Tuesday, 15 January 2019
Sunday, 16 December 2018
Monday, 8 October 2018
ZAMBIAN BREWERIES, DEC STRIKES DEAL...as both parties aim at ending drug and alcohol abuse
Zambian Breweries and the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) have signed a
memorandum of understanding to curb alcohol and drug abuse.
The agreement was signed at the Zambian Breweries Mungwi Road plant last week by Country Director Jose Moran and DEC Deputy Commissioner Kelvin Silwimba.
Speaking at the event, Mr Moran said the cooperation between Zambian Breweries and the DEC presented opportunities to combine the strengths of both parties through their footprint and outreach into smallholders markets, and cement a solid commercial and regulatory relationship.
He said the MOU was in line with Zambian Breweries’ Responsible Alcohol Policy on alcohol abuse and prohibition of underage drinking. He noted that the MOU would also help reduce the sale of potent and harmful tujilijili and junta sold at prices as low as K5, especially to underage youth.
“Alcohol abuse and underage drinking remain prominent in our communities. Here at Zambian Breweries, we believe in bringing people together for better communities. This is why I’m happy we have created a partnership with the Commission to fight alcohol abuse especially among the youth,” he said.
He also appealed to the media to join Zambian Breweries in relaying the message of responsible alcohol consumption.
Corporate affairs director Ezekiel Sekele said the MOU would see the company develop strategies to promote responsible consumption of alcoholic beverages, youth sensitisation and discouraging youths from underage drinking.
It underlined Zambian Breweries’ support of the National Alcohol Policy and its responsibility as a brewer, he added.
“Zambian Breweries highly values partnerships and strategies aimed at lessening the harmful use of alcohol, especially among the youth. We will continue educating and sensitising the youths on the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse,” he said.
The DEC Commissioner Alita Mbahwe, in a speech read on her behalf by the DEC Deputy Commissioner, said she was delighted that Zambian Breweries was committed to curbing illicit alcohol abuse and agreed the MOU was a step in the right direction.
She further noted that the interaction was in line with the model in the Seventh National Development Plan (7NDP) to move away from a standalone thematic approach to addressing national issues towards an integrated multi-sectoral approach.
DEC will support initiatives and partnerships aimed at curbing the vice and that other corporate entities must join Zambian Breweries’ noble cause.
She also said signing the MOU came at an opportune time, as there had been an increase in cases of mental health issues between the ages of 12 and 35 years attributed to alcohol abuse.
“As a Commission, we will partner with Zambian Breweries in creating strategies aimed at reducing illicit drug abuse and underage drinking,” she said.
“It is clear that the problem of drugs, substance and alcohol abuse is on the rise in Zambia. The Commission noted an increase in the number of persons seeking counselling services from 607 in 2016 to 704 clients in 2017,”
“I am delighted we will work hand-in-hand with Zambian Breweries in creating awareness and sensitization programmes, knowledge management and reporting purposes as well as feedback arising from monitoring and evaluation of field activities,” she added.
Witnessing the event, Lusaka City Council director of public health Edgar Mulwanda expressed positivity about the partnership between ZB and DEC and said the MOU will yield positive results.
He said there is also need to increase sensitisation among consumers, as they are key in bringing alcohol and substance abuse to a halt through self-regulation.
 |
| Zambian Breweries Country Director Jose Moran and DEC Deputy Commissioner Kelvin Silwimba shake hands on a memorandum of understanding to curb alcohol and drug abuse. |
The agreement was signed at the Zambian Breweries Mungwi Road plant last week by Country Director Jose Moran and DEC Deputy Commissioner Kelvin Silwimba.
Speaking at the event, Mr Moran said the cooperation between Zambian Breweries and the DEC presented opportunities to combine the strengths of both parties through their footprint and outreach into smallholders markets, and cement a solid commercial and regulatory relationship.
He said the MOU was in line with Zambian Breweries’ Responsible Alcohol Policy on alcohol abuse and prohibition of underage drinking. He noted that the MOU would also help reduce the sale of potent and harmful tujilijili and junta sold at prices as low as K5, especially to underage youth.
