ECONOMIST Trevor Hambayi says the key issue contributing to the non-profitability of most state owned companies is political interference. Hambayi has, however, urged government to give such companies a three-year ultimatum for them to turn around and start generating profits or risk being shut down. The latest Auditor General’s report on the Accounts of Parastatal Bodies and other Statutory Institutions revealed that 13 subsidiary companies of IDC incurred losses amounting to K746,084,000 and K5,636,650,284 in 2021 and 2022. According to the report, the loss making subsidiaries include Times Printpak, ZCCM-IH Plc, Zambia Airways, Zambia Railways, Zampalm Limited, Zesco, Zamtel, Indeni Petroleum Refinery, Infratel, Superior Milling Company, Mulungushi Village Complex Limited, Mukuba Hotel Limited, and another. Commenting on these findings, Thursday,...