Tuesday, 27^thSeptember, 2022

The House met at 1400 hours

[MADAM SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

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ANNOUNCEMENT BY MADAM SPEAKER

LAUNCH OF THE ZAMBIA YOUTH PARLIAMENTARY CAUCUS

Madam Speaker: I would like to inform you that the National Assembly of Zambia has established the Zambia Youth Parliamentary Caucus (ZYPC), a voluntary group consisting of youthful hon. Members of Parliament who are passionate about the youths and would like to advance youth interests in Parliament. The caucus is, therefore, set to be launched tomorrow, Wednesday, 28^th September, 2022, at Parliament Buildings, in the Amphitheatre, at 0930hours.

In this regard, all hon. Members of Parliament are encouraged to attend the event. Please, note that attendance will be on a voluntary basis.

I thank you.

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RULING BY MADAM SPEAKER

POINT OF ORDER RAISED BY MR S. KAMPYONGO, MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR SHIWANG’ANDU CONSTITUENCY AGAINST HON R. M. PHIRI, MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE, ON WHETHER THE MINISTER WAS IN ORDER TO MISLEAD THE HOUSE WHEN HE STATED THAT THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT PURCHASE FERTILISER DURING THE PREVIOUS FARMING SEASON WHEN HE WAS ON RECORD FOR HAVING CONFIRMED THAT THE GOVERNMENT SINGLE-SOURCED A COMPANY TO SUPPLY FERTILISER TO THE SOUTHERN PROVINCE AND OTHER REGIONS DURING THAT PERIOD

Madam Speaker: Hon. Members, the House will recall that on Wednesday, 14^th September, 2022, when the House was considering Question for Oral Answer No. 8 on the Order Paper, and Hon. R. M. Phiri, Minister of Agriculture, was on the Floor, Mr S. Kampyongo, Member of Parliament for Shiwang’andu Constituency, raised a point of order. In his point of order, Mr S. Kampyongo, MP, asked whether the hon. Minister was in order to mislead the House and the nation at large, by stating that this was the first time the Government was purchasing fertiliser. Mr S. Kampyongo, MP, added that the hon. Minister was on record for informing the House that the Government had single-sourced a company to supply fertiliser to the Southern Province and some other regions, during the period.

In my immediate response to the point of order, I informed Mr S. Kampyongo, MP, that it was difficult for me to recall the alleged statement. I, then, asked the hon. Member whether he had any evidence to lay on the Table, to support his assertion, in order to assist me address the matter. In response, Mr S. Kampyongo stated that he would provide the necessary information. For that reason, I reserved my ruling.

Hon. Members, despite his undertaking to provide evidence to support his point of order, Mr S. Kampyongo, has to date, not laid any such evidence on the Table.On that basis, my ruling is that the point of order is inadmissible.

Hon. Members, may I take this opportunity to guide the House that an hon. Member who raises a point of order based on documentary evidence, is required to lay the document on the Table of the House soon after he/she raises the point of order. Therefore, henceforth, I will not entertain any point of order which is based on a document, if that document is not laid on the Table of the House.

I thank you.

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QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER

STATUS OF A CASE OF A DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL PARKS AND WILDLIFE OFFICER

43. Mr Mung’andu (Chama South) asked the Minister of Home Affairs andInternal Security:

1. what the status of the case of a Department of National Parks and Wildlife Officer, who was accused of shooting to death a Mr Patrick Ng’uni at Swanamuna in Chama District in 2020, is; and
2. why the accused was transferred to a new location, before the matter was concluded in the courts of law.

The Minister of Home Affairs andInternal Security (Mr Mwiimbu): Madam Speaker, in responding to the questions raised by Hon. Mung’andu, I wish to inform the House that the officer from the Department of National Parks and Wildlife (DNPW) who was arrested and charged for the murder of Mr Patrick Ng’uni in Swanamuna in Chief Chikwa of Chama District appeared in the Chinsali High Court on 3^rd June, 2022, and a nolle prosequi was entered.

Madam Speaker, the accused person was transferred from Chama to Chinsali Correctional Facility to facilitate for court appearance when his case was committed to the High Court in Chinsali.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mung’andu: Madam Speaker, I am aware that this murder case is a case of the people versus the accused, but family members are involved. In this case, a life was lost. The officer in question was released from prison and transferred two years ago, and he was working before the nolle prosequi was entered. Were the family members of the deceased informed of the Government’s decision to enter a nolle prosequi because they are still waiting to be briefed on the way forward, or did the Government on its own, through the Attorney-General, decide to enter a nolleprosequi without briefing the family members? If the answer is yes, why was it done in such a manner?

Mr Mwiimbu: Madam Speaker, I wish to advise the hon. Member of Parliament for Chama South that the Attorney-General has no jurisdiction whatsoever in criminal matters. The responsible officer is the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP). The DPP, under the Constitution of Zambia, has the authority to enter a nolle prosequi without giving reasons to anybody. He/she is not bound to inform us, as the Government, as to why he/she decides to enter a nolleprosequi. We do not know why she entered a nolle prosequi and we cannot ask her why she did that. That is according to the Constitution of Zambia, which was passed in this House.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr J. Chibuye(Roan): Madam Speaker, the hon. Minister has partially answered one of my concerns concerning the nolleprosequi. However, if I heard the hon. Minister correctly, he said that in June, the suspect appeared in court and a nolleprosequi was entered. He further said that the suspect was transferred to Chinsali Correctional Facility pending appearance in court. Can the hon. Minister elaborate further. I am lost because of that statement. Is the officer still in custody, or has he been discharged completely?

Mr Mwiimbu: Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for Roan for that question.

Madam Speaker, the officer was transferred to Chinsali, taking into account that he was supposed to appear before the High Court. We considered the difficulty he would have encountered of moving from the station where he was stationed to Chinsali. However, immediately a nolleprosequi was entered, he was released from prison. He is back and he is working.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

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ANNOUNCEMENT BY MADAM SPEAKER

GUEST FROM THE PARLIAMENT OF TANZANIA

Madam Speaker: Before we proceed, I have an announcement to make.