“Alcohol abuse and underage drinking remain prominent in our communities. Here at Zambian Breweries, we believe in bringing people together for better communities. This is why I’m happy we have created a partnership with the Commission to fight alcohol abuse especially among the youth,” he said.
He also appealed to the media to join Zambian Breweries in relaying the message of responsible alcohol consumption.
Corporate affairs director Ezekiel Sekele said the MOU would see the company develop strategies to promote responsible consumption of alcoholic beverages, youth sensitisation and discouraging youths from underage drinking.
It underlined Zambian Breweries’ support of the National Alcohol Policy and its responsibility as a brewer, he added.
“Zambian Breweries highly values partnerships and strategies aimed at lessening the harmful use of alcohol, especially among the youth. We will continue educating and sensitising the youths on the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse,” he said.
The DEC Commissioner Alita Mbahwe, in a speech read on her behalf by the DEC Deputy Commissioner, said she was delighted that Zambian Breweries was committed to curbing illicit alcohol abuse and agreed the MOU was a step in the right direction.
She further noted that the interaction was in line with the model in the Seventh National Development Plan (7NDP) to move away from a standalone thematic approach to addressing national issues towards an integrated multi-sectoral approach.
DEC will support initiatives and partnerships aimed at curbing the vice and that other corporate entities must join Zambian Breweries’ noble cause.
She also said signing the MOU came at an opportune time, as there had been an increase in cases of mental health issues between the ages of 12 and 35 years attributed to alcohol abuse.
“As a Commission, we will partner with Zambian Breweries in creating strategies aimed at reducing illicit drug abuse and underage drinking,” she said.
“It is clear that the problem of drugs, substance and alcohol abuse is on the rise in Zambia. The Commission noted an increase in the number of persons seeking counselling services from 607 in 2016 to 704 clients in 2017,”
“I am delighted we will work hand-in-hand with Zambian Breweries in creating awareness and sensitization programmes, knowledge management and reporting purposes as well as feedback arising from monitoring and evaluation of field activities,” she added.
Witnessing the event, Lusaka City Council director of public health Edgar Mulwanda expressed positivity about the partnership between ZB and DEC and said the MOU will yield positive results.
He said there is also need to increase sensitisation among consumers, as they are key in bringing alcohol and substance abuse to a halt through self-regulation.
Monday, 24 September 2018
Tuesday, 19 June 2018
Zambia mobilising resources and consensus to combat Climate Change, a modern-day challenge to development
By MacPherson Mukuka
Climate Change has continued to top the list of priorities among many Governments across the World.
This probably due to its adverse effects it is likely to pose on the development agendas of most Nations.
However, most countries have intensified their programmes for climate change resilience.
Zambia is not an exception.
And Government says climate change is a developmental challenge and the country is taking all necessary actions to minimise further environmental degradations and ramifications on the economy and national development.
Ministry of National Development Planning Permanent Secretary (Development Planning and Administration) Mr. Chola Chabala was speaking when he officially opened the national consultative stakeholder meeting on setting up the National Climate Change Fund (NCCF) in Livingstone on Monday 18 June, 2018.
He emphasised the Government's commitment to mobilise resources to help combat Climate Change and its impact on the economy.
"Zambia has in the past experienced adverse impacts of climate change including climate variability, extreme weather events and other systematic climate changes over the last several decades," he said. "Droughts and floods have increased in frequency and intensity over the last two decades and this has adversely impacted on food and water security, energy availability and general livelihoods of our communities."
The Permanent Secretary said one of the key measures the Government has taken was the formulation of the National Policy on Climate Change of 2016, which provides a framework for coordination and implementation of climate change measures.
He called for consented efforts and innovation to mobilise sufficient resources for climate change mitigation and adaptation, in order to effectively implement programmes on climate change contained in the Seventh National Development Plan (7NDP).
