Celebrating ‘The Twilight Saga: New Moon’

In honor of the opening day of New Moon, the latest film in The Twilight Saga, we thought we ...

The Cheryl Behind the Cheryl

Known to many as the long-suffering (ex)wife of funnyman Larry David, the man behind Seinfeld, ...

BlogTalkRadio Host of the Week: Alfred McComber from...

By Christina Blodgett In our continuing effort to spotlight more members of the BlogTalkRadio ...

 

Your show will start playing after this message

Profile

Brain Drain

http://www.mwape.com/braindrain.html


Country: United States

Language: English

Follow on Twitter

On Demand Episodes

Links

Listeners

  • Muriella's Corner
  • poeticworksllc
  • Jason Massey
  • A.J.MAGGOT
  • ZambiaBlogTalkRadio
  • Tom the Psychic
  • Zaningi Talk Show
  • Musaba Chailunga
  • Brain Drain
  • Mesh
  • Intersections Match
  • Torq64
  • Bring The Funny
  • 2znm
  • GOOFY BONE
  • leolafaye
  • TV TALK
  • WBCN RADIO
  • Maphio
  • callywood

Friends

  • ceoofthefamily
  • internetbroadcaster
  • The J Muhammad Show
  • AmericanHeroesRadio
  • Revival-Radio
  • Musenge Luchembe
  • Evolutionmuse
  • On Point wEJ
  • Truth (Chef Robb)
  • Gary McCants
  • John14:6
  • MBEATY
  • Bridgin The Gap
  • THE ARENA
  • ALEXYSS K.TYLOR VP
  • bygINCpresents
  • PPC1
  • WSN Radio
  • JohnCSweet

Comments

There are no comments at this time.

Immigration and Education  

On this radio show we discuss issues related to legal immigration, brain drain of highly qualified professionals, success stories of immigrants and politics. We bring experts from around the world and talk to them every Saturdays for 4 hours. A list of topics and guests is posted here and at our website, www.mwape.com/talkshow.html. The debut show was August 9th, 2008 at 8:00 am NY Time. Our hosts are James & Ruth Mwape and various voluntary contributors.

Show Notes

To join the show live, every Saturday at 8:00 - 12:00 hrs please, call +1-718-766-4856

  • Upcoming Episodes

    Chola Mukanga

    Brain Drain

    Date / Time:

    Category: Life

    Call-in Number: (718) 766-4857


    "The Curse of Copper". We explore all questions surrounding Zambia's mining industry, development agreements, and setting "an optimal mining policy" for Zambia. As well as the challenges of diversification, and linking that to automatic infrastructure delivery.

  • On Demand Episodes

    Original Air Date:

    Dr Bernard Mukwavi: Missionary & Pastor

    Dr Bernard Mukwavi has served as a pastor and missionary on three different continents; Africa, Europe and North America. He will discuss the dynamics and challenges of serving in the ministry in different cultures or foreign nations, and other issues related to ministry. He will also share the work of Mercy Touch Mission International which he co-founded with his wife Anne.

    No Comments

  • Original Air Date:

    Open mike

    Open discussions on various topics including politics, education, poverty, etc

    No Comments

  • Date / Time:

    Abolishing Mining Windfall Tax Policy in Zambia

    The euphoria on the mining tax regimes that were introduced by the late President Mwanawasa in 2008 is quickly over, like a flash in the pan. It is clear that the late president had a lot of pretentious followers in his party that were not happy with the introduction of new fiscal tax policy for the mining sector. In retrospect, some of them may have rubbed their hands with glee that he passing because his demise presented them the opportunity to make under-handed deals with mining companies to enrich themselves. The pace at which the then new tax regime was soon quickly suspended after President LPM's death and now finally abolished is disheartening. It is preposterous for Zambia to continue on the current path of economic destruction. Like I have said before on other fora, Zambians need to speak out and demand the right to know how those deals and future deals are made with mining companies. In order to promote transparency, there is need for government to make all the agreements public so that the public can appraise themselves of the various conditionalities in the agreements. However, this is likely to face alot of opposition and resentment from government officials especially in scenarios where some or the majority of the deals may be questionable and largely lack integrity. The removal of the well-intended windfall tax regime will significantly affect the only major opportunity of Zambia benefiting from its own natural resources and wealth through an effective tax collection policy. Revenues which were hitherto highly promising will now be driven down to the extent that we may begin to entertain ideas that mining conglomerates in Zambia own our wealth.  All the ongoing political manoeuvers should serve as warnings to all Zambians that the country is quickly slipping back to Chiluba's time when the economic plunder machine was let loose.

