Thursday 29 December 2011

zambia china signs three economic and technical cooperation exchange notes

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zambia and chinese have today signed three economic and technical cooperation exchange notes on the levy mwanawasa general hospital, national malaria control centre and the dispatch of experts on mini-hydro power plants.
the exchange notes involve the supply of extra-medical equipment to the levy general hospital at a cost of 7.9 billion kwacha and equipment and consumables for the anti-malaria centre at a cost of 1.2 billion kwacha.
it also involves the dispatch of a team of experts from china to zambia to undertake feasibility studies on the rehabilitation and upgrading of the musonda hydro power station in luapula province and the chishimba hydro power plant in northern province.
speaking at the signing ceremony in lusaka today, finance and national planning minister alexander chikwanda said the disbursement of the three economic and technical cooperation exchange notes will come in form of grants.
speaking at the same ceremony, chinese ambassador to zambia zhou yuxiao pointed out that chinese is aid is always people oriented and the one which has been made will assist to improve the energy and health sectors.
ambassador zhou says his government will fulfill its obligations to zambia.
he says the chinese people will always respect the wishes and aspirations of zambians adding that choosing a new government is one such decision which china has accepted and decided to move with zambians.
MR zhou indicated that the experts to do the feasibility studies will be coming to Zambia as soon as possible and once the feasibility studies are done, then the works on the two hydro power plants will begin.
and ambassador zhou further indicated that his government will next year invite president michael sata to pay a visit to that country to strengthen further the bilateral ties which already exist.

FQM AND GOVNM'T TO BANK ROLL UPGRADE OF SOLWEZI

first quantum minerals in conjunction with the ministry of works, supply and communication is spearheading a 117 billion kwacha upgrade of solwezi airport in solwezi, north western province.
the upgrade will allow the airport to handle aircraft as large as boeing 737s, a development expected to further fuel the growth of diversified industries such as agriculture and tourism in a province where mining is the main economic activity.
first quantum minerals country manager general kingsley chinkuli says the upgraded airport is expected to be a major trigger-point for accelerated economic growth for north western province and the rest of zambia.
general chinkuli was speaking when the minister of works, supply and transport, yamfwa mukanga inspected the progress of the airport upgrade.
he stressed that the upgraded solwezi airport will not only ease access to north western province, but will also stimulate growth of diversified industries such as agriculture and tourism.
general chinkuli added that the investment in the upgrade of the airport is one vivid example of how the mineral wealth of zambia can be of mutual benefit to ordinary zambians and investors.
general chinkuli notes that the airport works to be completed by may 2012 have stronger resonance with the patriotic front (pf) government’s intent to put greater focus on improving transport infrastructure to underpin accelerated social and economic development.
and mr. rob scott, first quantum roads division operations manager, disclosed that the new look solwezi airport will have a 2,700 metre runway, and that the upgrade exercise is progressing well.
mr. scott said the upgrade of solwezi airport is among the flagship projects first quantum is undertaking in improving infrastructure in north western province and other parts of zambia.
they include the improvements of the chingola/solwezi road which is the main access to north western province and this has made the road much safer than it had been in the recent past.
in addition, first quantum is undertaking a five-year programme to revamp solwezi general hospital to the tune of eleven billion kwacha.
the improvement of infrastructure by first quantum tangibly addresses concerns of substandard facilities in a province that produces 60 percent of zambia’s copper

Thursday 22 December 2011

president sata blasts kingsley chanda led ZRA commission of inquiry for lack of seriousness

President Sata has expressed disappointment with the Kingsley Chanda led Zambia revenue authority (ZRA) commission of inquiry for poor presentation of the report on the findings and recommendations of the ZRA operations.
The president was speaking at state house when the Zambia revenue authority commission of inquiry led by Mr. kingsley Chanda present the report on the findings and recommendation into the operations of the Zambia revenue authority.
President Sata says lack of seriousness by commissions like the Kingsley Chanda led commission of inquiry has led to witness refusing to appear before other commissions of inquiry instituted to look into various sector of the economy.
Meanwhile president Sata has once again directed the minister of finance and national planning Alexander chikwanda to do a cabinet memo upon which the decision on the way forward will be made.
And making the presentation of the report to president Sata, Zambia revenue authority operations commission of inquiry chairperson kingsley Chanda hoped that the recommendations will help the country understand the tax administration.

PTA bank governor dr micheal ngondwe is bank of zambia's new governor

Preferential trade area (PTA) bank governor dr Michael ngondwe has been appointed as bank of Zambia governor and parliament is this afternoon expected to ratify is appointment.
According to sources the select committee is expected to conclude its recommendations and table them before parliament sine die.
Dr ngondwe has a successful career as governor from the region development bank known as the preferential trade area (PTA) bank and is based in Nairobi Kenya.
Dr ngondwe has been instrumental in securing long term finance for Zambian industries and at one time managed to secure $30million for Zambezi Portland cement.
Recently PTA bank made history when dr ngondwe secured a $1billion Eurobond share and the initial issuance of the $300million PTA bond trading at the Luxemburg stock exchange was over subscribed.

Monday 19 December 2011

zambia launches the national gender monitoring and eveluation plan for 2011 to 2015

Government under the ministry of gender and women in development with the guidance of gender and child development division has developed a national gender monitoring and evaluation plan for 2011 to 2015 to guide collection, analysis, use and dissemination of information.
The national monitoring and evaluation plan for 2011 to 2015 will enable stakeholders track progress made in achieving gender equality and empowerment of women for enhanced and informed decision making.
The plan further articulates the linkages, reporting relationships, and indicators used to measure outputs, outcomes, and impact of national gender mainstreaming interventions.
Speaking at the launch of the African gender development index for Zambia today, deputy minister of gender and women in development emerine kabanshi has noted that one of the greatest challenges in the efforts to address gender inequalities at various levels, has been the lack of sex disaggregated data.
Mrs. kabanshi has stressed that accessing timely and reliable data, especially gender data is important for policy formulation, planning and achieving results.
She has pointed out that the lack of disaggregated data is a serious impediment to tracking progress and reporting on the achievements that Zambia has made in addressing gender inequalities.
Speaking at the same launch united nations resident coordinator dr olusegun babaniyi has noted that Zambia is still faced with several challenges such as low representation of women in parliament, low number of females completing secondary schools and low levels of women’s participation in labour force.
Dr babaniyi also noted that the country has an opportunity in the work of the upcoming constitution review to ensure that measures are put in the new constitution to enshrine the rights of women, by firstly removing clauses which negate women empowerment in personal and customary law.
She has further called on Zambia to domesticate international and regional instruments on gender and development including the convention on elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, the convention on the rights of the child, the African union protocol on gender and development and the SADC protocol on gender and development.
She says once ratified the instruments, Zambia must put in measures to monitor the implementation of the targets set out in the international and regional instruments