Hon. Members, I wish to acquaint the House with the presence in the Speaker’s Gallery of Hon. Neema Lugangira, Member of Parliament from the Parliament of Tanzania, and Chairperson of the African Parliamentary Network on Internet Governance.

I wish, on behalf of the National Assembly of Zambia, to receive our distinguished guest and warmly welcome her in our midst.

I thank you.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear, karibu sana!

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Mr Menyani Zulu (Nyimba): Madam Speaker, it has now become a tendency for some residents to be killed, those who manage lodges along the Luangwa River, especially from Chama to the end of Luangwa River. You may wish to note that no person has ever been prosecuted and jailed after – in fact, it has now just become like assassinationby either the owners of the lodges, or the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) itself?

Madam Speaker, concerning what happened in Chama, are we going to see a change? It cannot just be the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) to decide every time, when families are mourning. The people who are killed may be breadwinners in their families. This is not the first killing in that area. Many people have been killed. Even in Nyimba, so far, two peoplehave been killed this year, but literally, nothing is happening. Are there any plans to bring a law to Parliament so we can change who should make the decision? The DPP cannot just wake up and decide to discharge the accused without considering the families and children who are suffering.

Madam Speaker: You are now opening the question.

Mr Mwiimbu: Madam Speaker, I will not make a categorical statement on the issue pertaining to the powers of the DPP vis-à-visthe issue of the nolleprosequi. However, I want to state that the hon. Minister of Justice is on record that in due course, the Constitution of the Republic of Zambia will be reviewed. If members of the public are not happy with the processes pertaining to the entering of the nolleprosequi, they should make recommendations to the Ministry of Justice, or whichever process that will be established pertaining to the review of the Constitution for consideration.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mung’andu: Madam Speaker, the fact is that the accused did not start work in June, but two years ago. He was released and taken to Chinsali, where he started work. He went to Chinsali,from his former workstation, in June and his family members were not aware. Is the Government going to take interest to ensure that it rechecks if the nolleprosequi was appropriate or not because we cannot just say that since the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) has powers, there is nothing that can be done. What if there is injustice going on in our country? Is the Government going to take interest to review this case, and advice the DPP accordingly?

Mr Mwiimbu: Madam Speaker, the New Dawn Administration does not interfere in the operations of the DPP. We cannot give directions on what she should do. Members of the public, especially those who are aggrieved by the decision, are at liberty to approach the DPP over the same. If the reasons are convincing, she may reopen the matter. A nolleprosequi per se, is not an acquittal.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Interruptions

Mr Fube (Chilubi): Madam Speaker, where I am, there is a network problem. I may not execute myself properly. I will pass in the interest of time.

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MOTION

MOTION OF THANKS

(Debate resumed)

The Minister for Central Province (Mr Nanjuwa): Madam Speaker, thank you for allowing the people of Central Province to contribute to the debate on the speech delivered by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, during the Official Opening of the Second Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly.

Madam Speaker, I wish to state from the outset that the people of Central Province are highly pleased and excited about the socio-economic achievements made by the New Dawn Government in its first year in office.

Madam Speaker, we are also delighted that the President’s Speech speaks to the strategic plan, the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP), and also responds well to the Vision 2030.

Madam Speaker, allow me to speak about the pillars as espoused in the 8NDP, in line with His Excellency’s Speech.

Madam Speaker, I will highlight what is in Central Province. There are abundant natural resources in Central Province, which we were able to exploit in the last year, and a lot of effort has been made to attract both local and foreign investment to increase production, value addition and trade. I am glad to indicate that we have been able to address most of the bottlenecks that have been affecting the province.

Madam Speaker, when we took up office in Central Province, there were so many illegalities in the mining sector, which we handled, and we brought at least 80 per cent to an end. We had challenges in most of the districts concerning gold mines in Mumbwa, Chibombo and Chisamba districts and manganese in Serenje, Mkushi and Kapiri Mposhi. However, this has been brought under control in the past twelve months and the provincial administration is currently strengthening the participation of locally driven mining entrepreneurs and co-operatives to enhance economic transformation in line with the 8NDP.

Madam Speaker, the restored order in the mining sector has not only instigated increased investment in the actual mining, but also in the processing of minerals, which has seen the establishment of many processing plants in the province. We expect around eight to ten more manganese processing plants in Serenje District. I want to make mention that Central Province will be the third mining province in the country. In view of this, we will see more jobs being created in Serenje District. At least 1,000 jobs will be created by the end of this year.

Madam Speaker, Central Province has continued to be the torch bearer in the agriculture sector. You will agree with me that Central Province has always been competitive in the production of maize, wheat and many other crops. Our focus is to attract more private investment in agro-processing as espoused in the strategic focus of the 8NDP. We have also attracted huge investments in marigold production and processing in the province. When this investment is fully implemented, in addition to the 2,000 employees currently in Chibombo District, we estimate to register 8,000 jobs in the district.

Madam Speaker, the provincial administration will also help to link about 8,000 small-scale farmers to markets for various crops produced under the irrigation scheme at Mwomboshi Dam in Chisamba District. Apart from small-scale farmers, you may wish to note that eleven commercial farmers have benefitted from Mwomboshi Dam and they have managed to increase their crop production hectarage from 1,000 to 3,600 ha within twenty-four months.

Madam Speaker, under human and social development, the people of Central Province are excited with the New Dawn Government and the Head of State, His Excellency President Hakainde Hichilema, for recruiting 4,207 teachers in the province.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Nanjuwa: The number of school attendants has increased in the province. However, we are not worried by the increase because of the methodical approach of the New Dawn Government, which has also increased the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) from K1.6 million to K25.7 million. This has affected the province and all the districts positively as all constituencies, will be able to increase school infrastructure to accommodate the increased number of learners.