"In 2017, Government took the necessary step to establish a catalytic National Climate Change Fund (NCCF). The main objective of the NCCF is to raise revenue from both public and domestic sources at national and international level to fund climate change programmes and projects," Mr. Chabala explained. "Amongst other objectives, the Fund is to enable Zambia: Tap into new and innovative sources of finance for mitigation and adaptation projects; build national capacity to utilize opportunities presented by international financial mechanisms; increase access to finance for green projects in the country; facilitate appropriate technology transfers into the country for accelerated economic growth and development while achieving a sustainable low carbon development path; accelerate energy access through sustainable renewable energy technologies and solutions; and generate employment opportunities created by implementation of new economic activities through green projects."
The Permanent Secretary called for consensus on the establishment of a national climate fund.
And Zambia National Designated Authority (NDA) for the Green Climate Fund National Co-ordinator Mr. Mainga Luwabelwa said Climate Change impact was multi-dimensional as it affects all sectors of national and human development.
Mr. Luwabelwa explained that the GCF funds projects that promote paradigm shift towards low emission and climate resilient development pathways.
Tuesday, 5 June 2018
HIVOS, LUSAKA CITY COUNCIL PONDERS ON SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES
By MacPherson Mukuka_ Lusaka
The United Nations projects that more than 75
percent of the World’s Population will be living in cities by 2050.
This projection means that cities will have to use
and generate more waste unlike before.
This also suggests that cities with poor solid waste
management will struggle more because of the huge quantities of waste generated
by that time.
To
this effect, organisations and local authorities in Zambia are already making
plans on how to tackle challenges of solid waste.
Hivos
Southern Africa Hub has developed a solid waste collection mechanism dubbed
Waste Lab in partnership with Lusaka City Council with particular emphasis on
making Lusaka city sustainable and better.
This
is in line with Sustainable Development Goal number 11 which aims at making
cities better, safe and resilience for all to live in.
And Hivos Southern Africa Hub says poor waste
management has emerged as one of the biggest challenges facing Lusaka city
authorities and other stakeholders trying to address the issue.
Speaking during that launch of a two day
workshop on solid waste management under a project dubbed Waste Lab, HIVOS
Regional Director TANJA LUBBERS says only a small fraction of the waste
generated daily is collected and safely disposed or recycled into other useful
items.
Ms. LUBBERS said the situation has been
exacerbated by inadequate financial capacity and insufficient implementation of
policy direction relating to waste management in Lusaka.
She said through the waste lab project, Hivos
seeks to identify possible intervention points from the concerted efforts of
all stakeholders to maximize its ability of focusing on priority issues in the
waste management sector in Lusaka.
Ms.
LUBBERS said the project is aimed at addressing integrated solid waste
management issues through supporting front-runners, social entrepreneurship and
support to multi actor initiatives.
She added that the project will also
focus at influencing waste management policies and support private public
partnership integrated waste management.
Ms. LUBBERS said Hivos is aware that so
many tireless efforts by you all have been put into resolving the waste
management problem in Lusaka and we do not claim to come with the silver bullet
that will resolve the problem.
She however, said Hivos is confident
that its efforts will continue to build on what each stakeholder has already
began to do and looks forward to opportunities that will arise and enable the
organisation to work closely in alleviating this important issue in the
community of Lusaka.
And Lusaka City Council Deputy Mayor
CHILANDO CHITANGALA said solid waste has remained one of the biggest challenges
facing Lusaka City.
The Deputy Mayor who was represented by
Kapwepwe Ward 25 Councillor PATRICK SALUBUSA said the challenge is among the
causes of cholera and other diseases.
She said Lusaka City Council is gratified
to partner with Hivos in bringing sanity to Lusaka.
Ms. CHITANGALA has noted that most institutions
operating as NGOs have decided to work in isolation without engaging the local
authority.
She said it is LCC’s desire to engage
with every institution dealing in solid waste to avoid duplication of efforts.
The Deputy Mayor said there is need for
stakeholders to aim at creating more awareness among Lusaka residents on the
importance of good solid waste management.