Tuesday 13 December 2011

construction sector grows by 15percent this year

zambia’s construction industry this year has registered an improved growth of over 15 percent.
this is due to the various construction projects around the country in the road, education, health, tourism, energy and agriculture sectors.
meanwhile government under the 2011/2012 budget has allocated over four trillion kwacha towards infrastructure development which will be used for road works alone as compared to the three trillion kwacha in the 2010/2011 budget.
the national council for construction (ncc) executive director dr sylvester mashamba has disclosed this in lusaka today.
dr. mashamba has also announced that the council has down graded gabman contractors limited from grade 2b to grade 4 due to its poor construction works done around the country.
dr. mashamba says the sector in the last 10 years, has been recording an average growth rate of 17.3 percent and the figures are looking encouraging though, the growth should translate into reduced poverty levels among the general citizenry if it is to be appreciated by the public.
and dr mashamba has further warned contractors who are perpetuating the trend of forging the ncc certificates to masquerade and purports to be council agents to unsuspecting people who want to register as contractors to stop the evil act.
he says so far the council has worked on two cases with the zambia police and investigations are on the way into the syndicate.
and dr mashamba has revealed that the council has fined undisclosed amounts of money to a main contractor group 5 - zcon which was carrying out construction works at the new levy business park were it subcontracted 26 contractors.
and speaking as zambia institute of architects president, dr mashamba warned all architects in the country not to respond to any advertisement for expression of interest requiring architectural designs stating that the aforementioned growing trend is against cap 442.
he said all registered architects must not submit to the illegal expression of interest adverts as they will be penalized.

Thursday 8 December 2011

comesa -zambian government sign 4million euros power interconnector

The common market for eastern and southern Africa (COMESA) and government have signed an implementation agreement on the zambia-tanziania-kenya (ZTK) power interconnector project worth 4million Euros.
The project will address issues of reducing the cost of doing business in the region in order to enhance competitiveness in trade through energy service availability, accessibility and affordability.
The short and medium term intention of the Z-T-K is to supply energy from Zambia or southern African power pool (SAPP) to Tanzania and Kenya and the long term is to provide opportunities to conduct power trade in the region and facilitate the creation of a pan African power market from cape town in south Africa to Cairo in Egypt and Tripoli in Libya.
The project is under the regional integration support programme, a European union funded programme under the 10th European fund and the implementation agreement is specifically for the financing activities to establish and maintain a project implementation unit for the Z-T-K interconnector projector.
The Z-T-K interconnector project which is a 1,600kilometer, 400megawatts, bi directional 400killovolts power interconnector linking Zambia, Tanzania and Kenya and the SAPP has confirms power availability of minimum 400mega watts by the time Z-T-K will be commissioned
The objective of the power interconnector is to facilitate trade in power, offer improved reliability and security of power supply to both southern and eastern Africa.
It will also encourage investment in new generation by linking generation and customers through provision of power transmission capacity
In addition the power interconnector will promote economic development in eastern and southern Africa through closer regional integration and meet the immediate and future power demand in eastern and southern Africa by providing transmission capacity

Wednesday 7 December 2011

zambian treasury losing 12billion kwacha every year through tax invasion by sabmiller

action aid has reiterated that government is losing about 12 billion kwacha every year from zambian breweries under its parent sabmiller due to the tax loopholes in the zambian tax system.
according to action aid, sabmiller is also allegedly eluding paying tax to other developing countries in africa and is making them to lose about 20 million pounds in tax revenue which it says can help about 250,000 children in school if collected.
action aid economic justice campaign officer chris jordan says desperation for revenue amongst most african and european countries especially with the euro zone is making certain countries like zambia lose a lot of revenue due to engagement of companies who are given tax holidays and incentives.
mr jordan has stated that foreign investors like sabmiller were it was revealed that it eluded about $70 million tax payment in africa is undermining aid coming from foreign donors such as the united kingdom and the united states of america.
he has explained that companies like sabmiller which operates as zambian breweries is eluding the zambian revenue authority by pay tax haven nations like switzerland and the netherlands were they own multinational companies.
he advised that the situation of eluding tax by companies like sabmiller in places were they operate can only be averted if tax haven nations like switzerland begin to cooperate.
he has reminded all the investors operating in the country especially those in mining as well that the organisation is not taking anti-business stance in making revelations but only trying to ensure that transparency becomes the norm of the day.
And centre for policy trade development executive director saviour mwambwa questioned what is happening to the audit report on the mines especially in terms of tax payment and company production.
mr mwambwa also pointed out that there is need for government to carry out a cost benefit analysis of concessions which are being given to most investors especially those in the mining sector if more revenue is to be raised.
he has stated that the contribution of the mining sector to the zambian treasury is still minimal hence the need to look at the tax policy and incentives given to investors

Monday 5 December 2011

zambia consumers right protection authority vows to uproot and stam out business cartels