Madam Speaker, we are grateful that under the health sector, 1,206 health staff have been posted to facilities in the province, after the just-ended recruitment exercise for health workers.

Madam Speaker, the people of Central Province are excited and appreciative. As the administration, we are working hard to ensure that we meet the desires of the people in the province. The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Zambian Government and the African Parks regarding the joint management of the Kafue National Park has also given hope to the people of Central Province and Mumbwa District that there will soon be many jobs and business opportunities, making Mumbwa District another tourist district in the province.

Madam Speaker, we agree with the President on his stance that a good governance environment is a prerequisite for the attainment of socio-economic transformation. In this regard, I want to report that we have continued to provide a conducive governance environment where people are free to express themselves and enjoy their rights without the fear of being arrested or harassed by political cadres.

Madam Speaker, Central Province was another Baghdad during the previous regime and His Excellency was attacked by Patriotic Front (PF) cadres in Serenje during the 2021 General Elections. However, I want to report that this is a thing of the past because of the New Dawn Government.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Nanjuwa: Madam Speaker, allow me to conclude by stating that the Improved Rural Connectivity Project, where 254 km of rural roadsin Mkushi, Mumbwa and Chibombo were rehabilitated, is improving the economies of these areas and, ultimately, contributing to the Government’s economic transformation agenda.I also wish to make mention that we are making progress to have a road from Landless Corner Road in Chibombo District through Mumbwa to Kasempa District in the North-WesternProvince. These are some ofthe indicators of growth in the province and we are very optimistic that once this project is done, Central Province will open to the North-Western Province.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Interruptions

The Minister of Agriculture(Mr Mtolo): Madam Speaker, I thank you for granting me the opportunity to join the many other hon. Members who have contributed to the debate on the speechdelivered by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, during the Official Opening of the Second Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly.

Madam Speaker, the President’s Speech was special as it coincided with the first anniversary of the New Dawn Administration’s stay in office. The address was special because the President highlighted a number of concrete actions that the Government hastakento address the challenges of the terrible negative growth that we witnessed, which moved from 6 per cent down to minus 2.8 per cent. We are happy that after one year, it is rising and there is about 3 per cent growth.

Madam Speaker, as if that was not enough, we had an alarming level of inflationin the country, of 25.6 per cent, almost rendering our currency to garbage, but fortunately,it is now at about 9 per cent. The exchange rate was also very unfavourable. We all recall that the Kwacha went down to about K22/US$1. We are happy now that it is at K15/US$1.

Madam Speaker,talking of the poor fiscal position, a country just like a home needs to havereserves and they are kept by the Bank of Zambia (BoZ). The standard in the world is that a country should have at least three months reserves in cash, but we had depleted our reserves to 1.9 months. We are happy that now,they have risen to about 3.7 months.

 

Madam Speaker, the United Party for National Development (UPND) Government is grateful to the people of Zambia, from all corners of the country, for the unwavering support they have rendered to it through being patient and having hope.

Madam Speaker, let me specifically give guidance on what has made peoplevery happy concerning the agriculture sector. Even Hon. Nkandu is aware that in the past one year,the price of mealie meal has been absolutely stable. There was no upward movement in the price of mealie meal.It remained stable and is now going down. Those are the things that people want.

Madam Speaker, we ensured that countrywide, food was available. There used to be fear that there could be hunger, but I challenge all my hon. Colleagues in here to tell me the part of thiscountry that has had food challenges.None,and this is because of the availability of prudent leadership.

Madam Speaker, as if that is not enough, the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) has paid all the farmers that it got maize from and it cleared the payment of the huge stock that it actuallyinherited from our colleagues who were in the Government then. I am very happythat we have paid all the farmers. If there is any farmer out there who has not been paid, we will pay that farmer if we know who he is.

Madam Speaker, there has also been a very fair distribution of the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP).All farmers from all corners of the country were given inputs through the FISP. That iswhat people want from a caring Government and here it is. You will recall that when I used to stand here and talk, there was a lot of fear.When I said that the trucks were rolling and taking fertiliser to this part and that part, people were afraid and thought it was a joke, but here we are, there was peace and everything is okay.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mtolo:Madam Speaker, within the first month of being sworn into office, we opened up and allowed exports. However, there was fear that if we allowed exports,all the maize would go out, but we said that market forces do not operate like that. They are like tappets in a car; they synchronise themselves.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mtolo:Here we are, Madam Speaker, we are allowing exports and there is no fear whatsoever. Farmers are happy. No oneis misfiring whatsoever.

Madam Speaker, look at the clarity of the New Dawn Government’s agriculture policy. Who does not know what we are going to do? We are going forward with farm block development. Hon. Memberscanapply for land going forward. When we give that land, we will provide roads electricity, dams and mechanisation in those farm blocks, and we will have processing plants in those areas so that we can churn the pineapples into tinned products, juice, jam or whatever the Zambians needs. That is the policy direction of the Government.

Madam Speaker, I can go on and on. What about diversification? Look at what has happened. There has to be continuity from what the United National Independence Party (UNIP) Government, the Movement for Multi-Party Democracy (MMD) Government and the Patriotic Front (PF) Government did and the New Dawn Government is now improving on that. Avocado trees were planted a long time ago and we are now exporting the avocadoes. That is the way a country should run. We cannot cut the trees because they were planted by the PF because we have to continue with what they were doing, and that is what the New Dawn Government is offering to the country.

Madam Speaker, looking at production in the country, people are producing freely and happily. Look at the peace in the country. When the President was campaigning, he talked about two things. He said that he wants to bring unity and develop the country.

Madam Speaker, you will never see a UPND vehicle coloured in red, moving all over, with blaring noise. People are allowed to heal. Even those who experienced pain because of losing are now calming down, and that is what this country needs.

Madam Speaker, as a consequence of this, the World Bank has given the Ministry of Agriculture US$300 million to support the FISP and growth in the agriculture sector, and the President got USS$1.4 million.

