Zambia
Privatisation Act, 1992
Chapter 386
- Published
- Commenced on 4 July 1992
- [This is the version of this document at 31 December 1996.]
Part I – Preliminary
1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Privatisation Act.2. Interpretation
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—"Agency" means the Zambia Privatisation Agency established under section three;"bank" means a commercial bank registered under the Banking and Financial Services Act.[Cap. 387]"commercialisation" means the re-organisation of specified Government departments into commercialised enterprises which shall operate as profit making commercial ventures without the subvention of the Government and "commercialise" shall be construed accordingly;"consultant" means any person employed by the Agency to undertake any work of a specialised nature connected with the privatisation programme in Zambia and shall include merchant banks, public accountants, lawyers and valuers;"current value" means the market value of a State owned enterprise within three months of the completion of the sale;"divestiture" means the disposing of the whole or part of the assets and shares of a State owned enterprise;"divestiture sequence plan" means a list of State owned enterprises, as approved by Cabinet, categorised according to the sequence in which the whole or part of their shares will be disposed of over the period of the privatisation programme;"established fund" includes pension funds, contributory social security schemes, compensation funds and superannuation funds;"financial institution" means a company, or body not being a bank, which carries on financial business and which is registered under any other law;"foreign investor" means a person, being a citizen of Zambia or not, who brings into Zambia foreign exchange for the purchase of shares in a State owned enterprise or for additional investment in a State owned enterprise;"golden share" means a share with special rights to enable the Government in the national interest to intervene in the operations of a company which intervention is caused by specific actions undertaken by the company;"investor" means an individual, company, established fund, mutual fund, financial institution or foreign government intending to invest in a State owned enterprise under this Act but does not include the Local Government, the Government of the Republic of Zambia and a State owned enterprise;"mutual fund" means an investment fund which purchases shares in a portfolio of companies and subdivides such portfolio into individual units for sale of such units to investors;"privatisation" means the transferring to the private sector of part or the whole of the equity or other interest held by the Government, directly or indirectly, in a State owned enterprise wholly or partly owned by the Government and "privatise" shall be construed accordingly;"Privatisation Revenue Account" means an account established under section thirty-nine;"Privatisation Trust Fund" means a fund established under section twenty-nine;"property" means all property movable or immovable, and all estates, interests, easements, and rights, whether legal or equitable into or out of property, choses-in-action, money and good-will;"specified Government department" means a department specified by the Minister under section thirty-seven;"State owned enterprise" means a corporation, board, company, parastatal or body in which the Government has direct or indirect ownership, equity or interest and includes partnerships, joint ventures or any other form of business arrangement or organisation in which the Government has direct or indirect interest but does not include a Government department;"stocks and shares" includes loans, stocks, debentures and debenture stock and options on any stocks, shares, loan, stock, debentures or debenture stock and rights, in relation to State owned enterprises;"stock broker" means a person who carries on the business of buying and selling stocks or shares for and on behalf of other persons;Part II – The Zambia Privatisation Agency
3. Establishment of Agency
There is hereby established the which shall be a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal capable of suing and of being sued in its corporate name, and with power, subject to the provisions of this Act, to do all such acts and things as a body corporate may by law do or perform.4. Seal of Agency
5. Composition of Agency
6. Tenure of office and vacancy
7. Remuneration and allowances of members
A member shall be paid such remuneration and allowances as the Agency may, with the approval of the Minister, determine.8. Functions of Agency
9. Proceedings of Agency
10. Committees of Agency
11. Disclosure of interest
If any person is present at a meeting of the Agency or any committee of the Agency at which any matter is the subject of consideration and in which matter that person or his immediate family or his professional and business partners, is directly or indirectly interested in a private or professional capacity, he shall, as soon as is practicable after the commencement of the meeting disclose such interest and shall not, unless the Agency or the committee otherwise directs, take part in any consideration or discussion of or vote on, any question touching on such matter.Part III – Administration
