STATE HOUSE TO PROTECT INVESTORS AND THEIR INVESTMENTS

State House says it will do everything possible under the law to protect lives and property of any foreign investor, regardless of their nationality.
Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda says President Edgar Lungu wants every investor in the country to feel safe and that their investment is protected fully by the state.
Ms. Chanda also says the Head of State regrets the xenophobic attacks that targeted Chinese nationals which were carried out on the backbone of falsehoods and that he will not tolerate lawlessness.
Speaking at State House today when he addressed journalists, Mr. Chanda also disclosed that Chinese President Xi Jinping has complained at the highest level about the attacks that were aimed at his nationals.
He said the complaints were channeled through Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Lie Jie who acted as his government’s Special Envoy.
Mr. Chanda said the Chinese government regrets that its nationals have been attacked on the falsehood that government has sold ZAFFICO and ZNBC.
He said as a result of the xenophobic attacks, some Chinese investors have taken long disproportionate vacations and scaled down their operations.
And Mr. Chanda said the construction of conference facilities at Mulungushi International Conference center for the 2022 African Union summit by the Chinese government will be done under a special grant.
He said the facilities will include a 3-thousand 5-hundred-seater conference, a hotel and other support infrastructure while the existing conference center will be upgraded into a modern one.
On the memorial park which will be built in Chongwe, Mr. Chanda said the cost will be fully borne by the Chinese government and is meant to honor the memory of these who perished during the construction of Tanzania Zambia Railway line-TAZARA.
Meanwhile, Mr. Chanda said President Lungu is deeply saddened by a video on social media purportedly showing aspiring candidate for PF Lusaka Chairmanship Geoffrey Chumbwe and PF member Max Chongu campaigning on tribal grounds.
He said President Lungu has since asked PF Secretary General Davies Mwila to thoroughly investigate the matter saying tribalism has no place in the ruling party.
The head of state has demanded that if the video is authenticated, Mr. Chumbwe and Mr. Chongu will have to retract their statement immediately.
Mr. Chanda also asked Roan MP Chishimba Kambwili to prove that there are some foreign contractors who visit State House with sacks of money.
He said the Presidential diary shows that President Lungu has not met any of the investors Mr. Kambwili is mentioning in the last 18 months at State House.
Mr. Chanda said Mr. Kambwili should not dare law enforcement agencies with his defamatory statements against President Lungu in some sections of the private media.
He said although Mr. Kambwili is right that President Lungu can sue him in his personal capacity, his statements border on defamation.