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ZRA hailed for engaging local authorities in revenue collection

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Zambia United Local Authority Workers Union (ZULAWU) has commended the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) for engaging selected local authorities in the country to collect revenue on its behalf.

ZULAWU President Kingsley Zulu told ZANIS in an interview in Ndola yesterday that the work being done is commendable.

Mr Zulu said this just confirms that ZRA has confidence in the local authority and its ability to collect revenue.

“It is our hope as a union that the selected councils will prove themselves beyond a reasonable doubt that they have the ability to discharge this function and prove that they are able to efficiently collect revenue on behalf of ZRA,” he said.

He added that the selected councils are expected to prudently utilize the proceeds from the 10 percent share, to be taken from the collected revenue.

Meanwhile, Mr. Zulu has commended President Edgar Lungu for making reshuffles at the permanent secretary level.

He said the union has always worked well with the outgoing local government and hoped that the new PS will enhance the authority’s performance and rise above the numerous challenges at the ministry.

President Edgar Lungu has appointed Mathew Ngulube as Ministry of Local Government Permanent Secretary, taking over from Bishop Edward Chomba whose contract has not been renewed.

Positive COVID-19 District Education Board Secretary Commits Suicide while in Isolation Centre

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Mporokoso District Education Board Secretary Joseph Kamalondo has committed suicide while in the COVID-19 isolation centre in the district.

Mr Kamalondo 57, tested positive for COVID-19 and was receiving treatment at the isolation centre located in the region.

The deceased committed suicide on Monday evening, by hanging himself on the window frame.

And Northern Province Police Commissioner Jestus Nsokolo has confirmed the death of Mr Kamalondo to ZANIS in Kasama.

Mr Nsokolo said the deceased committed suicide at the isolation centre where he was quarantined after having tested positive for COVID-19 on January 29th, 2021.

The Police Commissioner narrated that the body was discovered by nurses on duty.

The body of the deceased has since been deposited in the Mporokoso District Hospital Mortuary.

Meanwhile, Mporokoso District Administrative Officer, Patrick Chewe has expressed sadness over the death of Mr Kamalondo.

Mr Chewe regretted the untimely death, adding that he was a colleague whose absence will be greatly missed.

And Mporokoso Council Chairperson Clement Kabwe said he was shocked to learn of the demise of the DEBS.

Mr. Kabwe said he talked to him on the phone while still in the recovery centre and wished him a quick recovery.

Bank of Zambia appeals for use of low -value coins

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The Bank of Zambia has appealed to members of the public not to hold low-value coins but to put them back into circulation.

Bank of Zambia Public Relations Officer, Besnart Mwanza said people in possession of low-value coins such as 5 Ngwee and 10 Ngwees are encouraged to deposit them at any commercial bank or the central bank rather than holding them.

“The low-value coins have been released in circulation and are very useful but people see them of no value,” Ms. Mwanza said.

Ms. Mwanza said in a statement that 5 Ngwees and 10 Ngwees have been released in circulation though most people just keep them for unknown reasons.

After a random check at most chain stores in Ndola, management at the named stores who did not want to be identified told ZANIS that they do not have enough low-value coins to give customers as change accusing the Bank of Zambia of not releasing the low- value coins in circulation.

But Ms. Mwanza refuted the claims by chain stores and stated that the Bank of Zambia has been releasing enough low-value coins in circulation, 50 ngwees and K1 inclusive which she added commercial banks are at liberty to access.

“However for 5 ngwees and 10 ngwees, these have been released into circulation and most people just keep them and not use them,” she explained.

Meanwhile, Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) Public Relations Officer, Rainford Mutabi said consumers are supposed to demand their change from any store no matter how small whenever expected, or pay the actual price of goods purchased.

“The question of which party loses or gains more during a transaction is quite clear that consumer suffers losses and retailers gain. Consumers are supposed to obtain value for their money,” Mr. Mutabi said.

He said that the Commission has already engaged the Central Bank on the matter.