the competition and consumer protection commission has vowed to stamp out any cartels which it will trump upon stating that the vice has drastic effects on the members of the public who are consumers of services provided by companies.
the commission has also warned trader associations that have been formed on the basis of ensuring standards and quality service to the general public to desist
the commission says the pricing and terms of conditions of sale are supposed to be private and confidential to each enterprise which make one enterprise more competitive than another hence the warning must be taken seriously adding that the commission will investigate associations that discuss prices as this violates section 9 of the act.
ccpc board vice chairperson simomo akapelwa says the vice is growing in the country as cartels are very profitable to venture in and that is why even with serious penalties provided in the competition and consumer protection act 2010 of imprisonment and high fines, enterprises still engage in such activities.
mr akapelwa has explained that in order to address cartels, the new competition and consumer protection act number 24 of 2010 provides for a leniency programme, a kind of whistle blowing framework which allows participants in cartels to report cartel conduct to the commission in exchange for protection from prosecution.
the vice chairperson who was speaking in light of the celebrations to mark the second anniversary of world competition day says the leniency programme has not been successful due to lack of education on the part of business to ensure that the whistle blowers understand the intent of the programme.
mr. akapelwa says the commission has however not been sitting idle to wait for persons to report conducts to the commission but has been conducting various programmes in relation to cartels and so far three cartels were blocked from taking place.
he says recently the commission conducted a dawn raid in the motor vehicle sector in lusaka where garages colluded in a cartel to fix prices for motor vehicle repair services and the commission is finalizing investigations with the view to punish all cartel members.
meanwhile mr. akapelwa says the construction, tourism, finance, banking and agriculture sectors are area of priority concern to the commission for which it will be paying more attention.
he further disclosed that the commission is in the process of engaging the law association of zambia (laz) even though the association is protected by law to ensure that competition is introduced in the sector.
and speaking at the same briefing consumer unity trust society-cuts international board chairperson ambassador love mtesa has urged zambia through the commission to consider putting up a strong position to the united nations conference on trade and development in support of the world competition day.
ambassador mtesa says the cartel business is also a cause of concern from the development and poverty alleviation perspective.

Sunday 4 December 2011

saccord slams amnesty internation for suggesting that african countries should arrest former u.s president george .w.bush during his visit without an indictment

the southern african centre for constructive resolution of disputes (saccord) has scolded amnesty international for suggesting that african countries should arrest former united states president george w. bush during his visit.
saccord says there was no indictment for his arrest.
recently amnesty international called for several african nations to arrest and detain president george bush for authorizing the use of water boarding and other forms of torture.
the organization called for the governments of ethiopia, tanzania and zambia to arrest mr. bush and to secure his presence during the investigation of "his alleged involvement in and responsibility for torture.
president bush who left zambia yesterday morning is visiting also ethiopia, and tanzania this week to raise awareness about cervical and breast cancer and hiv and aids.
but saccord information officer obby chibuluma says the calls from amnesty are baseless and a sheer waste of time adding that the international criminal court has not issued any indictment order to arrest and prosecute president bush.
he says zambia would have had difficulties of where to take the former president had it arrested him as there is no court which has called for his prosecution.

zambian government exmpts the church from paying land taxes

government has deleted the church from the list of institutions to be paying land taxes stating that it does not make sense to tax the owner of the land who is god.
chief government spokesperson given lubinda says the patriotic front government will give priority to the church were land allocation is concerned adding that this was part of its promises of giving people what belongs to them.
mr. lubinda says the pf government will always come back to consult the church over various matters as it is the major stakeholder comprising different zambians from all tribes in the country.
mr lubinda who is information, broadcasting and tourism minister and pf kabwata member of parliament has stated that government does not need to ask where to find the people but already knows that the church is home to most of the under privileged.
he has observed that government is second in terms of offering support but the church is the first one hence president michael sata’s decision to pronounce that zambia will be governed by the ten commandments

the southern african centre for constructive resolution of disputes has charged that the police are becoming a danger to society

the southern african centre for constructive resolution of disputes (saccord) has charged that the police are becoming a danger to society.
saccord notes that instead of protecting people’s lives, the police are eliminating them.
speaking in view of the incident that happened in kalingalinga yesterday were the police shot dead one resident during the curfew time, saccord information officer obby chibuluma has observed that the police have continued to be trigger excited despite several calls from the public seeking protection.
mr. chibuluma says the lack of professionalism by the police is making them to be a danger to the various communities which they are serving.
he has stated that the police need to move away from apologizing each time they do something wrong to the community but ensure they apply professionalism in their conduct.
mr. chibuluma has pointed out that the police officers who shot the person in kalingalinga must be brought to book to allow the law to take its course stating that the time for police who are cadres has passed and this is the time to be professionals.
the saccord information officer was speaking in an interview with radio phoenix this morning.
yesterday, police in lusaka’s kalingalinga compound fought running battles after the residents started a riot upon hearing that their colleague had died after being shot by a police reserve in the area

PSDA welcomes government's plans to revamp ncz

the private sector development association (psda) has welcomed the plans by government to revamp the nitrogen chemicals of zambia through budgetary allocation.
the association has however cautioned that such plans need a company management which is focused to get the firm back into full production.
speaking in an interview with radio phoenix, psda chairperson yusuf dodia says zambia needs the company because the diversification programme is focused on agriculture to get the economy moving.
mr. dodia says apart from producing fertilizer, the company also produces chemicals needed by other companies in the country and the southern africa region hence the revamping of the ncz will make zambia earn more revenue.
meanwhile mr. dodia has advised the ruling patriotic front government to look at revamping other non functional companies like the kabwe fabrics company which was placed into private hands but has been performing badly resulting in job losses.
he says the government must engage the owners of the company and strategise the way forward

action aid zambia calls on government to increase the legal age for marriage from 18 to 19 to avoid early child marriages which are common in rural areas

action aid zambia has called on government to increase the legal age for marriage from 18 to 19 to avoid early child marriages which are common in rural areas.
action aid country director pamela chisanga says as women commemorate 16 days of activism against gender based violence, there is need for government to stamp out child marriages and provide effective protective systems for zambian girls.
and ms chisanga has said there is need for government to show that it is committed to ensuring that education is accessible to all adding that some structures to prevent child marriages have been put in place, but the lack of funding is a great challenge which prevents these structures from functioning.
ms. chisanga’s comments come in the wake of a new action aid report which is showing that parents’ approval of forced, under-age marriages and a general acceptance of domestic violence and corporal punishment are major obstacles to girls completing their primary education in sub-saharan africa.
the action aid research shows that parents are complicit in under-age marriage and that girls are all too frequently blamed for the violence they experience.
the report shows that up to 86 percent of 1082 girls who participated in the action aid research, had reported some form of violence against them in the past 12 months.
the report says in nakonde, mbala and mpulungu action aid zambia works together with communities to reintegrate girls back to school after becoming victims of child marriage.
however there is need for political will and action at the highest level.
the action aid´s report `stop violence against girls in school` is based on research from ghana, kenya, mozambique, nigeria and tanzania however the same sad reality is true for zambia

Wednesday 30 November 2011

zamtel owners lapgreen to spend about $170m for service provision and open levy business park outlet