Madam Speaker, I can see that the light has turned yellow, hence warning me. I had a lot to discuss, and how I wished I was given more time.

Interruptions

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, I want to mention that Zambia is one of the poorest countries in the world, not in Africa. As at now, six out of ten people live in poverty, and four out of ten people live in extreme poverty, and all of us in this House know what I am talking about. Now, what is the country going to do to solve this problem?

Madam Speaker, having identified that we have a problem of low diversification, youth unemployment, poverty, slow devolution, poor education and poor services, the country has come up with very clear polices on how these will be solved, and these have been put in what is called the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP). This development plan has identified agriculture, tourism, mining and manufacturing as the main pillars to move.These cannot move if the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise Development, the Ministry of Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development and the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development are not giving the support.So, agriculture will take the centre stage and will move, and we are so resolved to move forward.

Madam Speaker, I will now attempt to answer a few questions that were raised by –

Hon. Members: It is too late.

Mr Mtolo:Yes, that is the idea.

Laughter

Mr Mtolo:I will answer a few questions that were raised by the hon. Member for Chasefu, Hon. Mundubile, Hon. Francis Kapyanga, the hon. Member for Kanchibiya and Hon. Sampa. Let me pick out one issue, for example, from Hon. Kapyanga, who said that the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) is a mere waste of resources. How can an hon. Member of Parliament think like that? We boughtall the produce –

Interruptions

Mr Mtolo:Yes, I am quoting you, hon. Member.

Madam Speaker, through the FRA, we bought all the maize that the small-scale farmers produced and 90,000 tonnes of soya beans –

Madam Speaker: Order!

Your time is up, hon. Minister.

Mr Mtolo: Madam Speaker, extend the time so I can explain to my friend, Hon. Kapyanga.

Mr Mtolo: I thank you, Madam.

Interruptions

Madam Speaker: Order!

You can continue the discussion outside when we adjourn.

Mr Chanda: On a point of order, Madam Speaker.

Madam Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Chanda: Madam Speaker, is the hon. Minister of Agriculture in order to quote me when I did not debate the Motion of Thanks?

Madam Speaker: To my recollection, the hon. Member for Kanchibiya did not debate. At the time that I called him, he was not in the Chamber. So, he did not debate. So, the hon. Minister was out of order to say that the hon. Member for Kanchibiya had debated.

The Minister of Youth, Sport and Arts (Mr Nkandu): Madam Speaker, before I proceed with my contribution, allow me to thank you for according me this opportunity to contribute to the debate on the speech presented by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, to this august House on 9^th September, 2022, during the Official Opening of the Second Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly, under the theme “Working Together Towards Socio-Economic Transformation: Stimulating Economic Growth for Improved Livelihoods.”

Madam Speaker, allow me to inform the august House that Zambia’s population is predominantly youthful, and according to the Zambia Statistics Agency (ZamStats), Zambia’s population in 2018 stood at over 17 million and that the youth population accounted for 6 million of the total population, representing 35 per cent. For the country to achieve meaningful development, there is a need to provide interventions that will enable this population participate in the socio-economic development of the country and contribute to the attainment of the Vision 2030 aspirations of making Zambia a prosperous middle-income country and the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP).

Madam Speaker, according to the 2020 Labour Force Survey, the youth employment rate stood at 18.2 per cent, which translates to 18 per cent male and 18.7 per cent female, respectively. In rural areas, the youth unemployment rate was at 18.4 per cent compared to 18.1 per cent in urban areas. In this regard, my ministry will continue to implement programmes aimed at creating employment and empowerment opportunities for the youths by investing in job-rich sectors such as construction, mining, agriculture and energy.

Madam Speaker, I commend the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, for showing commitment to the desire to reverse the current economic downturn through accelerating economic growth and creating opportunities for all, especially the youths. This is, indeed, a commendable policy direction aimed at addressing the so many challenges faced by the youths in the country, which includes youth unemployment. All this will be achieved through focusing on the following thematic areas.

Madam Speaker, I understand that in Bemba, we have a saying that “Uwakupatatakakwebeko ati busuma bobe” meaning those who despise you will never see anything good in you. As the United Party for National Development (UPND), we do not expect praises from the people who failed and used to beat the Zambian people. So, obviously, we are comforted by that saying that they will never praise us. However, it is important for hon. Members of Parliament to praise people where it is due so that they are also motivated to do even more, and I believe that we are doing a commendable job. Inside their hearts they know that, but they just do not want to say it.

Madam Speaker, the four thematic areas I talked about are:

1. economic transformation and job creation;
2. human and social development;
3. environmental sustainability; and
4. good governance environment.

Madam Speaker, I believe that some people are allergic to the truth. If there is a sector where there has been a lot of improvement, it is the sector where youths are being employed. When we talk about empowering Zambians, we are not only talking about job opportunities. There are many empowerment programmes that we talk about. For instance, 95 per cent of the people who were recruited in the Ministry of Education are the young people. Further, in the health sector, 95 per cent or 96 per cent of the people who were employed are the youths. Very soon, we will employ people in the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security, and I believe that 95 per cent of the people who will be employed will be the young people. So, if people are saying that youths are not being employed, what are they talking about?

Madam Speaker, the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, highlighted that economic transformation will bring together various interventions from various sectors of the economy in order to create jobs and reduce poverty amongst citizens. In view of the above, my ministry will continue to implement youth, sport and art empowerment programmes that will spur job creation among the youths, sportsmen and women in the country.

Madam Speaker, these interventions will include youth empowerment, grants to vulnerable people in society, artists and sports persons, and provision of community scholarships under the International Coalition of Fellowships (ICOF).We have also empowered many young people through free education under what we are calling the Community Scholarship Programme. This year, 5,000 students have been enrolled and next year another 5,000 will be enrolled at the tertiary level. So, we are not only providing free education from Grade 1 to Grade 12. No. We have even gone further by enrolling 5,000 students this year, and many hon. Members of Parliament are beneficiaries of this programme, though they cannot say it because they are very allergic to the truth.

