been in office has been the weakening of laws that fight corruption.
In an interview, Simuusa advised President Banda and the MMD to let the ordinary Zambian people, especially those that live in poverty-stricken areas, to judge his performance in the last two years.
Simuusa, who is PF chairman for mines, said heaping praise on President Banda’s works in the last two years he had been in office could be likened to parroting because there were still a lot of challenges which had been created by the MMD government in the mining sector.
“I can summarise as parroting; these guys like parroting. They use too much cosmetic expressions to cheat people about so-and-so achievement. Can he tell us the figures that the country will gain from the variable profit tax he has insisted on since his government had rejected the re-introduction of windfall tax? The only achievement is that he is engrossed into campaigns too much. He’s every day campaigning and if he has achieved so much in stabilising the economy, why is it that it is still a challenge for people to eat?” asked Simuusa.
And Musenge said commissioning another person’s project was no achievement at all.
“Personally, I think that he has achieved so much in trying to create lacunas in our statutes that fight corruption in order to weaken them for his personal gains, and you see you cannot make and blow your own trumpet and judge to be the best. Let other people judge the strength of your trumpet,” Musenge said.
He wondered how the economy could be said to have improved when many families went without adequate meals per day.
Musenge said clean water and access to quality health care was still a challenge to many Zambians especially in the peripheral areas in his constituency.
And Chipili PF member of parliament Davies Mwila said President Banda had achieved a lot in weakening the labour movement in the country.
Mwila, who is PF chairperson for labour, wondered why there should be four unions in the mining sector.
“First and foremost, are the people benefiting from the so-called economic growth, even the so-called bumper-harvest? Why is mealie-meal still very costly? What are the benefits to the workers if a government can allow companies to subcontract in the mines and employ foreigners to render Zambians jobless; do you call such achievements? Has he addressed the issue of the minimum wage? It seems he is comfortable with workers getting K258,000 as a wage so much that he can call it an achievement,” said Mwila.
Labels: ACC, DAVIES MWILA, MWENYA MUSENGE, PF, RUPIAH BANDA, WILBUR SIMUSA
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Rupiah is playing games with corruption - Simuusa, Kakoma
Written by Ernest Chanda
Friday, June 12, 2009 8:31:49 PM
PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda's poor handling of corruption cases in Zambia is going to plunge this country into serious economic and social problems, the PF and UPND have warned. In a joint statement in Lusaka yesterday, Nchanga Patriotic Front (PF) member of parliament Wilbur Simuusa and Zambezi West United Party for National Development (UPND) member of parliament Charles Kakoma charged that President Banda was playing games on issues of corruption.
Simuusa, who read the statement on behalf of the two parties, urged President Banda to act on the findings of the judge Dennis Chirwa-chaired tribunal on former communications and transport minister Dora Siliya.
"The resources being abused and plundered are people's resources. As President, he is only a custodian of those resources. When the owners of the resources, the Zambian people, want to know how their resources are to be utilised and why action is not being taken to safeguard their resources, President Banda owes them an explanation," Simuusa said.
"President Rupiah Banda must act on the findings of the Dora Siliya tribunal. It is now becoming months since the findings, since the judge Dennis Chirwa tribunal submitted their report to President Banda. The President has opted to sit on it and refused or failed to act on it. Why is he behaving like that?' We suspect that the President wants the Zambian people to forget about it after passage of time."
The two parties also demanded that the findings of the Auditor General's report on the Ministry of Health should be made public.
"President Banda must cause to be published the recent audit report by the Auditor General on the Ministry of Health's K27 billion scam. The people want to know the findings of the Auditor General. It is surprising that the government is silent after receiving the Auditor General's report. What is it that they are hiding?" the two parties asked.
The two parties asked President Banda to find money for the Auditor General to enable them extend the probe to all ministries and spending agencies.
"President Rupiah Banda must cause an audit to be carried out at the Ministry of Local Government and Housing to establish the truth on the purchase of 100 hearses without any tender and at inflated prices, procurement of 150 vehicles for Keep Zambia Clean campaign without any tender and the purchase of speed boats that are not suitable for Zambian environment. President Banda should also clear former minister Sylvia Masebo to explain what she knows about the deals," said the two parties.
Last week, the PF and UPND signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enable them work together on national issues ahead of the 2011 general elections.
Labels: CHARLES KAKOMA, CORRUPTION, RUPIAH BANDA, WILBUR SIMUSA
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Simusa challenges Teta over mayoral elections
Written by Kelvin Tembo
Thursday, December 25, 2008 10:27:30 AM
NCHANGA PF member of parliament Wilbur Simusa says the arrogance being exhibited by local government minister Benny Tetamashimba on mayoral elections shows lack of planning and insincerity on the part of the government.
In an interview on Wednesday, Simusa challenged Tetamashimba to come out in the open and tell the nation why he was postponing the elections.
“It is sad and frightening for a cabinet minister to express such arrogance and lack of planning and insecurity,” he said.
Simusa said before parliament adjourned, Tetamashimba in a ministerial statement told the house that all mayoral elections would be conducted by December 5, 2008 and installation by December 12, 2008.
He said Tetamashimba told parliament that by end of December, all local council budgets should be ready.
“But within less than two weeks, he is turning around and interfering with mayoral elections. He says he wants the budgets submitted first,” he said.
Simusa said that was the reason why Chingola council went ahead and conducted the mayoral elections where they elected the mayor Simon Chanda of Nsansa ward and his deputy Catherine Zulu of Chikola ward on December 17.
And Simusa also challenged Tetamashimba to pay over K3.5 billion that was owed to more than 120 council retirees since 2000.
“Sixty of these retirees have since died and only 66 were alive and it is unacceptable for the government not to pay the retirees for this long,” he said.
Simusa said it was unacceptable for the council to pay the town clerk who retired recently while there were retirees who had not been paid.
Labels: BENNY TETAMASHIMBA, PF, WILBUR CHIMUUSA, WILBUR SIMUSA
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