By KAIKO NAMUSA –
GOVERNMENT has allocated K33 million towards dismantling the K45 million owed to teachers in arrears for various emoluments, Education Deputy Minister Patrick Ngoma has said.
Mr Ngoma said this in Parliament yesterday when Solwezi West MMD Member of Parliament (MP) Humphrey Mwanza asked the Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education how much money was owed to teachers in form of salary arrears countrywide as at September 30, 2013.
He said Government had in the 2014 national Budget allocated K33 million towards dismantling the arrears.
Parliament also heard that Lumwana Mine and First Quantum Minerals had paid a shared total of K3.4billion in terms of taxes to the Government from 2010 to 2013.
Lumwana Mine paid K165 million in 2010, K654.7 million in 2011, K493.6 million in 2012 and K420.6 million last year, while FQM paid K156 million in 2010, K260 million in 2011, K805 million in 2012 and K499.9 million last year.
Mines Deputy Minister Richard Musukwa said the two mines were tax compliant during the years under review except for Lumwana Mine, which he pointed out was not tax compliant in terms of its submissions for Income Tax.
He said this in response to Chipili Patriotic Front (PF) MP Davies Mwila who wanted to know how much the two mines had contributed to Government coffers in terms of tax.
Parliament also heard that plans were underway to make the Barotse Plains in Western Province a world heritage site.
Chiefs and Traditional Affairs Minister Nkandu Luo said the status would benefit the country in terms of boosting tourism potential.