Ms. CHITANGALA has since urged stakeholders
attending the workshop to look at solid waste challenges and bring out
solutions that will help make Lusaka City Clean, green and healthy.
The Workshop comes two weeks after
Zambian President EDGAR LUNGU re-launched the make Zambia clean, green and
healthy campaign.
Wednesday, 21 March 2018
ZAMBIAN BREWERIES LEADS PRESERVATION OF WATER RESOURCES
By MacPherson Mukuka
 | |||
| Community members at Itawa Springs supported by Zambian | Breweries |
As World Water Day approaches, one of Lusaka’s largest users of water,
Zambian Breweries, is hard at work in its efforts to help preserve the
country’s water sources and contribute to helping communities have
access to clean water.
This year’s World Water Day falls on March 22, under the theme of ‘Nature for Water’. Zambian Breweries recognises the importance of preserving nature in order to protect our water sources and has embarked on projects that promote the preservation and protection of the Itawa Springs in Ndola and the Kafue Basin on the outskirts of Lusaka.
The Itawa Springs is an important tributary to the Kafubu River, which accounts for between 50 and 60 percent of the water supply for both domestic and industrial use for the cities of Ndola, Luanshya and Masaiti. Despite its huge importance, the source of water had been under significant threat due to land degradation and pollution caused by brick-making and unregulated effluent discharge.
Zambian Breweries partnered with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) under the Habitat For Humanity Zambia (HFHZ) project and built 28 houses for families who were resettled from the edge of the spring where growing population numbers were proving to be a threat to the water source.
GIZ is a German development agency that provides services in the field of international development cooperation
Zambian Breweries has also partnered with WWF Zambia on a project that aims to protect the Kafue Basin, one of Zambia’s most important water sources that is under threat due to increased water demand. The scheme aims to raise awareness and develop a common plan to tackle the shared challenges the Kafue wetlands are facing.
Zambian Breweries’ corporate affairs director Ezekiel Sekele explained that the company aimed to limit water waste at all its production plants as part of its contribution to the efforts of preserving water.
“Water is a vital resource both for our business and the nation. We therefore treat water as a valuable resource that is at the helm of our entire production base and we aim to limit and prevent water waste at all our plants,” he said.
Zambian Breweries is also one of the 16 partners who include the private sector, public sector, civil society and international organisations that signed a Lusaka Water Security Initiative (LuWSi) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in December 2016. The stakeholders agreed to strategise on how to improve the quality of water supply in the city.
Apart from its environmental efforts, Zambian Breweries donated ZMW 2.5 millionto the government’s cholera fight. Part of the money will go towards drilling boreholes in areas that do not have access to clean water.
Zambian Breweries also provided a 30,000 litres water bowser to the government taskforce on cholera and Lusaka Water Sewerage Company (LWSC) to help distribute clean safe water and help stop cholera in the capital’s townships.
This year’s World Water Day falls on March 22, under the theme of ‘Nature for Water’. Zambian Breweries recognises the importance of preserving nature in order to protect our water sources and has embarked on projects that promote the preservation and protection of the Itawa Springs in Ndola and the Kafue Basin on the outskirts of Lusaka.
The Itawa Springs is an important tributary to the Kafubu River, which accounts for between 50 and 60 percent of the water supply for both domestic and industrial use for the cities of Ndola, Luanshya and Masaiti. Despite its huge importance, the source of water had been under significant threat due to land degradation and pollution caused by brick-making and unregulated effluent discharge.
Zambian Breweries partnered with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) under the Habitat For Humanity Zambia (HFHZ) project and built 28 houses for families who were resettled from the edge of the spring where growing population numbers were proving to be a threat to the water source.
GIZ is a German development agency that provides services in the field of international development cooperation
Zambian Breweries has also partnered with WWF Zambia on a project that aims to protect the Kafue Basin, one of Zambia’s most important water sources that is under threat due to increased water demand. The scheme aims to raise awareness and develop a common plan to tackle the shared challenges the Kafue wetlands are facing.
