Zambia: Don't Sell Assets Yet, TAZ Directed

Source from:  The Times of Zambia (Ndola) 27 December 2007 12/28/2007

THE Government has directed the Tobacco Association of Zambia (TAZ) not to proceed with the sale of its assets until a Task Force to be appointed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives to review the situation, makes recommendations. Chief Government spokesperson Mike Mulongoti said in a statement issued in Lusaka yesterday that the Government had learnt with great concern about the intended sale of assets such as TAZ House and shares in Tombwe Processing Plant. Mr Mulongoti said the instructions issued by the minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives reminding TAZ not to proceed with any sale of the association's assets until the Task Force made recommendations were still in force. "I wish to remind the Tobacco Association of Zambia that the assets and facilities are intended to help small-scale farmers and therefore the sale would only go to benefit a few individual commercial farmers at the expense of the majority small farmers. "The instructions pertaining to this matter by the minister of Agriculture and Co-operatives therefore still stands, and any sale done outside this arrangement before the Task Force appointed for this purpose completes its work will be viewed as an intention to sabotage Government programmes," he said. Mr Mulongoti further reminded TAZ that the Government intended to ensure that there was fair play in this matter for the benefit of all the stakeholders in the tobacco industry. Enditem