Madam Speaker, through Memoranda of Understanding (MoU), resettlement schemes, provision of start-up kits and increased youth access to finance and general entrepreneurship development, we will create employment. This is in an effort to create employment and empowerment opportunities by stimulating business opportunities that will result into creating a resilient, innovative and productive youth population.

Madam Speaker, in order to attain economic sustainability and diversification, in his speech, the President highlighted agriculture, mining and tourism as key drivers of the economy and considered energy, transport, Information Communication Technology (ICT) and research and development as enablers of the transformation agenda. These are the key sectors the New Dawn Government has prioritised to have great potential to provide employment opportunities for the youths and improve their livelihoods.

In this regard, hon. Members of the august House may wish to note that my ministry has continued empowering the youths, artists and sportspersons in various job-rich sectors by providing revolving funds for artists and the youths who want to venture into income generating activities in agriculture, tourism, mining, and any other sector of their choice.

Madam Speaker, in the address to the august House, the President outlined the importance of human and social development as an essential tool in maintaining a healthy and skilled population. To realise this aspiration, the Government will foster accelerated social transformation through the empowerment of the citizens. In this vein, my ministry will continue providing skills training through youth skills training centres in the country.

Further, allow me to inform the august House that my ministry has twenty-three operational youth resource centres where it is providing skills training to the never been and out of school youth. It is my ministry’s desire to construct ninety-three youth resource centres in all the districts in the country as outlined in the 8NDP. This is in an effort to contribute to a skilled youthful population. Further, allow me to congratulate hon. Members of Parliament for supporting skills development in their respective areas.

Madam Speaker, the President also emphasised on the role of good governance in creating a conducive environment for socio-economic transformation, the restoration of the rule of law having been the key achievement of the New Dawn Government. This can be evidenced by having local authorities take charge of their mandate in bus stations, markets and trading places, as well as putting an end to the use of youths as agents of tools of violence. Furthermore, another major achievement of the New Dawn Administration is the restoration of the rule of law and democracy has also been restored. As I stand here today, we all agree that people are free to express themselves and to belong to any political party of their own choice. All this could not happen with our colleagues.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development (Mr Nkombo): Madam Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity, and in debating the President’s Speech, I would like to begin by thanking His Excellency the President for a well-articulated and inspiring address to the nation during the Official Opening of the Second Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly, on 9^th September, 2022. I also thank Her Honour the Vice-President for managing this House in the manner that she did and keeping all her hon. Members diligently, who represent the constituents in the manner they do.

Madam Speaker, I thank you, too, for the exemplary leadership of the House that you have demonstrated.

Madam Speaker, we are very grateful that His Excellency the President under the New Dawn Government has demonstrated exemplary leadership that steered this country to attaining many milestones, including the stabilisation of the economy within a period of only one year.

Madam Speaker, the transformative policy agenda that the President has led this country has been extremely participatory by every well-meaning citizen in the country and this is demonstrated by the involvement of citizens in another key milestone that being the pronouncement and launch of the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP). So much can be said about my ministry that gives evidence of our vision and actualisation of the plan to facilitate the socio-economic transformation of the livelihoods of the people.

Madam Speaker, this afternoon, my speech will be on the address of His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, whose theme was “Working Together towards Socio-Economic Transformation, Stimulating Economic Growth for Improved Livelihoods.”

Madam Speaker, the President intermittently, throughout his speech, emphasised the idea of closing the gap and working together regardless of our diversity in thinking, the way we see things, and acceptance that the country requires to move forward, and invited everyone to the exclusion of none, including hon. Members of the Opposition, to join hands with him to assist develop this country.

Madam Speaker, my ministry houses rural development and is charged with the responsibility of promoting decentralisation, the local governance system, promoting rural development and facilitating for quality municipal services.

Madam Speaker, my ministry has continued to implement programmes to transform the socio- economic status of the people and enhance their livelihoods through rural development functions. We have undertaken to implement infrastructural development programmes that enhance mobility as well as access to water and sanitation for the people. The ministry is facilitating the construction and reconstruction of crossing points of dams, weirs, boreholes, and provision of sanitary facilities as well the improvement of the roads in rural areas. This is the ministry’s commitment. The ministry is also providing support for solid waste management in rural localities as well as urban ones.

Madam Speaker, the rehabilitation and maintenance of township and feeder roads is one of the key strategies that the Government leverages on to facilitate socio-economic development and improve the standard of living of the people. This is in line with the Government’s commitment to ensure that all services are made available to all the people without leaving anyone on the way.

Madam Speaker, to enhance service delivery at the local level and in the spirit of decentralisation, this ministry that I am working for is working to improve the capacity of all local authorities to effectively supervise and manage the road projects under the Improved Rural Connectivity Programme. Capacity building of the local authorities is underway at a cost of US$200 million and that is being facilitated by the World Bank.

Madam Speaker, markets and bus stations are very important facilities that provide services and a conducive platform for trading as well as transportation. Our focus is to restore these facilities and ensure that they provide adequate access to trade and mobility services for the people. Further, it is our aim to ensure that the citizens are free to use these public facilities unlike the way it was not so long ago, not so distant a past, where citizens would feel unsafe to go to these facilities on account of exclusion by those who had the instruments of power and cowed everybody down to submission, and if one was not a member of the party that was in the Government, it was a taboo and dangerous to go to those facilities even if one wanted to move from one district to another. There were special citizens who were assigned by the State, and if they were not assigned by the State, it, therefore, meant that the State failed to control its operatives, and they would beat people wantonly. Even if one was wearing a Manchester United Football Club T-shirt, one risked being lynched. That was the order of the day.