Zambian Breweries’ corporate affairs director Ezekiel Sekele explained that the company aimed to limit water waste at all its production plants as part of its contribution to the efforts of preserving water.
“Water is a vital resource both for our business and the nation. We therefore treat water as a valuable resource that is at the helm of our entire production base and we aim to limit and prevent water waste at all our plants,” he said.
Zambian Breweries is also one of the 16 partners who include the private sector, public sector, civil society and international organisations that signed a Lusaka Water Security Initiative (LuWSi) Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in December 2016. The stakeholders agreed to strategise on how to improve the quality of water supply in the city.
Apart from its environmental efforts, Zambian Breweries donated ZMW 2.5 millionto the government’s cholera fight. Part of the money will go towards drilling boreholes in areas that do not have access to clean water.
Zambian Breweries also provided a 30,000 litres water bowser to the government taskforce on cholera and Lusaka Water Sewerage Company (LWSC) to help distribute clean safe water and help stop cholera in the capital’s townships.
Saturday, 23 December 2017
FIRST LADY ESTHER LUNGU DONATES TO WOMEN CLUBS IN SHIBUYUNJI DISTRICT
By MacPherson Mukuka
First Lady ESTHER LUNGU says supporting women and girls in reaching their potential will enable agricultural and rural development processes to be more effective.
She said this is because women and girls are critical agents in the fight against rural poverty and hunger.
Speaking in Shibuyunji District when she donated 400 bags of farming inputs to 50 women associations in the area, Mrs. LUNGU said it is important for all stakeholders to promote multi-sectorial response to reducing rural poverty.
She said there is need to focus on increasing women’s access to productive resources such as strengthening the capacity of rural institutions and services.
The First Lady added that government had made steady progress in increasing productive and entrepreneurial capacity of rural women.
She has cited the provision of start-up capital and equipment to women cooperatives as aimed at increasing production and value addition as one of the strides government has made in empowering women.
She said a number of women and girls in most rural areas are suffering due to non-availability of resources and services to make them compete favourably with their male folk.
The First Lady added that cases of early marriages are usually as a result of poverty and lack of financial muscle to take the girl child to school.
Mrs. LUNGU is confident that the donated farming inputs will go a long way in addressing challenges facing rural women in agriculture.
Meanwhile, Senior Chief SHAKUMBILA of the Sala people has hailed the First Lady for her gesture.
The traditional leader noted that what Mrs. Lungu has done has never happened before in his Chiefdom.
He said women empowerment is the best solution to addressing the challenges facing them in rural areas and that the gesture has come at the right time.
Chief SHAKUMBILA has further urged the First Lady to continue with goodwill gesture of empowering women as long as she remains first lady.
And District Women Association Chairperson DWAC- BRENDA KAMBOLE has also thanked Mrs. LUNGU for her goodwill.
Mrs. KAMBOLE said the women in the district are happy to receive the inputs adding that they will do their best to end poverty in their respective homes.
The farming inputs donated to the women groups are as a result of the partnership between the ESTHER LUNGU foundation trust and Export Trading Group ETG, a company specialised in manufacturing farming inputs.
And ETG Programmes Manager NYAMBE LUHILA has urged the women to put the inputs to good use.
He said the aim of the partnership is to help women achieve their potential of contributing to the national food basket and in their homes.
Mr. LUHILA said he expects the women to be up to task and ensure they produce good results in the 2017 – 2018 farming season.
He said his organisation will monitor the utilisation of the funds so as to yield the intended results.
ENDS//
First Lady ESTHER LUNGU says supporting women and girls in reaching their potential will enable agricultural and rural development processes to be more effective.
She said this is because women and girls are critical agents in the fight against rural poverty and hunger.
Speaking in Shibuyunji District when she donated 400 bags of farming inputs to 50 women associations in the area, Mrs. LUNGU said it is important for all stakeholders to promote multi-sectorial response to reducing rural poverty.
