State spends K2.3m on livestock centre

By AARON CHIYANZO ZAMBIA is witnessing unprecedented inflows of tourists, expatriates and investors due to the favourable investment environment created by the current government, Ministry of Home Affairs Permanent Secretary Elwyn Chomba has said.

Professor Chomba said that all entry points had been very busy because of the favourable environment that the current government had created.

She pointed out that the country had been witnessing unprecedented inflows of tourists, expatriates and investors.

Prof Chomba said this when she officiated at a workshop for the Association of Professional Immigration Consultants (APIC) in Lusaka, sponsored by HLB.

“This initiative has come at a time when the country is witnessing unprecedented inflows of tourists, expatriates and investors due in no small part to the favoruable investment environment created by the government,” she said.

Prof Chomba commended the immigration department for providing professional service that facilitated smooth movement of persons entering and leaving the country.

She reiterated that the immigration department had promptly controlled the stay of visitors in the country and that they have contributed to maintenance of internal security and socio- economic development.

Prof Chomba however warned against illegal immigration consultants but that the law was going to catch up with them.

Meanwhile, Immigration director-general Moola Milomo assured that the department was committed to ensuring the maintenance of internal security and economic development.

Mr Milomo also said that the Immigration Department would continue to provide professional services to ensure that the country attracted more investors.

He expressed confidence that the workshop would ensure that participants were imparted with the right skills to provide professional immigration consultancy services.

And APIC chairperson Caesar Banda said members were equal to the task as the amount of knowledge and information continued to grow.

Mr Banda pointed out that a better informed and sophisticated public was demanding a higher duty of care and level of service from professionals. By SANDRA MACHIMA GOVERNMENT is spending K2.3 million to build Mbila Livestock Service Centre in Itezhi-tezhi to curb cattle diseases, Central Province Permanent Secretary Chanda Kabwe has disclosed.

Mr Kabwe said President Edgar Lungu's decision to create the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries was yielding results in districts. He was speaking when he inspected Mbila Livestock Service Centre ongoing project in Chief Musungwa’s area.

He said the centre was being built 80 kilometres across the plains from Itezhitezhi central business district because farmers had struggled to take their animals for vaccination.

“Having the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries created was the best ever decision by the government because all the areas are easily reached to meet the demand of the farmers,” he said.

Itezhi-tezhi was said to have more than 137,400 herds of cattle against people’s population of less than 100,000.

And Livestock and Fisheries District Cocoordinator Sherpard Phiri said the centre will be completed within two months.

He said the government had set a target of vaccinating more than 115,000 animals across the district to prevent any possible outbreak of cattle diseases.

Dr. Phiri explained that the unreliable road network as well as flooding during the rainy season had left many animals being unvaccinated.