U N I T E D   N A T I O N S
Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Integrated Regional Information Network for Southern Africa

Tel: +27 11 880 4633
Fax: +27 11 880 1421
e-mail: irin-sa@irin.org.za


SOUTHERN AFRICA
IRIN-SA Weekly Round-Up 314
23 - 29 December 2006


CONTENTS:

MADAGASCAR: Children go hungry after floods, drought and Cyclone Bondo
ZAMBIA: IMF levy proposal rouses ire of taxpayers


MADAGASCAR: Children go hungry after floods, drought and Cyclone Bondo

Madagascar has called for international aid to help stem a nutritional 
emergency that has left thousands of children malnourished in the 
vulnerable south.

Inadequate seasonal rain at the beginning of 2006 had resulted in 
significant crop failure and food insecurity in the area, affecting 
approximately 300,000 people. Meanwhile, as Madagascar's cyclone season 
gets underway, Cyclone 'Bondo' hit northern Madagascar, leaving one 
person dead and affecting 304.

See report: http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56853


ZAMBIA: IMF levy proposal rouses ire of taxpayers

The Zambian government is divided over controversial tax proposals by 
the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and analysts have warned that 
extending the value added tax (VAT) of 17.5 percent to include food and 
other basic commodities would make necessities unaffordable.

In a recent report, 'Zambia - Key Issues of Tax Reform', the IMF 
suggested that in the 2007 national budget the government should 
reintroduce VAT on currently exempt items, such as food and other 
agricultural products, water and sewerage, domestic transportation, 
mosquito nets, books, magazines and newspapers. The proposal has been 
widely criticised by various stakeholders, who claimed the tax would 
harm the country's development.

See report: http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=56869


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