Mr. Mutabi added that CCPC continues to carry out educational campaigns to encourage financial inclusion in the retail and financial sectors around the country.

And Phillip Chikonde a consumer said it is sad that chain stores fail to give 5 ngwees and 10 ngwees coins as the change to consumers yet they are asked to pay the full amount for the goods bought.

Mr. Chikonde suggested that the chain stores should knock off the coins from their prices or get the low-value coins from the central bank.

Slavery of Men by Women

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German writer Esther Villar in her book “The Manipulated Man” that caused outrage and hostile criticism from women explains how women since the earliest times have manipulated men and turned them into their slaves, they have pretended to be the oppressed sex while in the real sense they are the oppressors. She explains how a woman manipulates a man skillfully by steps like courtship and finally marriage, hence the saying “a man chases a woman until SHE catches him”.

In her book she explains how the man is tricked to care for the woman all his life and her offspring. He rolls the stone like Sisyphus and in turn gets rewarded by a few minutes of sexual pleasure. We can, by observing Esther Villars assertions that a man is a slave of his desires and the woman uses and has used it for thousands of years as a stick and carrot to keep the man chasing vanity and commit his life to serving her.

She goes ahead to explain the rivalry of women, how each woman feels the powerful urge and need to own a male for herself. Like a slave owner she detests any move the man would make to offer his services to another woman. She uses all means to keep the man to herself and her offspring alone.

Esther Villar’s sentiments are captured by Nigerian Poet, critic and writer, Chinweizu Ibekwe in his book, “The Anatomy of Female Power”(AFP) and Will Farrel’s, The Predatory Female. They all push the theory that all societies are matriarchal and not patriarchal as we are pushed and forced to believe. Matriarchy has ruled not through brawn but wits and tricks; women feigning weakness to be protected etc. Thus the male becomes the most exploited sex in human history,(in wars the man is always ready to die for the woman; he has been trained to do that).

Chinweizu calls the idea of dating and courtship, training, like that of a horse. It is during this time that a woman having kept the man on a leash by denying him sex and getting him addicted to her by false charms, trains and breaks him to whatever she wants him to become.

The marriage celebration becomes a celebration for the woman and her friends, and they all congratulate her for having succeeded in getting herself a slave. A man on that wedding day waves goodbye to his independence and his coalition of males and commits himself to a Sisyphean life, rolling the stone, an act he cannot abandon having society and the government checking on him and always ready to jail, shame or exile him for absconding his duties.

Thus the government and society helps the woman in keeping her slave in check.

Chinweizu gives a narration of how women are trained by older matriarchs to tame men. He explains how a man is trained to rely on women by his own mother. A man is shamed for cooking for himself and other domestic chores by his own mother who is an agent of the global matriarchal rule.

By getting the man to hate domestic works and having it enforced by culture which warns men against going into the kitchen, doing laundry etc., the mother trains his son for the woman who will captivate him and when the time comes she takes hold of the man’s stomach and by getting the man addicted to her body she holds him by the two, in bed and in the kitchen. With those two weapons she manipulates the man and turns him into her plaything.

In the “Myth of the Male Power”, Esther Villar’s ” A Man’s Right to the Other Woman”; “The Polygamous Sex”, the authors of those books challenge the narrative that men oppress women, and by detailed research across African,Western and Eastern both in ancient and modern societies, the authors unravel the hidden power of the ruthless matriarchal power that rules the world.

Presidents, Emperors and Kings are all puppets of the matriarchy forces that rule the World by pulling the strings from behind the curtains.

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Zambia’s Economy is in a Mess: UPND Strategy to Rebuild it

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By Joseph Lungu. UPND Deputy Chair, Policy and Research.

Our economy is in a mess. All the pre-2011 developmental gains that the Zambian economy had registered under the MMD government have been completely wiped out by the PF.

The majority of our people are suffering at levels which most of our younger population have never seen before. We are deep in debt, have defaulted, cannot meet our interest payments and now have the world’s second-worst sovereign credit rating.

