And State House says a number of statements in the media castigating President Banda’s travels and making assumptions about his itinerary must be dismissed as false and inaccurate.

Chief of staff Austin Sichinga said in a statement yesterday that the President of Chad has not been to Zambia recently, and has not discussed oil supplies with anyone.

Mr Sichinga said before Mr Banda went to Mfuwe, his special assistant for press and public relations Dickson Jere issued a statement that the President was going on a working visit, during which he was to meet investors.

“Ignoring this press release, one of our politicians went to a known radio station and claimed that he knew that President Banda was actually meeting His Excellency Mr Idris Derby Itno, President of Chad, in Mfuwe, and that they were discussing oil supplies.

“Nothing could have been farther from the truth. As the press release stated, the President went to Mfuwe for a working visit, and while there, the President met two visitors, both potential investors who coincidentally happened to be in Zambia and in Mfuwe during that particular visit,” Mr Sichinga said.

He said a number of statements in the media castigating President Banda’s travels and making assumptions about his itinerary must be dismissed as false and inaccurate.

Mr Sichinga said Mr Banda, like other state presidents, is a public figure, and the nation and its citizens have the right to know where he is and what he does.

He said in the recent past, a number of statements have been made in the media, especially on some radio stations, regarding the President’s trips as well as who he has been meeting, but most of them have been incorrect.

Dr Sichinga said that is why the office of the special assistant to the President for press and public relations issues statements whenever the President leaves State House for engagements outside the country.

“At no time have these statements been made or designed to mislead the citizens. Those claiming that the statements from State House are false, and that they know better or are better informed, have been peddling lies. There are no special ‘informers’ among the staff at State House who provide certain politicians with so called accurate information,” he said.

Mr Sichinga said the information the ‘informers’ have put out is not accurate, indicating that they are a figment of some politicians’ imaginations.

He said even when the President left for South Africa and Namibia, a press release was issued detailing the visit to the two countries.

Mr Sichinga said the same politician rushed to a radio station as before, claiming that the President had gone to Cape Town for a review on his knee, which was attended to there the previous year.

It was further claimed that Mr Banda kept his Namibian counterpart Hifikepunye Pohamba waiting for a whole day on the day he was scheduled to arrive.

“Again the statement on the radio was full of inaccurate information regarding the President’s visit. It was clearly designed or meant to mislead the Zambians. The President never travelled to Cape Town on this trip,” he said.

Dr Sichinga said it would have been helpful if claims made by politicians regarding the President’s travels could be substantiated by indicating which doctor attended to him and at which hospital.

He said Mr Banda left Lusaka on Sunday, June 20, 2010 for Johannesburg, where he met South African President Jacob Zuma, and together, they watched the Ivory Coast/Brazil game.

He said the President had private meetings and appointments on June 21 and 22, 2010 in Johannesburg and travelled to Namibia the following day when he was expected, arriving at 09.00 hours, one hour before he was due.

He said it is important for Zambians to remember that the President is elected by citizens of this country and pouring ridicule on the President is ridiculing the many Zambians who elected him into office.
[ Zambia Daily Mail ]

Government says Zambia’s debt with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) stands at US$ 333 million dollars. Finance and National Planning Minister, Deputy Minister David Phiri said Government has however paid US$ 1.9 million of the IMF debt from 2006 to date. He said Government will ensure that there is prudent management of the funds so that the country has no debt trap.

Mr.Phiri has also assured parliament that the country will not fall into a debt trap. The Deputy Minister said this in Parliament on Friday in response to a question raised by Chilubi Member of Parliament Obby Chisala who wanted to know Zambia’s current debt with the International Monetary Fund.

This was during the question and answer session. Mr. Chisala also wanted to know how much government has paid towards servicing the debt to the IMF from 2006 to-date Mr. Phiri said Government will continue to borrow funds from the IMF to finance major projects.

He said there are many areas which need funding and government will continue getting the money to finance them.

ZANIS

Government says it collected over K600 billion in taxes from copper exports in 2009, Parliament heard today. Mines Deputy Minister Boniface Nkhata told parliament that government realized over K234 billion from mineral royalties and over K394 billion in company tax.

He told the House that no revenue was collected from copper ore exports in 2008 as no copper ore was exported during this year due to the effects of the global financial crisis.