Madam Speaker, I am glad that this is now a thing of the past. Yesterday, I attended a very sad event, the funeral for my young brother and friend, the former Council Chairperson for Mwense District, Hon. Humphrey Kapapula, may his soul rest in peace. I had a moment to interact with the Sixth President of the Republic of Zambia, and while we were waiting to pay our last respects, the former President, Mr Edgar Lungu, said to me, waona Gary, there is so much peace. You can ask him.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Nkombo: There is no doubt about it. There is so much peace. Everyone is living in harmony. This was in recognition of what was prevailing there. It was a typical Patriotic Front (PF) funeral and in the past, people like me would have not walked out of the Cathedral of the Holy Cross free. I mingled with them and they showed their symbols at the funeral. They kept saying, “Alebwelela pamupando”. Which pamupando, I do not know what it is, but it meant that he is coming back on the seat.

Madam Speaker, the fundamental point, however, is that even the former Head of State acknowledged that there was so much harmony at that funeral. These are the things that we were fighting for and burying our heads in the sand must be a thing of the past because we have a long life ahead of us. We must leave this country in safe hands with safe people and Mr Hichilema provides that kind of safety.

Madam Speaker, in line with the President’s Speech and the Government’s commitment to leverage on the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for service provision, works are on course to upscale cashless revenue collection systems. With this initiative in place, the Government expects that revenue collection will stop leaking and will improve tremendously.

Madam Speaker, my ministry is working to strengthen the policy and legislative framework to create an enabling environment for solid waste management services. To further this enhancement of service delivery in solid waste management, the Government has instituted solid waste management utility companies within the local authorities and some shareholders will be in charge of these facilities. In this regard, the Lusaka Integrated Solid Waste Management Company has been created as a pilot project, with the Lusaka City Council (LCC) and the Ministry of Finance and National Planning as the shareholders, and the process of operationalising it is on course.

Madam Speaker, the Government is committed to fostering sustainable human settlements as a way of improving standards of living for the people. In this regard, my ministry is providing policy and legislative guidance that promotes spatial planning and squatter upgrading as a basis for improved access to socio-economic services and livelihood activities. My ministry is supporting local authorities to develop integrated development plans for co-ordinated development of all districts. Further, my ministry will ensure that all local authorities adhere to the provisions of the Urban and Regional Planning Act No. 3 of 2015, in guiding spatial development. My time is up.

Madam Speaker, I was about to conclude. With those few words, I support the President’s Speech.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

The Minister of Small and Medium Enterprise Development (Mr Mubanga): Madam Speaker, I am grateful to you for giving me time to add my voice to the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the speech delivered to this august House by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, on the Official Opening of the Second Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly on 9^th September, 2022.

Madam Speaker, as the President stated, co-operatives and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are key contributors to economic growth, job and wealth creation in any country. The majority of businesses in this country are in the SME sector or category. This should give us hope that if well supported by everyone of us in the country and ably managed, SMEs can significantly change the economic face of our country. The President was, therefore, spot on when he created the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprise Development, so that the Government can effectively foster the growth and development of co-operatives and SMEs.

Madam Speaker, shortly after the creation of my ministry, we embarked on online registration of co-operatives in order to transform the manner in which co-operatives were registered. It would take long to register co-operatives using the manual registration process. The process was also highly centralised, thus compelling people to travel long distances for registration. This was cumbersome and costly to the general public. In May, 2022, the ministry migrated to the online platform for registration of co-operatives. From the time the online system was introduced, 1,777 co-operatives’ certificates have been issued countrywide in addition to the already existing 24,772 co-operatives that had been issued with certificates before the new system was introduced. This brought the total number of co-operatives registered to 26,549 for the period September, 2021, to end of August, 2022.

Madam Speaker, this is just an illustration. Considering that each co-operative has a minimum membership of ten people, this means that 265,490 more people have come aboard the co-operative movement. Further, if each of the 26,549 co-operatives can run viable businesses or enterprises and employ at least five persons, the co-operative movement alone would create about 132,745 new jobs for the youths. This illustration shows how promising the co-operative movement is in reducing unemployment.

Madam Speaker, to promote the growth of SMEs, my ministry is re-engineering the provision of empowerment funds and grants. This is being done to ensure that empowerment funds and grants are provided to support the growth of SMEs in all sectors. Right now, the window is open and we have reached out to most hon. Members of Parliament and I have contacted them. Applications for these funds through the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) must be done now. The public is encouraged to apply before the window closes this Friday, 30^th September, 2022.

Madam Speaker, the resources allocated to the CEEC amount to K365 million, coupled with the allocation of a sum of K83.8 million to make the industrial yards operational across the country is testament of the Government’s resolve to foster the growth and development of co-operatives and SMEs. In addition, collaborative measures with co-operating partners are underway to help implement programmes which will see the development of SMEs and co-operatives in the country.

Madam Speaker, as I conclude, I assure you and the people that the New Dawn Government is on course with its transformation agenda from all socio-economic fronts.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The Minister of Health (Mrs Masebo): Madam Speaker, let me, first of all, thank you for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the debate on the President’s Speech to this august House on the Official Opening of the Second Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly.

Madam Speaker, before I proceed, allow me to commend the President for delivering a speech that is apolitical and focuses on highlighting policy measures to be implemented in the coming year under the four strategic development areas of the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP). We are all aware that this Administration inherited a broken economy and within a year of being in power, the New Dawn Government managed to prioritise the implementation of socio-economic interventions aimed at stabilising, repairing and reviving our economy.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Masebo: The achievements are as stated in the conclusion of the President’s Speech and it is public knowledge and everybody knows what has happened to this country only in ten months. The hon. Minister of Local Government and Rural Development alluded to the fresh air which is being enjoyed by everybody, including members of the Patriotic Front (PF), as the former President himself said.

Madam Speaker, the policy measures contained in the President’s Speech are aimed at improving the welfare and well-being of the Zambian people. We are aware that the health of individuals and communities is to a large extent determined by the environment and circumstances in which they live and operate. These include the socio-economic and environmental conditions.