The interest payments alone, at 44 % of total government revenue, are the second-highest of any country in the world. At the same time, our budget cannot adequately finance the public wage bill and meet the much-needed social expenditures and the value of our once-rising kwacha is now severely eroded.

All in all, we are now saddled with loans that have delivered very little benefit to the Zambian people, but an awful lot of benefit to corrupt politicians and corrupt government officials. So, when they ask us to “Sonta” they are actually asking us to “Sonta” the few that have benefitted from the loans.

The PF administration has now come up with an Economic Recovery Plan. At least we can give them credit that they now acknowledge they have messed up our economy and need a plan to recover. But do we seriously believe that they can dig us out of this mess? Do we really buy into any of their plans when they have destroyed the economy in the first place through their own greed and incompetence? Do greed and incompetence just disappear overnight? Or do we believe they are doing anything to rid themselves of their greed and incompetency? No, we can only remove it through the polls later this year.

We would like to share our immediate (short term) actions to lift our economy to the pre-2011 levels:

  1. Our immediate task will be to engage our creditors to restructure our debt on terms mutually beneficial to our country and our creditors. At the same time, we will engage our multilateral partners to re-establish investor confidence in our economy.
  2. Develop and implement medium to long-term strategies to improve government revenues. This will be anchored on reforming both our tax policies and administration by reducing the number of taxes and focusing on a few but with enhanced capacities to generate higher revenues through improved compliance. In the short term, we will address the currently rampant wastage in government spending and promote accountability among government officials (politicians and civil servants) to ensure every ngwee counts for the benefit of the majority of our people.
  3. Resolve the deteriorating business environment in the mining sector and develop a policy framework anchored on stability for investment and local participation in the mining sector. Everything required to lift productivity in our mining sector is available and ready to go and all that is required is a government that is capable of creating a conducive business environment for investment in the sectors. Copper prices are at their highest annual average rate since 2012, and yet many of our mines are either under care and maintenance or operating at low levels of production. We will improve engagement with key players in the sectors in the formulation of policies.

There is an urgent need to leverage the mining sector to drive economic transformation for our country. Mining is by far Zambia’s largest industry, tax contributor, and employer (direct and indirect, formal and informal employer). It is critical to boosting its performance while at the same time looking to diversify the economy to reduce the country’s reliance on the success of the mining industry – which PF has failed on both counts in their time in government. Under PF, key policy shifts in connection with the.

President Lungu declares Monday as national morning for the late Sebastian Zulu

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President Edgar Lungu has accorded an official Funeral to the late former minister of Justice Sebastian Zulu.

The late Zulu will be buried on Monday February 8, 2021 at Kakwiya village in Chief Nyamphande in Petauke District.

The body will be air lifted to Petauke District on Sunday February 7, 2021 where it will lie in state at his farm in kakwiya village.

The official funeral program for the late Zulu will commence with a Requiem church service at saint Paul’s Catholic Church in Kakwiya at 10:00hrs and thereafter proceed for burial at the family burial site.

President Lungu has also declared Monday February 8, 2021 the day when the late Zulu will be buried as a Day or National Mourning in recognition of his numerous contributions to the Nation both as a senior legal practitioner and an accomplished politician.

Government has urged the business community and the general public to give the late Zulu a deserving send-off by observing the period of mourning from 06:00hrs to 18:00hours.

The late Zulu, 84, died on Wednesday February 3, 2021 at his farm in Kapete Area in Chingww District Lusaka Province.

He served as Justice Minister from September 2011 to August 2012 after being nominated Member of Parliament by President Michael Sara, Fifth President of Zambia.

This is according to a press statement issued to the media by Secretary to the Cabinet Simon Miri in Lusaka yesterday.

Traders in Lusaka bemoan the high cost of doing business amid the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic

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Marketers in Lusaka have bemoaned the high cost of doing business amid the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic.

Gertrude Phiri a trader at Soweto market in Lusaka said the prices for a bale of second hand clothes also known as “salaula” has gone up and it has contributed to the slow pace of business as most customers are failing to easily adapt to changes in new prices.

