Zampost Rising
Zampost Microfinance Limited (ZML), a subsidiary of the parastatal Zampost, is planning to issue its first tranche (K40 million) of the K100 million bond on the Lusaka Stock Exchange (LuSE) by the end...
View ArticleBegging for Infrastructure
President Lungu recently met FQM senior management officials as part of the tour of the open pit mine and copper smelter in Solwezi. He urged the mining company to partner with GRZ to “deliver local...
View ArticleIMF - Zambia Watch (May 2015)
Editor's note: The latest IMF statement on Zambia paints a picture of a Zambian economic policy that has gone off the rails. This is the most negative assessment to be issued on Zambia during our seven...
View ArticleZambia Road Tolls
The Road Development Agency (RDA) recently announced that it has raised over K100 million from toll fees at various weighbridges since January. Last year RDA raised K296 million from toll fees...
View ArticleWhere next on the constitution?
Justice Minister Ngosa Simbyakula recently appointed a Referendum Commission to oversee the holding of the constitution referendum in 2016. The government has decided, as we have previously argued,...
View ArticleShould Zambia have FOI?
GRZ says that though it remains committed to enacting the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill it plans to do so cautiously. According to Information Minister Chishimba Kambwili the Government "is...
View ArticleZambia's mining taxes collapses
Government has cut mineral royalties for underground mines to 6 percent, lower than the 9 percent which was expected to take effect on July 1. Presidential aide Amos Chanda has told Reuters that...
View ArticleZambia's growing public debt
Editor's note: an interesting recent article from Kundhavi Kadiresan (World Bank - Zambia) focuses on Zambia's growing debt. There are a couple technical nuances missed (e.g. link to tax revenue base,...
View ArticleZambia's Credit Rating - Moody's (May 2015)
Editor's note: Moody's recently affirmed Zambia's credit rating at 'B1', but has revised its outlook to negative based on rising debt levels, poor track record of fiscal management and worsening trade...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Sustaining African Growth
Editor's note: The article below by Marcelo Giugale for Vox EU argues that the current positive growth in Africa is due both to good policies and higher prices of certain commodities (such as oil,...
View ArticleDiversifying Zambia's Agriculture
Editor's note: A recent Daily Nation editorial laments Zambia's agriculture policy. In recent years the newspaper has distinguished itself with its balanced and thoughtful pieces. The aricle below is...
View ArticleSmall victory against corruption
The Supreme Court recently sentenced former Labour Minster Austin Liato to two years in prison for possession of K2.1 million (in today's rebased currency) because it is "reasonably suspected" to be...
View ArticleJudicial Reforms in the Justice System in Zambia
Editor's report: We have been sitting on this report of the Parliamentary Committe on Legal Affairs that was published last year on the judicial reforms that are in needed in the Zambian justice...
View ArticleZambia's Fiscal Deterioration
Ratings agencies have been weighing in on Zambia's current fiscal woes. Here is Fitch's rating latest assessment, which seems to point towards a credit downgrade in August if the external position...
View ArticleZambia credit downgrade
Editor's note : The ratings agency Standard and Poor has downgraded Zambia's long term credit rating because of deteriorating fiscal situation. It has kept the short term rating the same. S&P has...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Zambia's borrowing spree!
Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda’s speech to Parliament last month announced that government has a new unforeseen shortfall of K20bn ($2.7bn). It needs to find this to meet its spending...
View ArticleChikwanda's Sinking Fund
The Government has allegedly set up a "sinking fund" to deal with any future risks of repaying the Eurobond debts when they mature in 2020 and 2022. This was announced recently by Finance Minister...
View ArticleBroke Zambia looks for money
The government is currently on an international roadshow looking to borrow $2bn through a new Eurobond. The money is needed to plug a funding hole in the revised 2015 Budget that has arisen due to the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Zambia's electricity crisis
Zambia is in the middle of a crippling electricity crisis as the country grapples with a 560 MW power deficit, a situation likely to only get worse as demand for electricity grows 200MW annually. ZESCO...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Zambia's falling education standards!
By Michael ChishalaAbout thirty years ago, the Zambian public education system was something to talk about. We had quality expatriate teachers from all over the world (eg India, West Africa, East...
View Article
