Economy
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Zambia’s Hosting of UNWTO Leaves Some on Sidelines
Many Zambian government officials are proud to be co-hosting the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) general assembly on August 24-29 along with Zimbabwe, however a number of citizens are complaining that they’ve been pushed aside during the preparations for the event. In recent weeks, Zambia’s Ministry of Tourism, which is responsible for the event, have taken a heavy handed approach to the development and preparation of areas of Livingstone, which in some cases has involved destroying the businesses and means of livlihood for a number of small market vendors. The vendors have seen their market stalls torn down by …More
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Teachers Threaten Industrial Action over Subsidy
The Zambia National Union of Teachers (ZNUT) has called on government to reinstate the rural hardship and double class allowances or face industrial action. ZNUT Lusaka District chairperson Richard Katongo said the arbitrary suspension of the allowances without notice amounted to discrimination on the hard working teachers. He said government should note that the allowances were a toughly negotiated entitlement that could not be withdrawn without consultation. But acting Education Minister Emelyn Kabanshi said government will only negotiate after it had concluded its investigations on the matter. She said there was no need for government to consult unions before suspending …More
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Fertilizer Prices Up 100%
Government has upped the price from fertilizer under the Farmer Support Input Programme by 100 percent from K50 to K100. And former agriculture minister Eustackio Kazonga said the increase would affect the small scale farmers that were already struggling even to cope with the K50. With the Patriotic Front government having already reduced the number of fertilizer bags from eight to four since taking over power, the small scale farmers are bound to resist the change. “The hike from K50 rebased to K100 in the price of the Fertilizer under the Input Support Programme will affect the most vulnerable farmers …More
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Hike of Cement Price Guts Construction Sector
The National Council for Construction (NCC) says the increase in the price of cement is unfortunate especially coming after rises in fuel in other critical sectors. NCC Executive Director Dr Sylvester Mashamba said there is need to probe the widespread increase in the general price of commodities. He said the increase in the price of cement would increase the cost of construction. “On one hand they want to remove subsidies to have money to build hospitals, school and roads but then the same measure seems to push up the prices of other commodities including cement,” he said. “We need to …More
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Over 1, 000 Miners Lose Jobs
Over 1,300 miners have lost their jobs in Chingola and Chililabombwe over the last five months. The Mining Contractors and Allied Workers of Zambia (MCAWZ) have since expressed concern at the rate the people are losing jobs in the mining firms. Most of the jobs lost were those with the contracted companies by Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) whose contracts have not been renewed. MCAWZ secretary Bernard Chibwa said the situation is alarming especially considering the huge numbers of people involved. The PF was voted into office on the promise of providing jobs for the unemployed Zambians and Copperbelt gave them …More
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Consumers Condemn Rising Prices, Unza Students Protest
Consumer Unit Trust has condemned the removal of the mealie meal subsidy by the Patriotic Front government. And University of Zambia students plan to stage protests over government’s continued scrapping off of any form of relief from Zambians like subsidies. CUTS national coordinator Simon Ng’ona said it was sad that the move came barely a week after fuel subsidies that has triggered a chain of price increases. “It is unacceptable for government to remove the mealie meal subsidy after having removed the fuel subsidy a few weeks ago which has provoked fuel increases in almost all aspects of life making …More
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Zambia to Eliminate Maize Subsidy
The Patriotic Front (PF) government has announced that it will remove the country’s long-standing maize subsidy in a move that will further push up the price of the staple food for most citizens. Agriculture Minister Bob Sichinga announced that the cabinet had approved the removal of the subsidy that follows after the striking off the fuel subsidy a few weeks ago, which has led to an rapid increase in the cost of living in Zambia. Sichinga said the subsidy had proved unsustainable and admitted that government was aware that the price of mealie meal would go up. During its 2011 …More
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Zambia Facing Shortage of HIV Medications
The Network of Anti Retroviral Users of Zambia is perturbed at the current shortage and rationing of the life-prolonging drugs used for treatment of HIV-positive citizens. However these complaints have thus far been dismissed by government officials. Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Dr Peter Mwaba said there was no need to panic, arguing that there were enough stocks of anti-retrovirals and that he had not received any reports about these shortages and rationing of the medicine. Network President Daniel Lungu said anti-retroviral users in Zambia were worried that they current shortage and rationing of these life-saving drugs would bring about …More
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Kitwe Market Struggles with Crime
Marketeers at Chisokone Market in Kitwe have complained against rampant crime, filth and lawlessness in the city’s biggest trading place. The marketers said the Patrotic Front (PF) leaders in the district must prove that they were action oriented by organizing the market space. But Kitwe City Council Town Clerk Bornwell Luanga said plans were under way to erect a modern shopping mall at Chisokone market, but marketeers must support the council’s plans to build a new structure. Some marketeers at Chisokone said the market had turned into a crime den, including illegal businesses and illicit sex, which often or sometimes …More
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Millers Under Heavy Pressure from Govt on Prices
The government is trying to coerce millers not to hike mealie meal prices following the recent 15 per cent rise of fuel rates in Zambia by refuting reports that the Millers Association of Zambia had written to the government proposing a 35 per cent increase in the staple food. According to Agriculture deputy Minister Greyford Monde, the government had not received correspondence from the Millers Association of Zambia in which the millers want to hike the price of the staple food. But the Millers association of Zambia has said the proposal was delivered the government last week. The government is …More