Unacceptable, only two indigenously owned lodges in South Luangwa – President Lungu

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Kaingo (Shelton Safaris) in South Luangwa was the most relaxing camp I visited. It was the perfect place for a couch safari. Skip one game drive, stay in camp and watch the animals come to you.

President Lungu has directed Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) to propose policy and legislative reforms designed to make the wildlife industry work for the poor majority.

President Lungu issued the order when he received a special briefing from acting ZAWA Director-General Mr Kampamba Kombe on the status of the wildlife industry.

The Head of State says it is unacceptable that in the vast South Luangwa National Park, there are only two indigenously owned lodges and that the entire wildlife sector chain, participation from Zambians is at a bare minimum.

The President later visited Chimfule Lodge and Mushroom Lodge to understand the challenges Zambian entrepreneurs are facing to make it in the wildlife and tourism sectors.

And President Lungu has announced that his administration will pilot a visa waiver for one year for nationals from four countries: two Asian and two European to ascertain the effect on tourism arrivals.

During the trio period, the government will undertake a cost-benefit analysis of the waiver with specific focus on the impact on security and other related matters.

On hunting concessions, the President has encouraged the ZAWA boss to adhere to the law and ensure that no single group of people is allowed to dominate the hunting blocks.

And Mr Kombe has thanked the President for retaining Hon. Jean Kapata as Tourism Minister because she has stabilised the operations of ZAWA and reduced negative publicity around the organisation to a bare minimum since she assumed office.

This is contained in a statement made available to QFM News by Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda.

 

QFM NEWS (Partially from )

4 COMMENTS

  1. If we had a “Rural Investment Policy” then maybe we would encourage Zambians to investment in the outlying areas. I am Zambian and a lodge owner situated in a far flung corner of Zambia but get no incentives that are readily handed out to foreign investors!

  2. Please Mr President don’t bring Mugabe policies in Zambia. Zimbabwe introduced a policy where all foreign owned companies were ordered to surrender part of their shares to indigenous Zimbabweans. Today Zimbabwe can not rightly claim to be a sovereign state. Where is the sovereignty when the country has no national currency. Because of such policies Zimbabwe found itself in this situation. We don’t need to start thinking of making policies, what we need is a conducive enviroment where both local and forein investors will be able to compete favourably.

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