    No Comments

  • Date / Time:

    66% ZESCO tariff hike: Recipe for Poverty Enhancement

    By Beston Chitala

    ZESCO, a monopolistic power utility, has consistently asserted that it does not operate profitably owing to low tariffs to justify tariffs hike. The power utility is slated to effect 66% tariff hike in electricity tariff with the blessings from the Bank Governor and ERB. The tariff will be introduced inspite of ZACCI and one UNZA Economics professor opposing the hike. The Bank Governor should have known better that raising electricity tariffs would have implications on a fragile economy. The Governor’s argument is that raising tariffs would attract investments to the electricity sector. When the same thinking was applied to the mines and the new tax regime introduced in 2008, taxes accruing from windfall, corporate and other applicable taxes were expected to stimulate economic growth. Unfortunately, the Government recently reneged by suspending the new tax regime on mining. While the idea is to prevent the greedy mining companies from closing shop, it is also envisaged that lower tax regimes will act to stem capital flight as mining companies scale down their operations and in some cases cease operations completely. In the same vein, one would expect similar economic rationale to be applied in the case of ZESCO tariff hikes. It’s common knowledge that the cost of electricity generation in Zambia is one of the lowest in the region but Zambians pay higher tariffs than those obtaining in neighbouring countries whose cost of generation is higher. The expected result, when inefficiencies and personal interests are factored into the tariff, is the high tariff. This is ridiculous! One wonders just what kind of economic model is applied to arrive at an exaggerated 66%. It shameful that ZESCO is allowed to use tariff increases to covering up inefficiencies and schemes to award themselves unjustified salary increments and benefits. It is indisputable that the 66% tariff hike will negatively impact the economy. First, even ordinary people know that the monstrous hike will alter their spending habits. Consumers at household level will be required to shell out 66% more than they have in the past. Spending will be hit enough to translate into possible reduction in total household expenditure on food. Further, the new tariff will cause electricity to become more expensive and less affordable, especially for the majority of households currently struggling to pay for electricity. Eventually, some consumers will be compelled to make hard choices: a meal on the table or electricity in their homes. ZESCO’s Managing Director has the audacity to ask Zambians not to construe the proposed tariff hike as a way to financially disadvantage them. Can he explain how 66% tariff hikes will ease the pain consumers currently feel? Finally, the proposed tariff will affect business and commerce alike. As a consequence, upward price adjustments to offset the new tariff are inevitable. Such myopic and ill-conceived tariff hikes are more likely to exacerbate poverty than stimulate economic growth.

    No Comments

  • Original Air Date:

    Rodger Chali

    The Rodger Chali Sink or Swim Theory. What is it? Can making Zambia's Provinces "independent" of GRZ help solve the nation's current problems? Rodger, says yes. He believes that dependence on Lusaka has been the reason why we are where we are. Do you agree?

    No Comments

  • Original Air Date:

    Kaela Mulenga

    Dr. Kaela Mulenga takes us through Memory Lane of Zambia's past. Does History really tell the Story? Do we really need to understand where we had been in order to know what has gone wrong and how we can fix Zambia's problems? Maybe we do. This is an educational show for the younger generation by someone how has been through it all and is willing to share it all.

    No Comments

  • Date / Time:

    Appreciating other peoples' ideas and team work

    It is interesting to note that there is growing interest for the Zambian government to partner with Diaspora Zambians as a vehicle to promote development in Zambia . Over the last many weeks there has been a flurry of ideas exchanged through e-mails on this online forum. All the ideas now seem to be headed toward metamorphosing into what is being dubbed as Zambiadiasporainvest. But how far is this idea envisaged to go? Should we expect it to take or assume a form similar to that of the Zambia First Investment Fund (ZFIF)? If the idea of Zambiadiasporainvest is going to bear any semblance to the ZFIF, we must be careful to ensure that people don't see us as merely peddling a duplicate effort.
     