Madam Speaker, allow me to comment on some individual policy areas which His Excellency touched on and these are as follows:

Clean and Safe Water and Adequate Sanitation

Madam Speaker, some parts of Zambia are without access to clean and safe water, and safe sanitation. In addition, some households dispose of garbage by dumping. Poor environmental sanitation is a major source of public health problems and epidemics in Zambia. Some of the health conditions presented at health facilities in Zambia are communicable diseases which are related to poor environmental sanitation with a significant adverse impact on the poor, especially the children. The President has to be commended for providing policy measures to address this challenge.

Food and Nutrition Security

Madam Speaker, malnutrition is a major public health problem in Zambia and contributes more to under five deaths. Latest figures on protein energy malnutrition indicate that 45 per cent of the children in Zambia are stunted, 15 per cent are under weight, while 5 per cent are wasted. These rates are among the highest in the sub region. Again, the President has to be commended for providing policy interventions to address this challenge.

Education

Madam Speaker, education and literacy are among the major determinants of health and development. A positive association between education and health has been established. People who are well educated experience better health as reflected in high levels of self-reported health and low levels of morbidity, mortality and disability. By extension, low education attainment is associated with self-reported poor health, shorter life expectancy and shorter survival when sick. Education helps promote and sustain healthy life styles and positive choices and enhanced personal, family and community well-being. The introduction of free education will help reduce illiteracy levels. Improved literacy in the population helps improve healthcare, sickling and general hygiene.

Madam Speaker, illiteracy directly affects an individual’s health and well-being. So, the importance of education on physical health is vital. Those without education are more likely to be vulnerable to health problems. For example, increased schooling reduces the risk of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection. According to one study of women in thirty-two countries, literate women are three times more likely than illiterate ones to know that a person seemingly in good health can be infected with HIV. A literate woman is also four times as likely to know how to protect herself from HIV. The President, again, must be commended for providing policy direction which is consistent with the promises made when assuming power.

Investment in Digitalisation by Investing in Internet Connectivity

Madam Speaker, in line with the President’s Speech, the Ministry of Health is exploring ways and innovations to digitalise paper-based records, forms and registers into digital systems such as smart paper technology so as to improve data collection, reporting, analysis and use at different levels of healthcare. Additionally, the Government, through the Ministry of Health, has made significant progress in the implementation of health information systems relating to patient/client data, including logistics management. These electronic health records systems are called Smart Care and they capture patient/client health information. This is being implemented in over 1,500 health facilities across the country. We also have the Electronic Logistic Information Management System, which we are referring to as ELIMS, that collects information on medical supplies and essential medicines and, lastly, the Laboratory Information Management System, referred to as LIMS, which mainly manages information on lab commodities and logistics.

Improved Access to Rural Communities and Construction of Health Facilities Including Construction of Maternity Wings at All Health Facilities

Madam Speaker, the availability of roads and health infrastructure is key in the delivery of health services for effective and efficient delivery of life saving health interventions and it is imperative that infrastructure is available where these much-needed services are delivered from. In additional to the physical infrastructure, the delivery of health services such as the timely distribution of drugs and medical supplies is dependent on a strong road network. Access by the population also depends on the availability of road networks. The delivery of emergency cases through referral cases depends on proper road networks to allow the use of the most available ambulatory transport in the country.

Madam Speaker, it can, therefore, be said that the availability of both road infrastructure as well as health infrastructure has benefitted the sector in ensuring increased access to life saving interventions at all levels of the healthcare delivery system. This includes access to basic and complicated medical care, the delivery of medicines and medical supplies as well as the distribution of medical personnel to serve in the most remote parts of the country. It is evident that an improved road network and increased health infrastructure has increased access to health services and this has resulted in improved health outcomes.

Availability of Medicines and Medical Supplies

Madam Speaker, as highlighted in the President’s Speech, the Government is committed to providing equity of access to all Zambians, to good quality, safe and efficacious medicines which are affordable and rationally used as close to the family as possible in line with the National Drug Policy. The provision of essential medicines and medical supplies countrywide is the Government’s key priority area as it speaks to the provision of quality healthcare which in turn is anchored on the attainment of universal health coverage. The Government is committed to making commodity security a priority and the foundation laid at the Zambia Medicines and Medical Supplies Agency (ZAMMSA) so far provides such a platform.

Madam Speaker, the Government, through the Ministry of Health and working with other key stakeholders such as the European Union (EU), has appointed the Zambia Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Steering Committee whose objective among others is to revive the local pharmaceutical manufacturing in Zambia. This initiative is in response to His Excellency the President of Zambia’s call to re-double efforts on strengthening pharmaceutical manufacturing in order to contribute to a number of the country’s economic social and environmental development priorities.

 

Madam Speaker, as I conclude, allow me to commend the President for the comprehensive speech. I wish to remind the House that Zambia, like many developing countries, is faced with a high disease burden of both communicable and non-communicable diseases. The Government’s focus in 2022 and beyond, is not only on treating diseases but on promoting wellness and preventing diseases at the same time.

Madam Speaker: Thank you.

Mrs Masebo: We will also implement the Decentralisation Policy in order to have universal health coverage.

Madam Speaker: Thank you, hon. Minister. Your time is up.

Mrs Masebo: Madam Speaker, with those words, I thank you.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The Minister of Information and Media (Ms Kasanda):Madam Speaker, I rise to add my voice to the debate on the Motion of Thanks on the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema’s speech, during the Official Opening of the Second Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly on Friday, 9^thSeptember, 2022.I congratulate the President on the clear and visionary speech he delivered to this august House.

Madam Speaker, in the speech, President Hichilema outlined major policy pronouncements aimed at transforming Zambia into a better and prosperous country, a Zambia that generates basic needs such as food, shelter and clothing for its people, and a Zambia in which the fundamental rights of its citizens are respected, promoted and protected.

Madam Speaker, further, the President in his speech, provided a clear direction and policy interventions that this Government is taking to develop this country.

