Roland Imperial Tobacco Company General Manager Aliport Ngoma prods Govt to ban tobacco imports

“I have a passion for Environment, Health, Safety, corporate governance and risk management. I also have the edge to make decisions and ability to energize teams to execute and deliver results. I thrive in challenging situations, am innovative, energetic, have unparalleled cross-cultural exposure and believe in winning,” says Roland Imperial Tobacco Company General Manager,

Aliport Ngoma

Roland Imperial Tobacco seeks operational incentives from ZDA

… Roland Imperial Tobacco Company General Manager Aliport Ngoma prods Govt to ban tobacco imports

Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) Board Chairperson Bishop David Masupa at Roland Imperial Tobacco Company in Lusaka’s Makeni area on Monday 21st December 2020 Picture by Derrick Sinjela

By Francis Maingaila and Derrick Sinjela

ROLAND Imperial Tobacco is facing numerous challenges which the Government of the Republic of Zambia must hasten addressing as a matter of agency if it is to realise its vision of a thriving local entrepreneurship.

After hosting a Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) tour of the firm’s offices in the Lusaka East Multi-facility Economic Zone (MFEZ) and Makeni offices, Roland Imperial Tobacco Company General Manager Aliport Ngoma

Ngoma told ZDA Board Chairperson Bishop David Masupa to coordinate an environment protective of indigenous communities.

During the familization tour of the two facilities in LMFEZ and Makeni office’ an elated Mr. Ngoma briefed the ZDA Board Chairperson that the pledge by the company to have a processing plant to produce cigars in Zambia has since been done or actualised.

As planned, Ngoma said the machinery has been imported and the production of cigars is being done in Zambia.

Ngoma suggested that the process of actualizing production was disturbed by the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19), which global pandemic  has made operations more teething.

The Roland Imperial Tobacco Company General Manager said the development is slowly taking shape and is going on very well to the satisfaction of the company

However, Ngoma regretted that Roland Imperial Tobacco Company is also facing numerous challenges including lack of incentives which makes it difficult doing businesses as costs continue to escalate, coupled with electric power supply interruptions.

“The changes in the investment laws which saw the suspension of the tax holidays is adversely affected the operation of Roland Imperial Tobacco Company,” lamented Ngoma, the Roland Imperial Tobacco Company General Manager.

Ngoma wants the government to give the consideration to Zambian owned companies in terms of tax holidays.

Ngoma urged the Zambian Government to support the local companies who currently face teething operational challenges worsened by poor supply of electricity and water blues which have not spared commercial.

In line with the pronouncements of President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, Ngoma encouraged the government to help local companies to realize estimated profit.

The Roland Imperial Tobacco Company General Manager  wants to see the importation of the products being manufactured locally be regulated saying this will help the companies to grow for good

Ngoma expressed the need to implement what is being contained in the Seventh National Development Plan.

The Roland Imperial Tobacco Company General Manager complained that smuggling of the cigars into the country was slowly killing the industry.

Ngoma observed that over 60 of the cigars on the markets are smuggled into the country.

“Doing  all these things will make us raise more income from the money being used by  companies and revenue earned must not be wasted to import the same locally produced products,” argued Ngoma.

In terms of workforce, Ngoma said the company had grown it to 150 but usd bee reduced due to COVID-19.

The Roland Imperial Tobacco Company General Manager disclosed that the company is getting the required material used in the production is coming from cooperating partners.

In response ZDA Board Chairperson David Masupa expressed satisfaction to the progress being made so far.

Bishop Masupa told the Ngoma that the government will take into consideration all the challenges he bring to his attention and relevant solutions will be found.

Bishop Masupa assured the company that the will do all it can to help local companies to ensure the production begin to boom for the good of the country.

The ZDA Board Chairperson expressed happiness that the surplus of tobacco production is already fining its market in RSA and DRC.

Bishop Masupa said he and the ZDA Board and Management wanted to find out from the manufacturer the challenges being faced on its way to production.

Bishop Masupa said after listening to the challenges, agency will ensure that all the concerns are taken care of immediately.

Bishop Masupa said Zambia earn its money from the export the production of non-traditional exports.

“The government is happy that the tobacco company is working with farmers to raise the Foreign Exchange and empower local people,” noted an appreciative Bishop Masupa.

He expressed happiness that the packaging which was done abroad is for being done in Zambia and  this will double the GDP

Want see the how the enterprise is performing and see how or whether there is something which the government can do to improve the growth.

ZDA has a policy and planning that complement the investment and research in the country.

Last week the president Launched the economic recovery which including lifting the lives of the people that are badly hit by the COVID-19.