Mrs. Phiri noted that one bale of salaula which was selling at K2500 before the second wave of COVID -19 is now selling at K4500.

She attributed the increase in prices to poor supply as most of the second hand clothes are imported from Europe and America and that they are the countries which have been badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.

She said the rapid increase in the price of the commodity has led to the increase in the prices of second hand clothes.

“The cost of doing business is not stable amid the COVID-19 pandemic as prices are going up every day and so we are left with no choice but to increase the prices if we are to make profit,” she said.

She said the situation has made the pace of the business to be slow as most people are complaining that the increment in price is too much for them.

Meanwhile, Joseph Banda a customer also complained of the increase of prices for buying second hand clothes as a pair of pants which was being sold at k100 is now selling at k190.

“In the second wave of the pandemic goods and products have become expensive for an ordinary person,” he said.

ECZ launches provisional voters’ register inspection

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The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has yesterday launched the electronic inspection of the provisional register of voters that will enable members of the public verify their details on the voters’ cards.

ECZ Chief Electoral Officer Kryticous Nshindano says the exercise will commence on Sunday, 7th February and will run up to May 7th, 2021.

Mr. Nshindano has explained that the electronic based inspection of the provisional register of voters will involve the use of the website platform and phone USSD code.

He added that the electronic inspection will be available on two platforms that include dialing the USSD Code *214# available on all networks and also the use of internet-based ECZ online platform available on ovr.elections.org.zm for those with access to internet.

“The USSD works on all phones from the most basic phone to the most high- tech and expensive models as we have everyone covered. It is free for everyone who registered as a voter to use and highly interactive without any internet connection or data needed,” he said.

During a media briefing in Lusaka yesterday, Mr. Nshindano also stated that the internet based platform is a build up from the online pre-voter registration exercise and will provide a convenient way of verification.

He advised that those that will find irregularities on their voter’s card will have to wait for the physical inspection of the register of voters to correct the details in question.

And Mr. Nshindano has announced that the commission will later on the 29th March to 2nd April, 2021 conduct a physical inspection of the provisional register of voters.

He said during the same period, other services will be offered such as replacement of lost or damaged voter’s cards, transfers for those who would like to change their polling stations and removal of the deceased voters from the register.

Mr. Nshindano added that the commission will also receive objections and appeals during the same period.

COVID-19 hit worse on SMEs-Dodia

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The Private Sector Development Association (PSDA) has urged the business community to brace for more hard times amid COVID-19 pandemic whose ending is not yet known.

Association Chairperson, Yusuf Dodia says with the continued surge in the numbers of COVID-19 cases, will likely affect businesses especially Small Medium and Entrepreneurs (SMEs).

He urged SMEs to begin embracing other means that will keep them afloat.

Mr. Dodia says although the worst is yet to come and some businesses are already making losses, it is also important for them to explore other opportunities such as online transactions and food deliveries for those in the hospitality industry.

He said many businesses despite being closed for six months due to the outbreak of the pandemic last year, are still threatened during the second wave and that it is very hard for them to survive, thus the need for them to seek other avenues.

“Clearly the private sector has had a very difficult time during the out outbreak of both the first and second waves of the pandemic. Many of them are running at losses especially those in the hospitality industry,” he said.

Mr. Dodia said the country is going to experience another recession this year because private businesses will not be able to function at full capacity and as such products will be adversely affected.

“The private sector should adequately prepare and brace themselves because the country is going to experience another recession this year. The worst is yet to come and businesses should start devising other survival means as it will not be business as usual,” Mr. Dodia said.

He said apart from the effects of COVID-19, some firms are not operating at full capacity due to load shedding.

Mr. Dodia said some businesses are still affected as they are still receiving rationed electricity but hopes the coming on board of Kafue Gorge lower hydropower station, the situation will improve.

It’s expected that some miners will be declared redundant during the on-going restructuring KCM-MUZ

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Mine workers Union of Zambia president Joseph Chewe says it is expected that some miners will be declared redundant during the on-going restructuring of Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) which has been split into firms.