Mr Nkhata however, disclosed that a total revenue of over K169 million was collected from the export of copper ores and concentrates in 2009. He further said that in 2008 revenue of over K268 million was collected from exports of copper concentrates.

Mr Nkhata was responding to a question by Kanchibiya Member Parliament Davis Mwango who wanted to know how much money was raised from the export of copper and how much the Government collected in taxes from the exports in 2008 and 2009.

ZANIS

Labour Deputy Minister Simon Kachimba says Government will soon announce the new minimum wage which an employee is supposed to earn per month. Mr. Kachimba said Government wanted to see a situation where employers begin to appreciate their employees by giving them good wages and long term contracts.

Speaking when he conducted an inspection of Fun City company and Zambia Engineering and Construction Company Limited (ZECCO) in Lusaka on Thursday, the Deputy Minister warned that Government will not allow casualisation of labour in the country.

He said that Government wanted to encourage Zambianisation, a system where qualified Zambians take up management positions in companies. He noted that the country has qualified human resource to run companies adding that expatriates can only be used in areas where the country was lacking. He has also advised employers to consult his ministry on matters related to labour laws to avoid violating the law.

Meanwhile, Fun City Regional Director Aston Kaunda told the minister and his entourage that his company is now run by Zambians. Mr. Kaunda said disclosed that out of the 120 employees, 85 were unionised and that the lowest paid employee at his company was earning K1.5 million.

He said his company has responsibility to prove to the public that Zambianisation could work and commended the minister for making an inspection.
And an inspection at ZECCO reviewed that most employees were on short term contracts and were found working without protective clothing. Some employees found at the construction site complained to the minister that their wages were as low as K300, 000 per month.

Human Resources Officer Eslom Kamumema told the Minister that they will ensure that errors are corrected.

ZANIS

First Lady Thandiwe Banda has called on corporate organisations in Zambia to rise to the challenge and contribute generously to efforts aimed at improving education standards in the country. Mrs. Banda noted that Government alone could not provide adequate resources within a short period of time hence the need for concerted efforts from all stakeholders.

She said quality education could be achieved, if stakeholders and parents give their children an opportunity to obtain education in a good learning environment.

Mrs. Banda said the burden of improving infrastructure in the education sector could be easy, if all parents and the corporate bodies contribute generously towards the rehabilitation of the dilapidated infrastructure at learning institutions.

The First Lady said this at the fundraising dinner dance for Lwitikila Girls’ High School held at Savoy Hotel in Ndola Thursday night. She donated K2 million cash and another K2 million from the ministers’ spouses towards improving run down infrastructure at the school.

Others who contributed are the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) northern region, which donated K1.5 million, Z-Mart and Mbala District Council K1 million each, Mopani Copper Mines gave K2 million, Copperbelt Provincial administration K1 million while Zambezi Portland Cement donated 600 bags of cement worth K32 million.

The rest are Northern Province administration which gave 50 bags of cement. Over K300 million was raised during the dinner dance out of the targeted K500 million for rehabilitating Lwitikila Girls’ School, which is 48 years old. Mrs. Banda paid tribute to Lwitikila Girls’ School Management for recording a 100 per cent pass rate at grade twelve level in the 2009 examinations.

She said the school has continued to provide high quality education to Zambian girls. She further thanked those that donated cash and pledged to support the school. And speaking at the same function, School head teacher, Sylvia Kagurula said it was not the desire of the school to allow the infrastructure at the institution to run down to the level where it was now.

Sr. Kagurula commended stakeholders that donated towards rehabilitating her school saying the gesture was good for improving the learning environment for the girl child.

She assured the First Lady and other stakeholders that the donated funds would be used to improve education standards at the institution. And Northern Province Minister John Chinyata said the province was proud of Lwitikila Girls’ school because of its good record of educating girl children in the region and the whole country.

Mr. Chinyata acknowledged the challenges the school was facing and reiterated the provincial administration’s resolve to assist the school with education materials. He said the administration had demonstrated this by donating 80 computers to the school and provided furniture and rehabilitated electrical pots for the school.

He said the provincial administration would continue to work closely with the school’s PTA in improving the learning standards at the institution.

Lwitikila Girls’ High School is run by the Catholic Church through the Mpika Diocese in partnership with Government.

ZANIS