RULING BY THE HON MADAM SPEAKER ON THE POINT OF ORDER RAISED BY MR R K CHITOTELA, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR PAMBASHE CONSTITUTENCY AGAINST HER HONOUR THE VICE-PRESIDENT, MRS W K MUTALE NALUMANGO, MP, REGARDING A STATEMENT SHE MADE DURING THE VICE-PRESIDENT’S QUESTION TIME THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONTINUE WITH THE DIRECT INPUT SUPPORT PROGRAMME CONTRARY TO WHAT THE MINISTER OF FINANCE AND NATIONAL PLANNING INDICATED IN HIS BUDGET ADDRESS FOR 2022 

Hon Members will recall that on Friday, 10th June, 2022, when the House was considering the Ministerial Statement by Hon M E Mposha, Minister of Water Development and Sanitation, Mr R K Chitotela, Member of Parliament for Pambashe Constituency raised a Point of Order against Her Honour the Vice-President, Mrs W K Mutale Nalumango, MP. The Point of Order was based on Her Honour the Vice-President’s response to a question, on agriculture, by Mr M Jamba, Member of Parliament for Mwembeshi Constituency during Her Honour the Vice-President’s Question Time. 

Mr R K Chitotela, MP, alleged that, in her response to the question, Her Honour the Vice-President stated that the Government would continue with the Direct Input Support Programme in 2022. According to Mr R K Chitotela, MP, that statement by Her Honour the Vice-President contradicted Government policy as contained on page 12 of the 2022 Budget Address delivered on Friday, 29th October, 2021, by the Hon Minister of Finance and National Planning.

Mr R K Chitotela proceeded to quote an excerpt of the2022 Budget Address, which said thatseveral challenges had been encountered with the Direct Input Support Programme(DISP) and the electronic voucher system (e-voucher).It further said that, as a result, the Government had decided to implement a new comprehensive agriculture support programme commencing in the 2022/2023 farming season.

In her immediate response, the Hon Madam First Deputy Speaker reserved her ruling to have recourse to the Hansard. 
Hon Members, my office reviewed the relevant verbatim record forFriday, 10th June, 2022. The review revealed that when responding to a question by Mr M Jamba, MP, on the availability of fertiliser during the 2022/2023 farming season, Her Honour the Vice-President stated that the Government would continue with the Direct Input Support Programme. Further, a perusal of the 2022 Budget Address confirmed that the Hon Minister of Finance and National Planning had indicated that the Government would implement a new comprehensive agriculture support programme commencing 2022/2023 farming season. 
Hon Members, although the Hon Minister of Finance and National Planning indicatedin the 2022 Budget Address that the Direct input Support Programme had a number of challenges, he did not categorically state that Direct Input Support Programme would be done away with.  Therefore, in order to have clarity on this matter, I direct the Hon Minister of Agriculture to render a Ministerial Statement on this issue to the House onTuesday, 28th June, 2022.

I thank you.
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