Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
US Ambassador to Zambia Eric Schultz says the main purpose of enacting the Access to Information Law is to give the average Zambian citizen access to government information and the ability to hold government accountable.
Speaking when he featured on a special interview on QFM today, Mr Schultz notes the Zambian Access to Information Bill is similar to the US Freedom of Information Act which made a big difference when it was enacted.
Mr Schultz says enacting the Access to Information Bill into law will help create an open society in Zambia like the situation is in the United States where people could petition to get information directly from the government.
Mr Schultz states that it is important the enactment of the Access to Information Bill is separated from discussions of what is classified information and what is the correct professional behavior for Zambian Journalists.
And Mr Schultz has hailed the Zambian media for being fearless, open and active.
Meanwhile Ambassador Schultz says President Edgar Lungu deserves some credit for intervening in the impasse over the mining tax regime and reducing the mineral royalty tax from 20 percent to 9 percent.
He notes that had the President not taken the measures he took, a number of mining companies would have begun to reduce their operations which could have affected economic growth, employment and tax revenue.