It is very shameful to note that KCM's Chairman Anil Agarwal can mock the Zambian people over the profits he has been making after the acquisition of Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) from Anglo-Americans in this video here http://www.lusakatimes.com/2014/05/13/video-vedanta-boss-saying-kcm-makes-500-million-profit-per-year/. This man is mocking us and this entails that us as #Zambians and #Africans at large should wake up from the slumber and prevent vultures from rooting/plundering our resources. This is purely daylight robbery and it has to be condemned with the strongest terms it deserves. Surely, after making profits of excess of $500m plus a billion while KCM is failing to:
1. Increasing the miner's salary;
2. Contribute to infrastructure development (roads, buildings, etc) of Chingola, Chililabombwe, Kitwe and Nampundwe. There is no corporate social responsibility. Period
3.To pay mining suppliers as they keep on fabricating lies that they have operational cost challenges.
In Zambia they keep telling us that they are making losses and when ActionAid talks about mining companies invading tax, our Veep and other GRZ ministers trashes the talk and favour the people who are rooting/plundering our resources that are supposed to enhance the living standards of the majority of Zambians living in poverty.
There is too much docility among our leaderships/politicians. They side with these multinational firms simply because they support their political campaigns financially, and mostly benefit together with their families and close friends whilst the majority of poor Zambians remain in abject poverty. Surely, how can you sell the biggest copper producer in #Africa for $25 million rather than the $400 million asking price. Someone benefited from this deal and he has to be held accountable. Even if he is dead, let all those who were involved in this whole transaction be brought to book.
Has the schools, hospitals been built and the lives of the Zambians improved after the sale of the mine?? Yes he was trying to save the jobs for Zambians but duping the majority of them (Zambians) including the August House (Parliament) which most Zambians hold in high-esteem as the house of intellectuals and leaders is very dangerous and unacceptable. This is the main reason he even refused to allow the Norwegian Government to help curb tax invasion because he simply knew the cards he was playing.
My appeal is for His Excellency Michael Chilufya Sata to do something about all this transaction now that evil deeds of Vedanta Resources have been exposed. The company is still managed by the same Vedanta Resources, so its incumbent upon the government of the day to do something. Also GRZ should invite the Norwegian government (and others who are willing to help) on board to verify/validate that the figures/data these mining/multinational firms are presenting to the Zambians are of truthful in nature and equates to the reality on the ground!! The Norwegian Government is very much willing to help audit these mining/multinational giants so that Tax fraud is curbed!!
Zambians will continue suffering if we continue with this docility amongst the citizens and mostly the leaders (politicians in particular) who have been appointed as resource managers of this great country.
We can do better as a country. The taxes KCM is supposed to remit can have a large impact on the lives of many Zambians. Firms like KCM, Zambia Sugar, Mopani Mining among others that have been mentioned to be invading Tax are the ones making life difficult for the ordinary Zambians. They are the ones contributing to the deficit of ARVs in Hospitals, they are the ones making the government to borrow in excess, they are are the ones contributing to infrastructure deficit of this great country. The companies should be taken head on so that they remit tax that reflects their true books and not cookery figures. I further implore the government to put up laws that can allow transparency in these multinational firms; laws that will provide a fair play and not exploiting the other player. Our politicians have a responsibility to safeguard the interests of the Zambians and not conniving with the capitalists (Businessmen) to milky this country. If President Sata loves this country, let him stand up and defend what belongs to Zambians and make KCM accountable by paying a fair share of their profits to Zambians.
I say again, we can do better to improve this country.
Cry my beloved country Cry #Zambia
1. Increasing the miner's salary;
2. Contribute to infrastructure development (roads, buildings, etc) of Chingola, Chililabombwe, Kitwe and Nampundwe. There is no corporate social responsibility. Period
3.To pay mining suppliers as they keep on fabricating lies that they have operational cost challenges.
In Zambia they keep telling us that they are making losses and when ActionAid talks about mining companies invading tax, our Veep and other GRZ ministers trashes the talk and favour the people who are rooting/plundering our resources that are supposed to enhance the living standards of the majority of Zambians living in poverty.
There is too much docility among our leaderships/politicians. They side with these multinational firms simply because they support their political campaigns financially, and mostly benefit together with their families and close friends whilst the majority of poor Zambians remain in abject poverty. Surely, how can you sell the biggest copper producer in #Africa for $25 million rather than the $400 million asking price. Someone benefited from this deal and he has to be held accountable. Even if he is dead, let all those who were involved in this whole transaction be brought to book.
Has the schools, hospitals been built and the lives of the Zambians improved after the sale of the mine?? Yes he was trying to save the jobs for Zambians but duping the majority of them (Zambians) including the August House (Parliament) which most Zambians hold in high-esteem as the house of intellectuals and leaders is very dangerous and unacceptable. This is the main reason he even refused to allow the Norwegian Government to help curb tax invasion because he simply knew the cards he was playing.
My appeal is for His Excellency Michael Chilufya Sata to do something about all this transaction now that evil deeds of Vedanta Resources have been exposed. The company is still managed by the same Vedanta Resources, so its incumbent upon the government of the day to do something. Also GRZ should invite the Norwegian government (and others who are willing to help) on board to verify/validate that the figures/data these mining/multinational firms are presenting to the Zambians are of truthful in nature and equates to the reality on the ground!! The Norwegian Government is very much willing to help audit these mining/multinational giants so that Tax fraud is curbed!!
Zambians will continue suffering if we continue with this docility amongst the citizens and mostly the leaders (politicians in particular) who have been appointed as resource managers of this great country.
We can do better as a country. The taxes KCM is supposed to remit can have a large impact on the lives of many Zambians. Firms like KCM, Zambia Sugar, Mopani Mining among others that have been mentioned to be invading Tax are the ones making life difficult for the ordinary Zambians. They are the ones contributing to the deficit of ARVs in Hospitals, they are the ones making the government to borrow in excess, they are are the ones contributing to infrastructure deficit of this great country. The companies should be taken head on so that they remit tax that reflects their true books and not cookery figures. I further implore the government to put up laws that can allow transparency in these multinational firms; laws that will provide a fair play and not exploiting the other player. Our politicians have a responsibility to safeguard the interests of the Zambians and not conniving with the capitalists (Businessmen) to milky this country. If President Sata loves this country, let him stand up and defend what belongs to Zambians and make KCM accountable by paying a fair share of their profits to Zambians.
I say again, we can do better to improve this country.
Cry my beloved country Cry #Zambia
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