The owners of ZAMTEL, lap green plans to invest about $170million in the company to improve its company performance and capacity of service provision to its clients.
Meanwhile ZAMTEL is set to complete the phase 2 of the rolling out of the 2.5generation by December 25th 2011 adding that the $170million which will also be used to revamp ZAMTEL outlets through out the country starting in Lusaka is part of that investment.
ZAMTEL upon completion of the rolling out of the 2.5generation by December 25th 2011 and its broadband will make the company have the fastest internet.
Meanwhile in its bid to improve it service provision to its clients the company has opened its $120,000 worthy levy business park mall outlet today to the public.
Speaking at the official opening of the $120,000 worthy levy business park mall outlet, ZAMTEL chief human resources and administration officer eve Banda says the outlet at the multi-million dollar mall levy business park is strategic to both business and customers.
Mrs. Banda says the $120,000 worthy levy junction mall outlet will uniquely be housing a desk specifically dedicated to small medium enterprises and corporate enterprises customers for on the spot business solutions.
She disclosed that the levy business park outlet on which the company has spent $120,000 becomes the latest on the list of revamped customer touch points after manda hill, Cairo mall, crossroads shopping mall, Lumumba road and Livingstone’s falls park mall.

airtel spend 800million on education projects in zambia

Zambia’s largest mobiles telecommunication services provider airtel managing director fayazi king has disclosed that the company has so far spent over 800million kwacha towards education projects countrywide.
Speaking in an interview after receiving educational goods worth $81,000 from world vision on behalf of the airtel managing director, airtel marketing director navdeep kapur says airtel Zambia has so far assisted over 450 schools countrywide and has donated about 450payphones to needy schools countrywide through parliament.
Mr. kapur says the company has further assisted other schools such as lukalanya in mongu, kabumbu in luapula, mngoza in petauke and Kenneth Kaunda un chinsali adding that partnership and alliances form an intrinsic part of the corporate social responsibility initiative.
He thanked world vision for gesture of donating educational materials worthy $81,000 further stating that airtel alone can not solve the puzzle alone before the nation but through partnership and combined efforts, the future if the Zambian child will be much brighter.
And speaking after donating the $81,000 worthy of educational books to airtel, world vision field operations, effectiveness and integration, operations director fordson kafweku says world vision Zambia is engaged in supporting the well being of the children through education through partnership.
Mr. kafweku has stated that world vision is committed to its mission statement of transformational development amongst the rural poor hence it believes that this can only be fulfilled by working with committed partners such as airtel and the government of the day to ensure human transformation.

Wednesday 23 November 2011

president sata urges banks to expand to rural areas

president michael sata has urged the banking sector to expand their investments and services to rural areas.
according to statement made available today to radio phoenix by his special assistant for press and public relations george chellah, president sata says government  will only support banks that invest and service the rural parts of the country.
the president has stressed that lusaka is not zambia adding that the people in rural areas equally deserve reliable banking services.
president sata has also assured credit suisse, who are shareholders in finance bank zambia limited that government will give them the necessary confidence and support.
he explains that what happened between credit suisse and the previous government is now history stating that the bank of zambia has been like a ‘jumping castle’ for a long time.
the president says this has to change because the reserve bank must command the confidence of all market players without yielding to political pressure

gov't to start reviewing 1996 housing policy

local government, housing, early education and environmental protection minister professor nkandu luo says zambia needs about three million houses for citizens to have decent accommodation.
meanwhile professor luo has disclosed that her ministry is looking at reviewing the 1996 housing policy to make it more encompassing and inclusive of the poor people.
professor luo has stated that about 70 to 75 percent of zambians have no access to good houses, clean water and good sanitation due to lack of the implementation of the 1996 housing policy which has been lying idle at the ministry.
she says there is need for the private sector to engage the government by mobilizing finances to create affordable and attainable houses for the poor zambians.
professor luo was speaking today at mulungushi international conference centre during a one day consultative forum for her ministry with various stakeholders under the theme: mobilizing long term finances for decent, attainable & affordable housing.
meanwhile professor luo during her speech boasted of how the current patriotic front government came into power by telling off the business men and women that it was the poor who voted for everyone who is in power today and not the rich

Monday 21 November 2011

NGOCC demands the removal of justice minister from the committee of experts to look at the constitution

The Non-Governmental Organizations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) is of the view that the Minister of Justice should not be a part of the committee of experts looking at the constitution stating that he is the government’s main legal advisor and the one to receive the final report from the committee.
NGOCC board chairperson Beatrice Grillo says the women movement is of the view that president Sata should also expedite the finalization of the constitution making process in a participatory manner and deliver a constitution that will stand the test of time within the shortest possible time.
Mrs. Grillo has pointed out that this is the most important legacy president Sata and his government will give to the Zambian people in general and women and children of Zambia in particular.
She says NGOCC remains committed to its vision of working towards a society where women participate and fully benefit from social, cultural, economic and political development and will remain open to dialogue with government in general.
Meanwhile the NGOCC board chairperson has stated that it is in recognition of the fact that Zambia has signed and ratified International Covenants, Pan African and sub-regional Instruments for the protection and promotion of women’s rights. Mrs. Grillo adds that the women movement is however disappointed that the composition of the committee has fallen short of AU and SADC Gender Protocols to which Zambia is a signatory.
She says the few women on the committee is a matter in contention and it is clearly in contradiction with one of the Committee’s specific Terms of Reference which is “establishing a free and democratic system of Government that guarantees good governance, constitutionalism the rule of law, human rights, gender equity, gender equality and affirmative action”.
Mr Grillo has called on the president review the aspect, and consider a gender balanced representation on the committee because it is the desire of many women to be part and parcel of the team that will be ushering a constitution that will respect the rights of women, children, differently-abled and other vulnerable groups.
In addition, Mrs. Grillo has pointed out that whilst the overall Terms of Reference for the committee are generally acceptable, her organisation does not agree with the proposed Provincial and District Constitution Committees including the proposed consultations at both local and international levels.
She says this would be re-inventing the will and resource constraining given that the Mungómba Constitution Review Commission already went around the country.
Mrs. Grillo has further proposed that Professors Muna Ndulo and Michelo Hansungule should be included to avail the committee the international expertise needed as it is public knowledge that the two have been involved in constitutional making processes that have produced very good constitutions in neighbouring countries.

