THE PLATFORM

 By Raphael Banda CEEC PARTNERS WITH AIRTEL MONEY ZAMBIA FOR DISBURSMENTS & REPAYMENTS OF LOANS The Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) has partnered with Airtel Money Zambia to quicken the process of disbursing and receiving repayments of business loans.The partnership was announced today and comes into effect immediately. CEEC Director General, Dr Muwe Mungule said that the partnership is providing real value by enabling CEEC clients on the Airtel network to repay their CEEC business loans through a secure, fast and convenient manner. “We are certainly delighted with this partnership with Airtel Money as it gives CEEC clients, not only marketeers a modern-day experience with CEEC. Going forward, the Commission would like to increase its technology touch points for better service delivery,” Dr Mungule said. Speaking at the signing event, Country Director for Airtel Mobile Commerce (Airtel Money) Mr. Andrew Chuma said the Airtel Money business had seen growth in...

  Load shedding hits the manufacturing sector in Zambia. Jan11 th 2023. By Raphael Banda The Zambia Association of Manufacturers (ZAM) has noted   the efforts that the Government is putting in place to mitigate the challenges associated with load shedding in the country. In the statement, the association observed that hydro remains the main source of energy in Zambia contributing about 81.5% to the total national installed electricity capacity as of 2021. However, the Association expressed concern with the inconsistencies in the communication regarding the number of hours of load shedding and adherence thereto Load shedding came into effect on 3rd January 2023 . “ On 8th January 2023, another statement was issued announcing a reduction in the power outage period from 12 hours to 6 hours effect 9th January 2023.Despite this split in the power outage period, the effect on the sector is still immense. Load shedding has increased production costs for most manufacturers ...

 January 8th 2023. Information Source: Clarence Moonde Muzyamba-ZEHEST Executive Director With only 8 days in the new year 2023,ZESCO has introduced  12 hours of loadshedding which is  being implemented since 1st January,2023.   According to Government,this is happening because water levels have gone down at KARIBA dam where power is generated. People have reacted differently. The new dawn , whilst in opposition then,did promise that once they are voted into office,they will end loadshedding, infact they actually said "Loadshedding will be a thing of the past. Are we in  the past?is the question many Zambians are asking. As  Zambian Empowerment hub for Entrepreneurship and Skills training (ZEHEST)and as Entrepreneurs, ours is to find and provide solutions. So we took to the streets of Lusaka and visited a number of communities to check on how people but more so small medium enterprises (SME,s) have been affected by this Loadshedding. What we found is a...

  AFAP LAUNCHES REGIONAL PUBLIC-PRIVATE DIALOGUE SERIES ON THE FUTURE OF FERTILIZER AND AGRO-INPUTS IN AFRICA     Dateline: LUSAKA, ZAMBIA Wednesday, 7 December 2022 — Lead: This document details the launch   of   of the AFAP Regional Public Private dialogue series themed ‘The future of fertilizer and agro-inputs in Africa’ which will be convened in four regions (Sub-Saharan, East, West, and Northern Africa) between December 2022 and March 2023. The AFAP PPDs are consultations between government and the private sector to identify and resolve policy and regulatory constraints to the commercial supply of fertilizer in African countries.             The African Fertilizer and Agribusiness Partnership (AFAP) in partnership   the Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa (ACTESA), a Specialised Agency of the with the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) have launched th...

By Raphael Banda  Zambia in Network boost as MTN Zambia launches the country’s first 5G network. MTN Zambia on 25th November launched our 5G network, becoming the first mobile operator in Zambia to offer 5G services commercially after successfully undertaking trials of the transformative technology over the past 11 months.   Republican President Hakainde Hichilema presided over the occasion, which took place in Lusaka. Several Zambian government ministers and representatives of the sector regulator and central bank were also in attendance.  Leading the MTN Group delegation were Chairman Mcebisi Jonas, Group President and CEO Ralph Mupita and Southern and East Africa Vice President Yolanda Cuba.   “The launch of this ultra-fast communication capacity serves as a clear indication of MTN’s commitment to being a major player in Zambia’s digital economy,” said Jonas. “We look forward to continuing to work together to meaningfully impact the growth and development of Zambi...

  EXPANDED CDF CAN HELP ZAMBIA ACHIEVE SDGs IN WASH SECTOR – WATERAID WaterAid Zambia says Zambia can accelerate progress towards meeting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and National Development Goals (NDGs) if it uses the Expanded CDF to increase investment in water, sanitation, and hygiene sector.  Country Director Pamela Chisanga noted President Hakainde Hichilema's numerous pronouncements regarding Water, Sanitation and Hygiene services in Healthcare Facilities, Schools and public places.  Ms Chisanga said CDF could bridge the gap of investment required to increase access particularly at community level and in public facilities such as schools and health care facilities.  "For us as WaterAid Zambia, CDF is very critical for increased access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene services. We have heard a lot of pronouncements about how CDF can be utilized. We have seen how it has been ring fenced for some interventions such as bursaries. We want to look at how CDF...

  By Raphael Banda COMACO Takes leading role in fighting climate change Chief Change of the Chewa speaking people of Chipangali District in Eastern Province has confirmed that he has received more than 4.5 million Kwacha for carbon trading. He says the money has been received on behalf of the Chikuwe Chiefdom where he is the caretaker Chief. He says the resources will go towards different development projects like drilling of bore holes, construction of schools, clinics and bridges in the chiefdom and enhancement of the protection of forests. The traditional leader was speaking when the Community Markets for Conversation (COMACO), Media Network Action on Climate Change (MENACC) and some journalists visited his palace on a media learning tour in relation to climate change projects. Carbon trading or carbon markets pay communities to reduce deforestation. A total of nine chiefdoms in Eastern Province are involved in preservation of forests project being spearheaded by COMACO. The org...