Speaking in an interview in Kitwe yesterday, Mr Chewe said the union however cannot give the exact number of miners who will be affected by the restructuring process.

“In every restructuring process, there are people that are usually declared redundant, so it is expected that some people will be declared redundant. We can only give the number of miners that will be laid off until the process is finalized,” he said.

Sveral stakeholders on the Copperbelt have accused KCM provisional liquidator, Milingo Lungu, of having fired some workers on political grounds, an allegation which the mining company has refuted.

And in a statement released in Kitwe yesterday, KCM refuted allegations that it has fired people that are inclined to opposition political parties.

This is according to a statement released by KCM lead social media and public relations Victoria Kabwe.

Ms Kabwe said some employees have voluntarily opted not to continue with employment in the new subsidiary companies of which management cannot force them.

She said the on-going re-organization process is aimed at leveraging the available human resources for maximum productivity.

Ms Kabwe said in any industrial restructuring, the re-engagement of workers is labour requirement driven.

“Management respects the principles of freedom to contract and offer employment to the best required skilled individuals,” she said.

Ms Kabwe said the allegations are both unfounded and misleading to all stakeholders and are intended to discredit Mr Lungu.

KCM has been split into two entities, namely KCM Smelter Company Limited and Konkola Mineral Resources.

Green party to hold national convention in May

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The Green Party has disclosed that it will hold its national convention alongside presidential nominations in May 2021once the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) sets the nomination dates.

Party president, Peter Sinkamba said he has also urged the ECZ to give guidance whether the presidential nominations will be done virtually or physically bearing in mind the numbers involved in carrying out the exercise amidst Covid 19 guidelines.

Mr. Sinkamba said the greens (Green party) believe in democracy and to demonstrate this, a national conference has to be held where party members will be given an opportunity to elect national leaders to run the affairs of the party.

Mr. Sinkamba said rather than going for a national convention to choose the national leadership now, the party will do this, side by side with the presidential nominations somewhere in May.

“What we don’t know is whether the presidential nominations will be done physically or virtually, that’s why we need ECZ to guide in advance. But what we have decided as a party is to kill two birds with one stone,” he said.

He said because of the surging cases of Covid–19, the party wants guidance on how the exercise will be conducted because 1,000 supporters from all the ten provinces is too huge a number to gather and support the candidature of a party president.

Mr. Sinkamba said his party is otherwise ready to hold the national convention during the time for nominations irrespective of the way and in which order it will be done.

He said the greens, through various social media platforms, are working day and night to woe voters in the forthcoming general elections.

He boasted that the Green party is the only one with the ruling Patriotic Front (PF) that have workable and reliable manifestos whose ideologies can transform the economic fortunes of the country.

“The Green party is ready for the August elections and we are the next party to form government after PF and this could be in September this year or in 2026,” Mr. Sinkamba said.

Mr. Sinkamba said the party will always adhere to the prescribed Covid- 19 protocols as advised by government to avoid further spread of the pandemic among citizens.

Leaders Zanaco Host Ambitious Prison Leopards in Top 2 Clash

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Zanaco are seeking to stay top of the FAZ Super Division table as they welcome promoted Prison Leopards on Saturday at Sunset Stadium in Lusaka.

Zanaco and second placed Prison sit on 25 points apiece after 15 matches played but are separated by goal difference.

Other teams on 25 points going into the weekend Week 16 matches are former champions Zesco United and Forest Rangers.

The Bankers have been boosted by the return of striker Moses Phiri from the Cameroon 2021 CHAN where he represented Zambia.

Both Zanaco and Prison want to bounce back from last weekend’s draws.

Zanaco were held to a goalless draw at Kitwe United while Prison rallied to draw 1-1 against Kabwe Warriors in the derby.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Zesco United are visiting Young Green Eagles at Khosa Stadium in Kafue with Forest Rangers welcoming Green Eagles at Levy Mwanawasa Stadium.