Labour movement expresses dissapoint at there non inclusion in the committee of experts to look at constitution

the labour movement in the country has expressed disappointment at being left out in the committee of experts drafting the new constitution.
the labour movement notes that the voice of workers who are in majority has been left out.
zambia congress of trade union (zctu) general secretary roy mwaba says the union has since written to president michael sata requesting their presence in the constitution making process.
mr. mwaba has recalled that since independence the voice of the workers in the country has never been left out in the constitution making process but is surprised that they have now been left in the cold.
meanwhile mr. mwaba has questioned why president sata has left out certain lawyers who have international exposure and experience.
he says it is sad to note that the same lawyers who have been left out are being used by neighbouring countries to sort out issues of constitutional nature.

recently president sata constituted a committee of experts to look at the constitution but the non inclusion of certain groups in society like the vangelical church in zambia amongst others has brought criticisim and questions over what sought of constitution will be delivered.

minister of commerce, trade and industry called upon to intervene in paying all individuals whose projects have been approved by the ceec

former university of zambia students union (unzasu) president antonio mwanza has petitioned the minister of commerce, trade and industry bob sichinga to urgently intervene and ensure that money is paid to all those individuals and organizations whose project proposals were approved by the citizens’ economic empowerment commission (ceec).
in his letter to the minister, mr. mwanza says it is shocking and retrogressive that people whose project proposals were approved many months ago have not yet received their much deserved funds.
mr mwanza adds that it is even more annoying that there has been no any form of formal communication from ceec or the ministry to explain the reasons for the unwarranted delay.
he says the ceec was established to empower zambians in their quest to fight poverty and contribute to national social and economic development by engaging in viable businesses but this is not happening.
mr mwanza who is also a youth activist has reminded the minister that it is his duty and obligation of his government to empower zambians and fight poverty through such ventures as giving of loans to deserving individuals and organisations.
he has further stressed that the ministry through the ceec should be able to cushion the high unemployment rate amongst the youths by according them loans so that they can engage into entrepreneurship, fight poverty and contribute to the nation’s economic growth.

action aid charges that the 10billion kwacha charged on kcm is not enough

action aid international-zambia has observed that the ten billion kwacha which was slapped on konkola copper mines for polluting the kafue river and endangering the lives of the people in the area is nothing because a human being is replaceable.
speaking in an interview with radio phoenix, action aid international zambia country director pamela chisanga says the message has been sent to other mines that they will never get away with such acts if they commit them adding that it is important the government engages them to find an everlasting solution.
mrs. chisanga has pointed out that the environment and the people who were endangered with this act have a reason and a cause to celebrate the decision but measures to stop such acts should be found so that companies which are fond of polluting with impunity areas were they’re operating from must be taught a lessons.
she has stated that kcm which has been polluting the kafue river for at least three times should have been charged more than 10 billion kwacha so that the company can quickly find solutions to the problems which make it to pollute nature.
the action aid international-zambia country director was speaking in an interview with radio phoenix stating that the fine should have included the ecological aspect and not only humans.

Banks challenged to state how clients will benefit from the reduction of corpoaret tax from 40percent to 35percent

a financial analyst maambo hamaundu has challenged the banks in the country to explain to their clients on how they will benefit from the reduction of corporate tax when in the actual sense all the benefits from such a decision will be going to them.
speaking in an interview with radio phoenix, mr. hamaundu has stated that the investors in the banking sector have gotten what they have been crying for but most of the customers will not benefit.
he says even though the interest rates are being reduced, zambians will still not borrow to invest in huge projects.
mr. hamaundu has stated that even though government has created a win-win situation with the banks, there is need for the financial sector players to also do the same to their clients.

government recently in its budget reduced the corporate tax from 40percent to 35percent and this move has been applauded by all the players in the banking sector who have said this decision will result in effects trickling down to the clients.
and recently bankers association of zambia chairperson mizinga melu said that the reduction in corporate tax will result in more banks reducing their interest and lending rates which have been very high.

Government observes that growth in population in the greatest challenge water utilities are facing in service provision

local government, housing, early childhood and environmental protection minister professor nkandu luo has observed that the growth in population and the number of unplanned settlements is the biggest contributor to the poor service provision from water utilities in the country.
speaking in an interview with radio phoenix, professor luo said people are taking the law into their on hands by constructing houses in places which are not yet planned or earmarked for water supply and illegally connecting to water pipes without realizing that this will become a big problem to their lives.
professor luo has explained that during the planning of most of the towns, most parts were left out as planners were planning according to the population when towns were founded.
she says at the moment most of the major towns with the water and sanitation problems need re-planning of the water reticulation system which will encompass every customer’s household.
meanwhile professor luo has reiterated that her ministry will not renew all the licenses for the car washers around lusaka which have mushroomed greatly without proper channels.

action aid zambia advises zambian government to put in places measures that will make it difficulty for mining companies to evade tax

action aid zambia has advised the government to put in place measures that will make it difficult for mining companies to evade tax.
the organisation wants the patriotic front government to improve on the monitoring system in the mines.
action aid country director pamela chisanga says as much as there is an increase in mineral royalty from 3 percent to 6 percent, the lack of proper monitoring mechanism in the country to oversee the mining on their tax payments might hinder the nation from collecting what it desires.
mrs. chisanga has stated that most of the big mines that have been eluding tax have been taking advantage of the situation which she says needs to be changed.
she has stressed that the system must be cleaned to ensure that government has a clean record of the mining companies which are operating in the country at the moment.
mrs. chisanga has further pointed out that the government needs to improve the zambia revenue authority’s capacity and ensure that all returns are remitted to the treasury.

