Zanaco, Mercy Corps seal deal
Initially, the implementation should have been effected on July 1, 2019
Finance Minister, Margaret Mwanakatwe, said Government had moved the implementation date to allow the legal process to be completed.
She said yesterday.
“The bill is yet to undergo parliamentary procedures which include second reading, committee stage and third reading. Once passed by Parliament the bill has to undergo presidential assent.
“Clearly these processes cannot be completed before the stated date of 1st July 2019. I wish to inform this House and the nation that the implementation date for sales tax has been moved to 1st September, 2019,” Ms Mwanakatwe said.
She explained that Government had continued to receive submissions from the public and private sectors. this in Parliament
The Minister also emphasised that Government would take into consideration the views and suggestions of the public as it implemented sales tax.
“Like I said in my brief to the house in April, 2019 we do not want to leave any stone unturned. It is in this regard that my ministry working hand in hand with Zambia Revenue Authority went to all the 10 provinces to engage stakeholders to get their key input on the bill that was presented before this August House.
“May I take this opportunity to thank the Zambian people for their support and determination to ensure that this nation gets enough resources to provide social services,” she said.
M s Mwanakatwe had since proposed to hold a workshop with all Members of Parliament next week to discuss all issues on sales tax.
ZANACO and Mercy Corps have launched a new product aimed at accelerating financial inclusion among Zambian farmers.
The product called Agripay is a holistic customer value proposition that includes access to market, access to agronomic information and suite of digital financial products.
ZANACO head alliances digital banking, Jessica Chisompola, said the new product would help farmers have a whole range of services needed to improve their productivity.
Ms Chisompola said once a farmer opens an AgriPay account, they would be able to transact money, making — Ms Chisompola bill payments, transfers and receive payments from a processer after the sale of their produce.
She was speaking during the launch of the product in Lusaka. “Agripay product is a smallholder product which provides access to information, financial learning aspect as well as access of them been able to access accordingly.
“So far we since we started our pilot project we have registered over 1600 farmers and we are hoping by the end of the year can have 6000 farmers. And in the next five years we are looking at 50,000 farmers on board with the help of other partners we will be able to grow,” she said.
ZANACO, she said, would soon add a learning component to the account where farmers would be able to have educational content to help them become more productive.
At the same function, Agrifin country director for accelerate programmes, Christabell Makokha, said the partnership was meant to help Zambian farmers because a number of them were financially excluded.
Ms Makokha observed that the end goal was for farmers to have access to inputs, get loans and income for farming productivity among others.
Agripay product is a smallholder product which provides access to information, financial learning aspect as well as access of them been able to access accordingly.