The Environmental Management Agency (EMA) said 16 March it had reduced Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) fees from 1,5 percent of project cost in an effort to improve the ease of doing business in Zimbabwe. In a statement, EMA said charges would now be based on a “sliding scale” with small impact projects paying a fee of $210, moderate impact projects paying 0,8 percent of project cost while high impact projects would pay one percent. Extremely high impact projects would pay 1,2 percent of the total project cost.

EMA said：“The new fee structure is aimed at boosting sustainable investment in the country as we endeavour to balance environmental, economic and social components in a growing green economy.”

The Mongu-Kalabo Road Project total work progress has reached 80% and is scheduled to complete in April 2016.

MINISTER of Foreign Affairs Harry Kalaba says the construction of the 87km Mongu-Kalabo road will enhance plans for the establishment of an oil pipeline between Zambia and Angola and promote trade between the two countries.

“This road is going all the way up to Sikongo border, meaning that we are opening up Angola and Zambia and we will have a lot of traffic. The market in Zambia is yawning, the market in Angola is yawning, and so this road interlinking the two countries is significant,” Mr Kalaba said.

The minister, who was in Mongu to officiate at the Youth Day commemoration, said the Patriotic Front (PF) administration is determined to improve infrastructure such as roads to enable youths participate in trade and economic development.

In its latest update, consumer watchdog, the Consumer Council of Zimbabwe (CCZ) said notable decrease was recorded in fuel which has been going down over the past few months following international oil prices which have also been on the downward trend. This has led to the price decrease of some commodities like sugar, fresh milk, laundry bar and cabbage.

“We assume that the above price decreases are necessitated by the reduction of fuel costs as more commodities are imported from outside the country. However, the increase in mealie-meal prices is due to importation costs and shortage of maize in the country,” said the consumer watchdog.

CCZ Matabeleland regional manager Mr Comfort Muchekeza said there was an urgent need for the Government to engage maize producing countries and purchase more to alleviate shortage of mealie-meal. He also said that prices of commodities have been gradually dropping since last year, one of the reasons being attributed to the fall of the South African rand in recent months. ”As a result of South Africa being our number one trading partner, the fall of that country’s currency made it cheaper for local wholesalers and retailers to an extent that the price drop was felt by consumers,” said Mr Muchekeza.

VICE-PRESIDENT Inonge Wina told Parliament on 12th March that it may take some time for Zambia’s economy to benefit from the recovery of the price of copper on the international market.

Mrs Wina said the rising copper price does not automatically guarantee benefits to the Zambian economy.  “It may take time to benefit Zambia’s economy. It is a long process and not a one-day thing,” she said, “Our economic future is very bright. The indicators are there.”

The Vice-President explained that Government is diversifying the economy to trigger growth. “Inflation is triggered by many factors and our export earnings were under pressure but we are on a path to recovery with the measures we have put in place,” Mrs Wina said.