Friday 18 November 2011

opposition ADD president charles milupi charges that the ruling pf has lost an opportunity to improving the economy under the budget

opposition  alliance for democracy and development  president charles milupi says the budget presented by the current  government  should  have  provided a lot of opportunities for improving the economy.
mr. milupi says the opportunity to get the cost of production down has been lost as there is no money in the budget which has been allocated to companies like nitrogen chemicals of zambia for recapitalization.
meanwhile mr. milupi says the move by the pf government to increase the mineral royalty is a positive one as it  will give government more revenues .
meanwhile mr. milupi says president michael sata’s public pronouncements on corruption are a source of concern  especially with regard to the appointment of certain people  with questionable characteristics.
meanwhile, mr. milupi has welcomed the measures the president has taken on the findings over the sale of zamtel

UN says over approximately 600million people in africa still live without access to affordable and sustainable mordern energy

The United Nations has disclosed that approximately 600 million people in Africa still live without access to affordable and sustainable modern energy and rely mainly on traditional biomass for cooking and heating.
UN secretary general ban-ki-moon says this year’s commemoration of Africa industrialization day shines a spotlight on the challenge of sustainable energy for accelerated industrial development.
Mr. ki-moon says ensuring access to reliable, efficient and affordable energy is a key element in advancing industrial development, creating decent jobs and increasing productive capacity, especially for small and medium enterprises and rural populations.
He says modern sources of energy will decrease dependence on primary commodities, reduce vulnerability to external shocks and increase economic resilience.
The UN secretary general has stated that there is need to make access to energy a priority and ensure that energy solutions do not endanger the environment, climate and the welfare of future generations.
Mr. ki-moon has stressed that next year’s crucially important rio +20 un conference on sustainable development is a major opportunity to step up international action and investment.

FFTUZ calls on stakeholders in the country not to politicise the appointment of the committee of exparts to draft the new constitution

The federation of free trade union of Zambia (FFTUZ) has called on stakeholders in the country not to politicize the appointment of a committee of experts to draft the new republican constitution but only feel sorry for tax payers and let the work be done in a cost effective manner.
FTUZ President Joyce Nonde Simukoko says the country should not politicize the matter and waste time on unnecessary debates as it is not possible to include everybody in the committee.
Mrs. Simukoko says the focus of every person in the country should be to get the process down in a right manner and give the nation a good constitution through participating in the process as the terms of reference for the committee of experts include consultations with the public at provincial level and other sectors.
She says although FFTUZ boycotted the NCC, it is in support of the smaller committee of experts as it is most tenable and cost effective way to draft the new constitution learning from the wastage that was incurred by the bloated national constitutional conference.
The FFTUZ president has stated that the building blocks for the new constitution are already available for the committee of experts to come up with a good constitution.
Meanwhile Mrs. Simukoko has appealed to president Sata to complete the constitution making process within the one year time frame as failure is not an option.
She says enacting a good constitution that espouses the views of the people as expressed in the previous constitution review reports will refine the country’s democracy, sharpen its governance and set Zambia on a new developmental path.

Thursday 17 November 2011

oxfam warns that donor government negotiators meeting in paris are considering scrapping the global aid monitoring system

an international agency, oxfam has warned that donor government negotiators meeting in paris tomorrow are considering scrapping the global aid monitoring system that keeps donors honest and improves the quality of their foreign assistance.
according to a statement made available to radio phoenix by media and communications coordinator misozi tembo, the agency says if what the donor governments want to do happens, it will lock countries like zambia into poverty.
ms. tembo notes that two weeks away from a crucial global aid effectiveness meeting in busan, south korea, which will be attended by more than 2000 delegates including us secretary of state hilary clinton and un head ban ki-moon, donor countries  are pushing to drop aid effectiveness deals that have been struck with recipient countries over the last decade.
and oxfam spokesperson gregory adams says donors have performed badly on improving the effectiveness of their aid, and now they’re trying to change the rules of the game.
mr. adams says scrapping the mutually agreed and global monitoring system, as donors are proposing, would “fatally weaken political pressure to make aid more effective, and make it extremely difficult to continue to uphold the paris principles in practice. 
he says rather than trying to negotiate their way out of their commitments, donors should grasp the opportunity to fix what’s wrong with aid as there are more hungry people in the world than live in north america and europe combined.
mr. adams observes that at stake is the ‘paris declaration’ of 2005 where donors and poor countries struck a deal: recipients would tackle corruption, strengthen their institutions and take other steps to better manage aid.
he says in return, the declaration says donors would make their aid more coordinated and predictable, and give developing countries greater control over how the money is spent and both agreed on a global monitoring system which would keep track of progress and revise and improve future aid.
the oxfam spokesperson says six years later, countries receiving aid have done well on keeping their promises but donors have not.
mr. adams says the oecd’s latest monitoring report shows that developing countries have made ‘significant’ progress, particularly in improving their planning and financial management but donors have made significant progress on only one of their 13 targets which is improving coordination among them.

Wednesday 16 November 2011

government suspends distribution and marketing of breastfeeding millk in luapula province

government has with immediate effect suspended the distribution and marketing of all breast milk substitutes in luapula province after the ministry of health established that shoprite store in the province was selling the product against the law.
speaking in parliament today when he delivered his ministerial statement, health minister dr joseph kasonde says the move is in line with statutory instrument number 48 of 2006 which was developed with the intent to facilitate the effective monitoring, compliance and enforcement of products like breastfeeding milk.
dr kasonde says in addition to the statutory instrument government has  also developed a manual for environmental health officers which prescribes in detail the procedure for inspection, investigations, inquiry, collection of samples and prosecution where a contravention occurs.
he says the move by government to suspend marketing and distribution of breastfeeding milk is not in the interest of government to inconvenience or punish the children and the general public who depend on the product but only ensuring that the law is followed and the marketing is in compliance with laid down rules.
dr kasonde says all the products which were seized in mansa by government had violated the provision of the law in particular regulation number 11(a) which among other requirement states that no manufacturer or distributor shall offer for sale designated product.
he says the suspension of marketing and distribution will be followed by a stakeholder’s consultation over the matter.

Tuesday 15 November 2011

Zesco launchs 1million pilot compact fluorescent lamps under the increased access to electricity services project at a cost of $1.35million

Zesco has today launched the 1million pilot compact fluorescent lamps under the increased access to electricity services project at a cost of $1.35million funded by the World Bank.
The 1 million fluorescent lamps project which will be carried out in Lusaka, Ndola, Kitwe and Chingola in the first phase will assist ZESCO in the energy efficiency and demand side management programme and will be executed on an exchange basis with three 100 watts ordinary light bulbs.
Speaking at the launch today in Lusaka, ZESCO managing director Ernest Mupwaya says the objective of the project is to enable ZESCO reduce on its domestic electricity consumption whilst allowing growth of customer base that will result from connecting customers out of the savings made by using energy savers.
Mr Mupwaya has disclosed that the $1.35million is a credit from the international development association through the World Bank towards the cost of increased access to electricity services.
The ZESCO managing director has stated that the distribution of 1million energy saving bulbs will go a long way in securing the company’s desire to bring power to as many households as possible through the expected energy savings which is expected to be an average of 66mega watts.
He says the company’s aim is to promote he culture of energy efficiency to the benefit of all customers as the power that is saved will be redistributed to other areas on the national grid whilst customers will same money by reducing their bills on lighting.
And speaking at the same launch of the 1million fluorescent bulb lamps project, energy, and water development minister Chris yaluma called on ZESCO to extend the programme to other towns of the country.
Mr Yaluma says the country is constrained with the power demands in the country hence the launch of the 1million bulb lamps by ZESCO will help in reducing the energy deficiency which the country is facing.

