CHIKWANDA

By CHUSA SICHONE?-
THE Government is happy with the performance of Nitrogen Chemicals of?Zambia (NCZ) and has pledged continued support to the company.
Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda said this when he toured NCZ in?Kafue yesterday with his Agriculture and Livestock counterpart Wylbur?Simuusa.
Mr Chikwanda said the previous administration wanted to sell NCZ for a?‘song’ as they viewed it as a ‘white elephant’ but the Patriotic Front?revamped the company to diversify the economy from mining to?agriculture.
Mr Chikwanda was happy with the performance of NCZ, saying the firm’s?path to recovery had proved critics, who thought it would not be?resuscitated, wrong.??“Let me say that we are all very satisfied with the performance of?NCZ, Mr (Zuze) Banda and your colleagues,” he said.
Mr Chikwanda said the Government was using agriculture as a tool to?end poverty levels, which currently stand at 60 per cent, and was?elated that the State was able to give the country a facelift since it?assumed power in 2011.
“President Sata’s agenda is to transform Zambia and I think that in?the three years PF has been in Government, it has transformed Zambia?in ways that you have never seen before,” he said.
Mr Simuusa said to show the Government’s commitment and seriousness in?agriculture, it had invested heavily in the sector and was equally?happy that NCZ was operating according to Government’s expectations.?? “You have done us proud and we encourage you to continue and, as?Government and as the minister of Finance said, we will give you?support,” Mr Simuusa said.
“This is what we want to see as Government and as the vision of our?President is coming to pass, we will give you the support. We are not?finished, the progress is good but we are not going to relax, we will?keep pushing and we will give you the support.”
NCZ chief executive officer Zuze Banda was grateful to the Government?for recapitalising the company resulting in the rehabilitation of NPK?compound fertiliser and the ammonium nitrate plants in 2013.
Mr Banda said NCZ had so far produced 85,213 tonnes of D-compound?fertiliser under the 2014/2015 Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP)?out of the total 106,409 tonnes at a total cost of K611 million, and?distributed 72,000 tonnes to 77 districts in the 10 provinces.??Mr Banda cited power interruptions, equipment breakdowns and?inadequate funding as some of the challenges the company was facing.
Mr Chikwanda and his entourage, which included Kafue Member of?Parliament Obvious Mwaliteta, proceeded to Kafue Steel Plant on a?conducted tour.
Company director and Trade Kings Group corporate and public affairs?head Bright Chunga cited locals preferred to import steel when the?company could produce it locally, and that was one of the challenges,?which Mr Chikwanda said needed to be addressed.
Dr Chunga also dispelled accusations by Kafue District Commissioner?Grace Ngulube that the company caused pollution in the area.