12. Director of Agency
13. Secretary and other staff
14. Disclosure of interest by employees
15. Oath of secrecy
16. Prohibition of publication or disclosure of information by unauthorised persons
Part III – Procedure for privatisation and commercialisation
[Please note: numbering as in original.]17. Privatisation of State owned enterprises
A State owned enterprise shall be privatised in accordance with the divestiture sequence plan.18. Golden share
The Minister responsible for finance may, on the advice of the National Assembly, retain a share in a State owned enterprise and convert such share into a golden share.19. Allotment of shares
The shares of a State owned enterprise shall be allotted by the Agency.20. Obligations of holding companies and share holders
The share holders in any State owned enterprise, when requested by the Agency, shall provide to the Agency such information as the Agency may require.21. Obligations of State owned enterprises
22. Modes of privatisation
The Agency may employ the following modes of privatisation:23. Valuation of state owned enterprise
24. Eligible buyer
The shares in a State owned enterprise shall be sold to a citizen of Zambia or a person who is not a citizen of Zambia.25. Sale of shares to an employee and consultant
No member or members of a committee or any employee or consultant of the Agency or the spouse, child, mother, father, brother, sister or a professional business partner as the case may be, of the employee or consultant shall purchase shares unless the sale is by public offer of shares.26. Political leaders
Political leaders and public officers shall publicly disclose their intention to bid for the purchase of shares in a State owned enterprise.27. Declaration by potential investor
A potential investor shall disclose his bid in a State owned enterprise, his direct personal interest and his indirect interest, either through share holdings or through a nominee or otherwise, in a State owned enterprise.28. Established fund
An established fund may, with a consent of the contributors, purchase shares in a State owned enterprise on behalf of the contributors.29. Purchase of shares by citizens of Zambia
30. Foreign investors
Foreign investors shall be entitled to incentives under the Investment Act if such investor acquires shares in a State owned enterprise where—31. Mode of payment of shares
Subject to provisions of section twenty-nine or any other written law, the shares of a State owned enterprise shall not be sold on credit.32. Negotiations for offer of sale
33. Conversion of private companies to public companies
The Agency may convert a State owned enterprise scheduled for privatisation, which is not a public company, into a public company in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act.[Cap. 388]34. Trading in shares
Notwithstanding any provision in any other written law and for purposes of this Act, a bank or financial institution may carry on the business of a stock broker or a dealer in stocks and shares.35. Liquidation
The Agency may liquidate a State owned enterprise in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act.[Cap. 388]35A. Appointment of receiver
The Agency may appoint a receiver to manage a State owned enterprise in financial difficulties or whose assets are being dissipated so as to enable the Agency to restructure or wind up the company in the interests of the greater community of creditors:Provided that nothing in this section shall interfere with the rights under any written law of a debenture or mortgage holder.[As amended by Act No. 9 of 1996]36. Consummation of sale
37. Commercialisation of specified Government departments
38. Publication of information
Part IV – Financial and other provisions
39. Use of proceeds
40. Funds of Agency
41. Financial year
The financial year of the Agency shall be the period of twelve months ending 31st December, in each year.42. Accounts
43. Annual report
44. Progress report
45. Vesting of the property of Agency
Any property, real or personal procured or acquired for the purposes of the privatisation programme shall, after the commencement of this Act, vest in the Agency.46. Procurement of goods and services under Cap. 394
47. Arbitration
Any dispute arising from the privatisation process shall be settled by arbitration in accordance with the Arbitration Act.[Cap. 40]48. Penalties for falsification of information
49. Regulations
The Minister, on the advice of the Agency, may by Statutory Instrument prescribe the—50. Prior leases and agreements
All leases and agreements entered into in relation to enterprises to be privatised under this Act and in anticipation of the coming into force of this Act are hereby nullified.History of this document
31 December 1996 this version
Consolidation
04 July 1992
Commenced
Subsidiary legislation
Title | Numbered title |
---|---|
Privatisation (Political Leaders and Public Officers) (Bidding) (Amendment) Regulations, 1995 | Statutory Instrument 25 of 1995 |
Privatisation (Political Leaders and Public Officers) (Bidding) Regulations, 1994 | Statutory Instrument 6 of 1994 |
Privatisation (Sale or Disposal of Property) Regulations, 1993 | Statutory Instrument 41 of 1993 |
Privatisation (Trade Sales and Management or Employee Buyouts) (Sale Tender) Regulations, 1993 | Statutory Instrument 40 of 1993 |