government awards italian firm to upgrade the pedicle road at a cost of 313billion kwacha

Government has awarded an Italian contracting company called Flattery rocky to construct the 67killometers pedicle road in luapula province which passes through the democratic republic of Congo at a cost of 313 billion kwacha.
newly appointed Luapula deputy minister Davies mwila has disclosed that the contract will run for a 24 month period hence it is expected to finish in 2013.
Mr Mwila has further disclosed that the road development agency (RDA) will soon advertise and put up a tender for the mansa-luwingu road construction before the end of the year to help open up the province.
He says constructing the pedicle and the luwingu-mansa road will help open up the province and help improve its economy through adequate trade in various sectors such as agriculture, tourism, mining and other sectors.
Mr Mwila has stated that the upgrading of the pedicle road as been long time coming and this has led to the creation of anxiety amongst the luapula people who have been unable to transport their goods to the right market.

Monday 14 November 2011

parliamentary committee on transport,communication, works and supply advises telecommunications companies to report all their grievances to the parliamentary committee

the parliamentary committee on transport, communications and works and supply has advised telecommunication companies especially mobile service providers to take all their grievances to the committee to find a way forward on how parliament can help improve the sector in the country.
speaking today when they toured airtel premises in lusaka, committee chairperson kapembwa simbao also advised the mobile service providers in the country to extend their businesses further especially to far flung areas.
mr simbao said the country has a lot of profitable rural areas which can benefit the economy of the country and the companies themselves.
he stressed the telecommunications companies should also extend their corporate social responsibility in a bid to benefit the people whom they offer their services to and help improve the economy of the country.
speaking earlier, airtel managing director fayaz king explained to the committee that the mobile operators are faced with the greatest challenge of energy costs.
mr king said most mobile phone service providers depend on energy for their operations especially in rural areas adding that accessibility of some of the remote areas is another challenge they are facing as they try to expand their businesses.
he disclosed that airtel which currently has 953 sites on air targets by the end of the year to construct about 1070 sites and additionally the company has partnered with zicta in the universal access project which will see airtel build over 350 sharable towers in rural areas across the country.

Thursday 10 November 2011

standard chartered banks commodity traders and agriculture assets grows by $100million this year alone

standard chartered bank’s commodity traders and agriculture (cta) assets have this year alone grown by 100 million dollars.
standard chartered bank chief executive officer and managing director mizinga melu has further disclosed that the agriculture sector which is a key contributor to the banks financial performance saw a growth of 47 percent in 2010.
she adds that over the years, standard chartered bank has given priority to the agriculture sector and its lending rate to the sector has grown beyond 250 million dollars.
mrs. melu has stressed that through the financing structures, the bank is able to provide better risk management to ensure security of commodity supply and in the end support its client’s growth aspirations.
she has stated that her bank wants to see a successful agriculture sector because this the only way it can secure its long term sustainability.
mrs. melu was speaking in lusaka when she officially opened a one day structured warehouse finance workshop in lusaka this morning in a speech read on her behalf by head of transaction banking at the bank in zambia, muyunda munyinda

Wednesday 9 November 2011

mine and minerals expert calls on local mine explorers to be innovative

a mine and minerals expert dr. sixtus mulenga who is also tranter zambia chief executive officer has called on the local mine explorers to be innovative in order to benefit from the mineral explorations in their areas.
speaking in an interview with radio phoenix at the extractive industry transparency initiative conference in lusaka yesterday dr. mulenga, said there is need for companies to also develop an open book policy which will create a mutual relationship between the companies and the local people.
meanwhile dr mulenga has disclosed that tranter zambia limited which is exploring mineral resources in luapula has so far spent about 2 million dollars since 2006.
he says at the moment tranter is in the process of starting a massive diamond drilling programme and later move to bankable feasibility study which will generate how much the company will invest in the new mine.
dr mulenga has stated that at the moment, the company cannot state how much it will invest into the new mine but will wait for a bankable study and this will take some time.
and former mines and minerals development ministry permanent secretary dr goodwin beene has pointed out that zambia needs a good fiscal regime in mining which will not scare away investors but keep them coming into the country and invest more.
dr beene stressed that the country should not antagonize investors by bringing harsh mining tax regimes which will chase them away.
the extractive industry transparency initiative being held in lusaka at the taj pamodzi hotel has attracted civil society organizations, faith based organizations from 14 sadc and great lakes region member countries.

ccpc warns banks agains using preferred list of lawyers ans surveyors to exclude others

the competition and consumer protection commission (ccpc) has warned commercial banks in the country to desist from using preferred list of lawyers and surveyors for which they use to exclude other competitors.
according to a statement made available to radio phoenix, ccpc director of consumer and public relations brian lingela says the commission has become aware that some commercial banks have continued with the habit of rejecting valuation reports undertaken by registered surveyors.
mr lingela adds that the commercial banks refuse to deal with duly registered lawyers on the basis that they are not on their preferred list.
he says the commission at the 50th board of commissioners’ meeting held on 29th june 2011, directed that all commercial banks desist from rejecting independent surveyors and lawyers reports which may not be on their preferred lists without justifiable reasons.
the ccpc director of consumer and public relations has stressed that this conduct is anti-competitive and violates sections of the competition and consumer protection act number 24 of 2010 which prohibits conducts that are likely to erode competition in the economy.
he has noted that some surveyors and lawyers that are not on such lists are not offered the opportunity to compete fairly with those on preferred lists, a conduct that is largely anti-competitive as it creates an entry barrier.
mr lingela further says the commission finds that while banks have the freedom to contact whoever they deem fit, their right to do so must not disadvantage other competition surveying and legal firms and ultimately, the consumers who usually pay for the services.
he says the commission is of the view that, open access and participation by other firms not on the list is essential as the exclusionary nature of the conduct can lead to exit of some survey and legal firms that are not on those preferred lists.
meanwhile mr. lingela says the commission has invited clients of banks who have been affected to report to the commission so that investigations can be opened and in an event that any bank is found to have violated the law; remedies provided in the ccpc act number 24 of 2010 will be applied.

