Zambia scraps sales tax plan in concession to miners

Zambia will not replace its value-added tax (VAT) with a non-refundable sales tax, Finance Minister Bwalya Ng’andu said on Friday, a major concession to mining companies that fiercely opposed the proposal. Zambia, Africa’s second-largest copper producer, is grappling with high debt levels and the effects of a severe regional drought which has depressed economic growth.