She said there is need to focus on increasing women’s access to productive resources such as strengthening the capacity of rural institutions and services.
The First Lady added that government had made steady progress in increasing productive and entrepreneurial capacity of rural women.
She has cited the provision of start-up capital and equipment to women cooperatives as aimed at increasing production and value addition as one of the strides government has made in empowering women.
She said a number of women and girls in most rural areas are suffering due to non-availability of resources and services to make them compete favourably with their male folk.
The First Lady added that cases of early marriages are usually as a result of poverty and lack of financial muscle to take the girl child to school.
Mrs. LUNGU is confident that the donated farming inputs will go a long way in addressing challenges facing rural women in agriculture.
Meanwhile, Senior Chief SHAKUMBILA of the Sala people has hailed the First Lady for her gesture.
The traditional leader noted that what Mrs. Lungu has done has never happened before in his Chiefdom.
He said women empowerment is the best solution to addressing the challenges facing them in rural areas and that the gesture has come at the right time.
Chief SHAKUMBILA has further urged the First Lady to continue with goodwill gesture of empowering women as long as she remains first lady.
And District Women Association Chairperson DWAC- BRENDA KAMBOLE has also thanked Mrs. LUNGU for her goodwill.
Mrs. KAMBOLE said the women in the district are happy to receive the inputs adding that they will do their best to end poverty in their respective homes.
The farming inputs donated to the women groups are as a result of the partnership between the ESTHER LUNGU foundation trust and Export Trading Group ETG, a company specialised in manufacturing farming inputs.
And ETG Programmes Manager NYAMBE LUHILA has urged the women to put the inputs to good use.
He said the aim of the partnership is to help women achieve their potential of contributing to the national food basket and in their homes.
Mr. LUHILA said he expects the women to be up to task and ensure they produce good results in the 2017 – 2018 farming season.
He said his organisation will monitor the utilisation of the funds so as to yield the intended results.
ENDS//
Wednesday, 8 November 2017
Thursday, 17 August 2017
ZARRSO INKS LICENSING AGREEMENT WITH MoHE
By MacPherson Mukuka- Lusaka
Copyright
is a private right that gives exclusive enjoyment of creative rights to the
creator/ author.
The
Zambia Copyright Law does take cognisance of this balance and thereby has made
provision for exceptions to allow access and use which does not require the
permission of the copyright holder
It is worth noting that these exceptions are limited and then it is in order to ensure that right owners do not lose control of and benefit from their works.
However
this always has to be balanced with access as the purpose for which it is
created is for others to enjoy.
It is worth noting that these exceptions are limited and then it is in order to ensure that right owners do not lose control of and benefit from their works.
But because
we are living in a dynamic world it is not easy for originators of the works to
take control of the exploitation of their works.
Therefore,
globally, collective management has proven to be a solution to the creators
of different types of works in which copyright subsists.
Zambia
has not been left out on this and has in place the Zambia Reprographic Rights
Society (ZARRSO) which is a Collective Management organization mandated to manage
the reproduction right of copyright subsisting in literary and artistic works.
ZARRSO
was created to legitimise the reproduction of such works beyond the provisions
of the law but within limits that do not disadvantage the rights of holders of
their economic benefits.
After two
years of negotiations with the Ministry of Higher Education to centrally
license them for copyright reproductions carried out in all public higher
learning institutions in Zambia, ZARRSO signed a licensing agreement with the
Ministry.
Speaking during the signing ceremony which was held
at the Ministry of Higher Education offices, Permanent Secretary Mr OWEN
MGEMEZULU expressed Government’s willingness to ensure that all institutions under
the Ministry were compliant to the requirements of the laws of the land.
Mr. MGEMEZULU emphasised that the Ministry has
realised the importance of taking a leading role in obtaining the copyright
reproduction license and were in full support of the operations of ZARRSO as they
are endeavoured to protect and remunerate creators for their creativity.
Meanwhile, ZARRSO Chief Executive Officer RUTH S. MWENYA
said the agreement is a huge milestone for the RRO.