TORONTO, LONDON AND LUSE LISTED COPPER MINE, KANSANSHI TO PAY ZAMBIAN GOVERNMENT $1.6BILLION BY THE END OF 2012 IN FORM OF TAXES

toronto, london and lusaka stock exchange listed copper mine company, kansanshi copper mines limited which is owned by first quantum minerals will by the end of 2012 since its inception in 2006 pay the government about 1.6 billion dollars in form of taxes.
meanwhile the copper mine will also spend about $16 million or 80 billion kwacha by the end of 2012 under its corporate social responsibility programme.
kansanshi copper mines public relations manager godffrey m’siska disclosed this during the southern african extractive industry transparency initiative (eiti) conference in lusaka today.
mr m’siska says the company which employees about 6000 people is the largest tax payer in the country adding that it pays about $1.5 million everyday.
and mr. m’siska disclosed that the company by the end of 2010 produced about 231,000 tons of copper and 110 tonnes of gold which it exported outside the country.
he assured that the company will continue to pay taxes and contribute meaningfully to the growth of the economy through ensuring that it caters for the community were it operates from using the corporate social responsibility programme.
mr m’siska boasted that the company has helped the economy of solwezi to grow from were it was previously with more local businesses benefitting from its activities through contracts.

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MOPANI COPPER MINES TO INVEST ABOUT $2BILLION BY THE END OF 2012 IN ITS OPERATIONS

mopani copper mines limited is expected to invest about 2 billion dollars by the end of 2012 since its inception in 2000 in its company operations.
mopani copper mines limited corporate affairs manager chuma kabaghe disclosed this during the southern african extractive industry transparency initiative (eiti) conference in lusaka today.
meanwhile mrs. kabaghe says the company is in the process of putting up a convener and acid plant to meet the international standard of capturing pollution by about 97 percent.
she has stated that at the moment, the company is only capturing pollution at a 50 percent level but vandalism is also affecting the operations of the company.
mrs. kabaghe says the company which employs about 16, 000 workers has intensified its corporate social responsibility and has partnered with the national malaria control centre and district health management committee to reduce the rate of malaria infections.
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CSAWUZ GIVES GOV'T 7DAYS ULTIMATUM TO COME UP WITH A DAY TO RESUME NEGOTITIONS

The civil servants and allied workers union (CSAWUZ) has given government a 7 days ultimatum in which to come up with a date to open up negotiations over the collective bargain agreement before it expires in December this year.
CSAWUZ president Davie chiyobe says the union is only remaining with 52days with the current collective bargain agreement and has done all that government required from them hence it is important that the process is speed up.
Mr chiyobe says the members have become impatient and the union can not contain the pressure as it is perceived not to be working adding that this situation has forced the union to write to the new minister of labour, sports, youths and gender to take up the matter.
He has stated that the minister must take up the challenge before it gets out of hands and more work stoppages can be experienced as it has been of recent in some part of the country.
Mr Chiyobe says the members are not happy with the response which they have been getting from government that they are still consulting over the matter.

Monday 7 November 2011

ZANEC JOINS THE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP FOR EDUCATION AND OTHER CAMPAIGNERS IN CALLING FOR ADEQUATE AID TO FUND EDUCATION AHEAD OF THE PLEDGING CONFERENCE WHICH OPENS TOMORROW IN COPENHAGEN - DENMARK

the zambia national education coalition has joined the global partnership for education and other campaigners in calling for adequate aid to fund education ahead of the pledging conference which opens tomorrow in copenhagen - denmark.
the pledging conference is a fundraising initiative of the global partnership for education aimed at raising 2.5 billion dollars to support education in developing countries for the next three years.
zanec executive director miriam chonya says the money to be raised will help raise standards of education were the completion rate for girls is only 6 percent while that of boys is at 56 percent with girls having less than 5 percent chance of proceeding to upper secondary.
she has stated that zanec which is a representative of the civil society in developing countries on the global partnership for education’s board of directors is in full support of the strategic directions adopted by the organization because its constituent members contribute significantly to the global statistics.
the zanec executive director adds that currently at least 6 million people are still unable to attend primary education and those that are in school are not able to read or write and gender disparities are also characteristic of higher levels of education system.
she has stated that the campaign is also calling for a holistic focus on the education for all goals, the use of aligned aid modalities, the need for hiring of qualified teachers and engagement with civil society among other issues.

80 PERCENT OF THE INFORMAL SECTOR IN AFRICA IS EVADING TAX

the value added tax administration forum in africa (vada) has disclosed that about 80 percent of the informal sector in africa is evading tax.
the forum attributes this to lack of strong tax systems in place.
speaking to journalists today in lusaka, outgoing chairperson samuel ogungbesan said most african governments are failing to collect enough revenue through taxation in the informal sector because the volume of business which is conducted by the businessmen and women can not be determined.
mr. ogungbesan has stated that for african countries to improve the collection of revenue through tax in the informal sector, there is need for governments to introduce presumptive tax regimes and adopt cash registers which will keep account of what each business is making.
he stressed that there is need for close collaboration between institutions tasked with the duty to collect various taxes and ensure that standards are followed to avoid tax evasion.
the theme for this year’s conference is “the role of vat in enhancing economic growth”.
the 14th vada annual conference is taking place at intercontinental hotel in lusaka.
mr. ogungbesan has stated that the organization has selected 3 technical papers to bring to the fore of the current challenges affecting vat operations across african countries beginning with the optimization of vat collection in the informal sector and benefits of tax integration in relation to vat.
and speaking at the same function finance and national planning minister alexander chikwanda pointed out that the problems facing vat administrators, particularly in africa are numerous and complex.
mr. chikwanda noted that africa is faced with challenges in tax collection such as weak infrastructure like transport links, communication networks as well as the systems used within the tax administration which continue to hamper the efforts being made by various governments.
and zambia revenue authority (zra) director general berlin msiska observed that efficient and effective administration of consumption taxes especially vat is becoming more important and of mutual concern to all of africa.
mr. msiska added that the contribution of trade taxes to the overall tax has continued to decline on account of the trade protocols that countries have entered into.
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