FAZ Super Division – Week 16


06/02/2021

Young Green Eagles Vs Zesco United

Lumwana Radiants Vs Indeni

Forest Rangers Vs Green Eagles

Kabwe Warriors Vs Red Arrows

Green Buffaloes Vs Kitwe United

Zanaco Vs Prison Leopards


07/02/2021

Buildcon Vs Nkana

Napsa Stars Vs Nkwazi

Lusaka Dynamos Vs Power Dynamos

Health Minister dissolved the ZAMRA board with immediate effect

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MINISTER of Health Dr Jonas Chanda has dissolved the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) board with immediate effect citing underperformance arising from recent happenings which he said could have been avoided.

Commenting on honeybee contract, the issuance and revocation of licenses, the Minister said, that will be conducted in consultation with the Attorney General as the matter is still before Parliament and the Parliamentary Accounts Committee-PAC which will issue an official report in due course.

Speaking a a media briefing held at the Ministry’s head office, Dr Chanda further announced that the Medical Stores Limited as formerly called has since been renamed to Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency-and that the change is line with the ZAMMSA Act No. 9 of 2019 which was enacted on November 12, 2019.

Dr Chanda reiterated that the realignments have been made in order to promote transparency, accountability and value for money tenets in the health sector.

The Minister also trimmed down 17 directorates to 7 at the Ministry’s headquarters to enable efficiency.

Opposition Parties missed the chance to change laws when they sabotaged Bill 10-Inonge Wina

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Vice President Inonge Wina has said that opposition political parties missed the chance to change laws when they sabotaged well-intended bills such as the constitutional Amendment Bill number Ten of 2019.

Mrs. Wina wondered why some opposition parliamentarians are now calling on the government to consider bringing the Public Order Act to Parliament for amendment, noting with concern that some opposition MPs had continuously refused requests from the government to repeal the Act.

The vice president said that the opposition had many opportunities to repeal certain laws but decided not to do so for political expediency.

Mrs. Wina said that because elections are nearing the opposition has now seen the need and importance of repealing the Public Order Act, adding that Justice Minister Given Lubinda requested the opposition to consider repealing the Public Order Act, but they refused.

Mrs. Wina was responding to a question from Livingstone Member of Parliament Mathews Jere who wanted to find out if the government would consider taking the public Order Act to parliament for amendment, during the Vice President’s question time in Parliament today.

Meanwhile, Mrs. WINA has said that the country will soon be informed on the operationalization of the economic recovery plan.

Mrs. WINA said after the launch of the program on December 17th, 2020 by President Edgar Lungu, work has started, and Ministries of Finance and National Development Planning are developing a detailed implementation plan.

This was in response to a question raised by Chimwemwe Member of Parliament Elias Mwila who wanted an update on the implementation of the economic recovery plan.

Zambia officially requests debt treatment under the agreed G20 framework

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Zambia has officially requested a debt treatment under the Common Framework agreed by the group of twenty major economies and the Paris club in November last year.

Finance Minister Bwalya Ng’andu said that Zambia is committed to transparency and equal treatment of all creditors in the restructuring process.

Dr Ng’andu said that the application to benefit from the G20 Common framework will hopefully reassure all creditors of Zambia’s commitment to such treatment, adding that returning to sustainable debt levels is a national priority adding that he is confident that the debt treatment will help address Zambia’s challenges and support the country’s economic and financial recovery.

Dr. Ng’andu said that the debt treatment under the common framework will be based on the conclusion of the debt sustainability analysis being prepared in collaboration with the World Bank and IMF.

The Finance Minister also said that the newly adopted common framework for debt treatment beyond the G20 debt service suspension initiative is designed to facilitate timely and orderly treatment of debt with broad creditor participation for eligible countries.

The framework has been endorsed by the G20 and the Paris club as part of a global response to the COVID 19 Crisis.

Dr. Dr Ng’andu said that all G20 and Paris club creditors are expected to coordinate their engagement with Zambia under the common framework with the objective of providing debt relief to the country.