She said it is gratifying that the agreement which
has been under negotiations for over two years has come to pass.
Ms MWENYA said it was very exciting because the
government was taking a lead in ensuring the laws of the land meant to promote
and protect literary and artistic works in are respected and enforced.
She further said ZARRSO is very positive that the
agreement was going to be effectively implemented and rights holders are going
to be incentivised through royalty distribution as that is the primary
objective of licensing for reprography.
Ms. MWENYA has further hailed the Ministry of
Higher Education for its commitment and ensuring that the negotiations reached
a positive conclusion.
Monday, 19 June 2017
By MacPherson Mukuka
First Quantum Minerals (FQM) has put its weight behind civil society calls for communities to share in the benefits of the nation’s mineral resources, and has called on government to ensure tax revenues from the mining sector are well spent.
The mining firm, which is Zambia’s largest taxpayer, was responsible for more than a third of government income from the mining sector in 2015, accounting for US$3.3 billion of revenue to the State in the last 11 years.
The company has re-emphasised its commitment to ensuring that it operates within applicable laws and regulations – and indeed exceeds them - and consistently reports all production figures, taxes and royalties to national and regional government.
FQM operates Africa’s single largest mine by production, Kansanshi in Solwezi, as well as the more recent Sentinel mine at Kalumbila. Each mine also has an associated community development organisation: the Kansanshi and Trident foundations respectively, dedicated to ensuring sustainability.
FQM country manager General Kingsley Chinkuli says it is for this reason that the company has spent over US$43 million on its sustainability and community development programmes by aligning the Kansanshi and Trident foundation programmes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
He said true economic growth of a country is reflected in the state of health, education, agriculture and quality of life that its citizens live.
Gen. Chinkuli was speaking ahead of this year’s 6th Zambia Alternative Mining Indaba (ZAMI) to be held under the theme “Mineral development for all, leaving no one behind”, which will take place from June 20-22, 2017 in Lusaka in parallel to the Zambian International Mining and Energy Conference (ZIMEC), a government-sponsored event that attracts the interest and attendance of key industry decision-makers from both public and private sectors.
The main goal of the ZAMI is to create a platform for communities, government, civil society organisations, and companies to discuss the real-life experiences of the costs and benefits of extractive industries and how best they can contribute to sustainable development in the country.
Gen. Chinkuli said despite falling copper prices coupled with a challenging electricity supply, the mining sector has continued to be the country’s major productive industry, with a high contribution to exports and government revenue.
He added that FQM will join the platform provided by ZAMI to highlight the measures his company has put in place to drive growth while fostering conservation farming, healthcare, and business linkages in the areas neighbouring our operations.
According to analysis by the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) ten companies contributed approximately 88 percent of total government revenues from the extractive industries sector in 2015, with FQM’s Kansanshi Mining accounting for almost 24 percent of the total extractive revenues for the year from mineral royalties, income tax, pay-as-you earn (PAYE), VAT, customs duties and other taxes and fees.
First Quantum has called on government to ensure that it also plays its part in ensuring that tax revenue is well spent for the benefit of local communities.
The extractive industry contributed 78 percent of the country’s exports in 2014, but that fell dramatically to 47 percent in 2015 due to lower copper prices on the world market. As a result, the sector’s contribution to government revenue fell from 32 percent to 18 percent.
First Quantum has invested in excess of US$5.7 billion in its Sentinel and Kansanshi Mines and the Kansanshi Smelter, and has paid more than US$3.3 billion in taxes in the last 11 years, transforming the economy of North-Western Province and creating employment for more than 8,500 people.
The 2017 ZAMI will gather leading civil society members, government officials and industry experts and players from within Zambia and beyond to learn and share developments in the extractive sector and how mining activities can contribute to Zambia’s socio-economic development trajectory.
The Indaba will also provide for a forum to discuss practical solutions to challenges being faced by mining host communities.
