By MAYA NTANDA –
ZAMBIA SUGAR Plc has recorded a positive economic impact of K3.8 billion in the 2016/2017 financial year representing a 33 percent increase in the company’s total contribution in the country’s economy.
The company announced that during the past 2016/17 financial year, its total sugar economic impact on the local economy amounted to K3.8 billion.
This comprises of K1 billion in direct impacts and the balance resulting from the multiplier effects of its business operations within the supply chain and wider economy.
According to a report undertaken by the Corporate Citizenship, an independent global management consultancy specialising in social impact assessment, sustainability and corporate responsibility, the increase represents a 33 percent increase in the company’s total contribution to the economy compared to the 2012/ 2013.
Zambia Sugar Managing Director Rebecca Katowa said total direct tax paid by the company in 2016/17 amounted to K20.3 million, while indirect taxes totalling K213.8 billion were collected on behalf of the Government.
Ms Katowa said spending on local suppliers increased significantly to K2.3 billion while payments to employees in the form of salaries, benefits and wages increased by 41 percent  to K461 million and during the period, the company spent K849 million on capital investments.
“As a business, we endeavour at all times to deliver on our shared value mandate, while actively supporting the government’s social and economic development agenda. We are committed to the transformation of our business in Zambia, but recognise that to keep ourselves focused and on track, we need an independent benchmark against which to measure our real contribution.
“The last report was completed in 2012/13 and we have assessed our progress against this to ensure we identify gaps – or areas of improvement – early as well as take the time to celebrate achievements,” she said.
Some of the reported highlights from the 2016/2017 period include, over 11,474 jobs created and 34 074 livelihoods being supported.
Zambia Sugar has directly employed 6 310 people, but is estimated to support at least a further 402 jobs  through outgrower communities, 385 of which are small-scale farmers.
Other programs include the supply, value chain development through the Manyonyo Outgrowers Scheme comprising 147 smallholder farmers and supporting the country’s manufacturing and industrialisation agenda.
The K708 million refinery project opened with total annual sugar production capacity increasing to 450 000 tons, making it the largest capacity sugar production facility in Africa while the company further provided skills transfer and capacity building  worth K1.8 million.
“We identified critical areas such as job creation, infrastructure investments, supply/value chain development and environmental stewardship as key to our own success – and that of the local and national economy.  We were very pleased to note that we have made solid progress in meeting our commitments and feel confident that our on-going transformation strategy and shared value agenda will continue to deliver results,” states Ms Katowa.