Dear Editor,
I GOT this from somewhere and realised I wasn’t the only one who has been struggling with these issues.
In Zambia, starting a professional business venture comes with very huge challenges mostly created by bureaucrats. Imagine setting a lab in Mufulira came with the following bills on licensing alone.
1. Business permit – K2, 000
2. Health permit – K1, 500
3. Fire certificate – K1, 000
4. Personal levy – K15/employee
5. HPCZ licensing – K11, 600
6. Pacra – K1, 000
7. Workers Compensation – K400
Total- K17, 630
A hefty K17, 630 for licensing only! In other words, that’s just for paperwork, now you have to pay rentals and buy your working apparatus and employ people to work there and you have to pay tax from day one of your business when foreigners get a tax free window.
This is an extremely harsh environment for emerging businesses. Imagine a situation where almost 50 percent of your startup expense is on licensing alone.
Something needs to be done about this situation if we are to encourage young people to venture in professional business ventures.
I would be a very happy person if this got to the attention of relevant authorities.
Oh, by the way, to train in health it’s worse. For every course you pay K56, 000, at each campus if you have more than one campus. Plus all the other fees.
During the Covid-19 situation, institutions have not been making any money but are supposed to remit payment for everything.
Okay, pa Zed kukosa guys and listening to the speech, well, maybe we will see some changes hopefully.
Looking forward to your success in governance.
PETER S. CHAMA.