The specific objectives of the ZAMI will be to provide a platform for CSO members to exchange experiences on the sector-specific issues with a focus on potential areas, gaps and challenges in areas of; human development and mining development, taxation, growth and investment, land, environment, compensation, policy and legislation, international and regional mine development agendas.
The event will also generate recommendations for the government and extractive industries for enhanced management of extractive sectors for sustainable development.
Source: Langmead and Baker
First Quantum Minerals (FQM) has put its weight behind civil society calls for communities to share in the benefits of the nation’s mineral resources, and has called on government to ensure tax revenues from the mining sector are well spent.
The mining firm, which is Zambia’s largest taxpayer, was responsible for more than a third of government income from the mining sector in 2015, accounting for US$3.3 billion of revenue to the State in the last 11 years.
The company has re-emphasised its commitment to ensuring that it operates within applicable laws and regulations – and indeed exceeds them - and consistently reports all production figures, taxes and royalties to national and regional government.
FQM operates Africa’s single largest mine by production, Kansanshi in Solwezi, as well as the more recent Sentinel mine at Kalumbila. Each mine also has an associated community development organisation: the Kansanshi and Trident foundations respectively, dedicated to ensuring sustainability.
FQM country manager General Kingsley Chinkuli says it is for this reason that the company has spent over US$43 million on its sustainability and community development programmes by aligning the Kansanshi and Trident foundation programmes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
He said true economic growth of a country is reflected in the state of health, education, agriculture and quality of life that its citizens live.
Gen. Chinkuli was speaking ahead of this year’s 6th Zambia Alternative Mining Indaba (ZAMI) to be held under the theme “Mineral development for all, leaving no one behind”, which will take place from June 20-22, 2017 in Lusaka in parallel to the Zambian International Mining and Energy Conference (ZIMEC), a government-sponsored event that attracts the interest and attendance of key industry decision-makers from both public and private sectors.
The main goal of the ZAMI is to create a platform for communities, government, civil society organisations, and companies to discuss the real-life experiences of the costs and benefits of extractive industries and how best they can contribute to sustainable development in the country.
Gen. Chinkuli said despite falling copper prices coupled with a challenging electricity supply, the mining sector has continued to be the country’s major productive industry, with a high contribution to exports and government revenue.
He added that FQM will join the platform provided by ZAMI to highlight the measures his company has put in place to drive growth while fostering conservation farming, healthcare, and business linkages in the areas neighbouring our operations.
According to analysis by the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) ten companies contributed approximately 88 percent of total government revenues from the extractive industries sector in 2015, with FQM’s Kansanshi Mining accounting for almost 24 percent of the total extractive revenues for the year from mineral royalties, income tax, pay-as-you earn (PAYE), VAT, customs duties and other taxes and fees.
First Quantum has called on government to ensure that it also plays its part in ensuring that tax revenue is well spent for the benefit of local communities.
The extractive industry contributed 78 percent of the country’s exports in 2014, but that fell dramatically to 47 percent in 2015 due to lower copper prices on the world market. As a result, the sector’s contribution to government revenue fell from 32 percent to 18 percent.
First Quantum has invested in excess of US$5.7 billion in its Sentinel and Kansanshi Mines and the Kansanshi Smelter, and has paid more than US$3.3 billion in taxes in the last 11 years, transforming the economy of North-Western Province and creating employment for more than 8,500 people.
The 2017 ZAMI will gather leading civil society members, government officials and industry experts and players from within Zambia and beyond to learn and share developments in the extractive sector and how mining activities can contribute to Zambia’s socio-economic development trajectory.
The Indaba will also provide for a forum to discuss practical solutions to challenges being faced by mining host communities.
The specific objectives of the ZAMI will be to provide a platform for CSO members to exchange experiences on the sector-specific issues with a focus on potential areas, gaps and challenges in areas of; human development and mining development, taxation, growth and investment, land, environment, compensation, policy and legislation, international and regional mine development agendas.
The event will also generate recommendations for the government and extractive industries for enhanced management of extractive sectors for sustainable development.
Source: Langmead and Baker
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