Minister of Mines, Christopher Yaluma, says Zambia is politically stable and has assured investors that their investments are safe even when the country goes to elections in August this year.

And the Minister held a meeting with the Oil and Gas Council in the United Kingdom to discuss on how the entity could collaborate with Zambia to explore and extract the vast potential petroleum resources in the country. During which Mr. Yaluma said Zambia has maintained a reputable record of peaceful and democratic elections which makes the country a conducive place for doing business.

He said the London meeting was a success, and expressed optimism that it would attract more investment into Zambia for the benefit of the people.

GOVERNMENT has urged suppliers of alternative sources of energy to reduce their prices for the commodities to reduce the demand for hydropower supply and ultimately mitigate load shedding.

Livingstone District Commissioner Omar Munsanje said there was need for suppliers of alternative sources of energy to reduce their prices for the commodities so that more people could access the tools.

Livingstone based environmentalist Benjamin Mibenje said there was need to discourage the use of charcoal as an alternative source of energy because the practice was contributing to climate change.

AGRICULTURE Minister Given Lubinda accused opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) leader Hakainde Hichilema of issuing false statements to the international media that Zambia was going to run into an acute food deficit.

“Zambia currently has 594,000 metric tonnes of maize in the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) reserves and that is more than enough food for the next six months or more.” Mr Lubinda said.

He said President Lungu was misquoted by Mr Hichilema on the possible importation of maize as one of the alternatives and explained that at no time did President Lungu say importing maize was a must but that it was just one of the three alternatives if things went to the worst situation that is most unlikely to happen.

The minister said the Government was working round the clock to ensure that whoever was involved in such activities was exposed.

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.

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.