    As Zambians, we are never short of ideas as to how much we can do and want to do and want to achieve. The forum that, for weeks, had gripped and gotten many Diaspora Zambians involved in the exchange of ideas is a paragon of such limitless capacity to generate ideas that are not short of being plausible.
     
    The Zambiadisporainvest is undoubtedly another good idea emanating from the interaction of many Zambians in the Diaspora that have similar vision and desire to see  Zambia leap forward and attain some degree of development. Doesn’t this remind us of the Zambia First Investment Fund that was mooted in the fall of 2008 by two Zambians in the Diaspora; one in Poland (Dr. Richard Mbewe) and another in the USA (James Mwape). The ZFIF has been online for three months now, the question that comes to mind is "What will guarantee the success of any one of the two investment ideas? The ZFIF proposal has been seen and read by many Zambians who may be going through their own decision-making process to decide whether to invest in the ZFIF and how much to invest once their final decision is made. The way we embrace ZFIF project proposal will have a bearing on how other Zambians in the Diaspora receive other future project ideas.
     
    I may be wrong but it seems there is an apparent maneuver to come up with another body, parallel to ZFIF, which will be responsible for helping Diaspora Zambians in making investments in Zambia . However, history has shown that, as individuals, most of us in the Diaspora may not have the financial capacity to make an investment in Zambia that would have a large-scale impact on the Zambian society and employment market. One would expect that a lot of Zambians in the Diaspora would have by now embraced the investment ideas underlining the ZFIF on account of its defined aims and objectives. If all of us in the Diaspora cannot see the ZFIF as an opportunity and a vehicle that would ultimately contribute to Zambia 's development, why should we even fathom that the Zambiadiasporainvest will attract prospects to invest in Zambia ? By proposing an investment idea that sounds remotely similar to what the ZFIF intends to achieve merely creates an impression that some of us are not ready to embrace ideas by people other than ourselves and this also brings out elements of the Zambian Diaspora that is largely fragmented and incapable of working in concert. What are we going to lose by embracing the ZFIF? Nothing! If anything, we stand to be seen as one coherent and visionary group of educated Zambians that knows where it wishes to be as far as the invest-in Zambia idea in concerned.
     
    The success of any investment project and/or proposal will depend largely on how all of us in the Diaspora render it the necessary support deserving. We have to be seen to have unity of purpose in working as a team to ensure that our project ideas see the light of day. This means that we all need to be supportive of feasible proposals that are ready, defined and concretized business projects. Therefore, at this stage, we have to be seen to be desirous of working together as one people and render support to the ZFIF project. I am of the view that we do not need to initiate a process of re-inventing the wheel (ZFIF) that is already in motion and with probably more than one-hundred thousand dollars in pledged investment funds.
     
    How we move from this point to realizing our collective potential and influence in contributing to the development of our country will depend on how soon we deal with personal conflicts, group conflicts and unnecessary pride. Unless we start to unclad ourselves of these little encumbrances, it will remain a pipe-dream for the Diaspora to achieve anything substantial group success, let alone contribute to Zambia ’s development. As Zambians in the Diaspora, we have a responsibility to redeem our image in the eyes of the naysayers that have always said that we cannot achieve anything. Therefore, this is an opportunity for us all to put all the differences aside and start working together with unity of purpose for the development of Zambia .
     
    Since we all have different opinions I don’t expect anyone to agree with what I have said here. Thank you for lending me your ear.

    No Comments

  • < Previous Episodes

Extras

Everything Else

Listen

 

 Participate

 

 Services and Terms

 

 Corporate

 

 BlogTalkRadio

 
BlogTalkRadio is a provider of thousands of internet talk radio shows. Our streaming and archived shows are produced by anyone that wants to be an internet radio host.
Give it a listen  and  
© 2009 BlogTalkRadio.com. All Rights Reserved.