Madam Speaker, of particular significance in the speech is the high priority that the President placed on education, health, economic empowerment of the people, including the decentralisation of resources from the centre to the people through the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) of K25.7 million per constituency. That is unprecedented in the history of this country.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Kasanda: Madam Speaker, in this regard, the Ministry of Information and Media will disseminate information to all parts of Zambia so that we do not leave anyone behind and the people of Zambia can appreciate what this good Government is doing for its people. The people of Chisamba Constituency are proud beneficiaries of this and other massive development programmes that thisGovernment continues to do. The Government is rolling out programmes countrywide since coming into office a year ago.

Madam Speaker, going forward, and in line with the President’s vision that he articulated to this august House, I see more schools for the people of Chisamba and Shiwang’andu. I see more children in schools, following the introduction of free education. I see more desks for the children. I see more teachersin schoolsto teach the children. I see more and better health facilities for the people of Zambia. I see more jobs and economic empowerment, and development for the people of Zambia. This is the changethe people voted for on 12^thAugust,2021, and a better and prosperous Zambia, and this Government is delivering just that.

Madam Speaker, the people of Chisamba and Chasefu applaud President Hichilema for the measures that the Government is implementing, as outlined in his speech, to repair the economy which we found in the intensive care unit when we came into office a year ago, an economy that we found on its knees, and an economy that we found bleeding.

Madam Speaker, inflation is now a single digit, for the first time in three years. The Kwacha is trending upward against major convertible currencies. Investor confidence has been restored in view of President Hichilema’s foreign engagements, yielding immense and immeasurable benefits to the country.

Madam Speaker, the people of Chisamba also commend President Hakainde Hichilema for placing high premium on peace and unity in his speech to this august House.

Madam Speaker, under the previous regime, Zambia was fast degenerating into tribal and ethnic divisions and disunity. In more instances than one, …

Interruptions

Mr Chilangwarose.

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member for Kawambwa, please, resume your seat. I am not allowing any points of order and desist from making comments as you are seated.

May the hon. Minister continue.

Ms Kasanda: … appointments of people to various positions were based on tribal, regional, ethnic and partisan considerations. The New Dawn Government has reversed this sad state of affairs by ensuring that appointments and promotions are based on merit …

Hon.UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Kasanda: … regardless of one’s tribal, ethnic or regional background. The era where one had to depend on someone he/she knew such as a relative or tribemate in order to be appointed or promoted to a certain position is long gone Hon. Kampyongo. The high level of transparency and professionalism with which the recent recruitment of teachers and health workers was conducted, attests to this fact.

Madam Speaker, through this and other measures, the ‘One Zambia, One Nation’ motto has bound us together since Independence.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Kasanda: Once again, this is becoming a reality where all Zambians have an equal say and stake in the affairs of the country.

Madam Speaker, this Government has also made tremendous strides in taking information closer to the people. In this regard, I am pleased to state that the Government recently released K7.2 million for the installation of radio transmitters in fifteen districts across the country in an effort to create a well-informed populace.

Madam Speaker, we have freed the media. In the past, media houses were closed down because they were perceived to have belonged to the Opposition. When we were in the Opposition, we saw journalists being beaten and tear-gassed, but that is now a thing of the past in view of the motto ‘One Zambia, One Nation’.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

The Minister for Western Province (Mr Mbangweta): Madam Speaker, thank you for the opportunity to say a few words to the debate on the speech delivered in this House by the President on 9^th September, 2022. I thank the President for delivering such a clear speech, with verifiable facts, which nobody can try to dispute unless he/she is being mischievous.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbangweta: Madam Speaker, when we were in the Opposition, we knew that there was a big difference between pontification and capacity, and under the New Dawn Government, we are seeing capacity.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbangweta:Madam Speaker, the President was very clear on the things he has achieved over the last twelve months. The difference between what he has achieved in twelve months and the failure of others in ten years is simply capacity. That is all. What is tragic, however, is the fact that the people who failed over the last ten years are the ones in the forefront trying to make things appear as if nothing has been achieved. It is tragic, but of course, they will not manage because, unfortunately, they cannot recreate history. They had the opportunity to do good, but they failed on their own and should just watch, applaud and fall into line.

Madam Speaker, when I first came to Parliament in 2016, the hon. Minister responsible for finance then, had indicated on the Floor of the House that the Government in power that time would clinch the International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal within three months, butit failed to do thatduring that period. However, President Hakainde has did that within one year, yet the same people are trying to discredit what one has done in one year which they failed to do in five years. It boggles the mind to think what the criticism is all about.

Madam Speaker, the President also gave us verifiable facts and evidence. In order to put things in context, he said that our economy had contracted to minus 28 per cent from 6 per cent which used to be the case in the past. Of course, this is dununa reverse, which is in tandem with their song.

Hon.PF Members: Question!

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbangweta: Madam Speaker, the President also spoke about inflation which was at 22 per cent in 2021, the high exchange rate of the Kwacha to the Dollar, which was K22/US$1, and other issues including the reckless borrowing which took place under the former regime.

Within one year, Madam Speaker, the inflation rate which was at a high level, has come down to 9.8 per cent, the growth which was minus has become positive, and the import cover has recovered. Since Independence, the prices of mealie meal, fish and meat have not gone down. Despite all this, we still have concerns from people who failed to do good for the society, which we think is unfortunate. It is on this basis that I support very strongly, the President’s Speech, because it is practical and we can see the good things that he has done.

Madam Speaker, the New Dawn Administration promised to improve people’s livelihoods and has done so already. Our Government is of the ardent belief that education is the best possible platform of socio-economic progress, and this is the reason free education was introduced. I remember our colleagues used to ask where the money will come from. Our President even in the Opposition would say that the difference is the priority and nothing has changed.While the pessimists are complaining that free education has led to the shortage of desks and classroom space, we, in the Western Province, see this as an opportunity for the local contractors and carpenters to construct classroom blocks and manufacture desks in the localities. There can never be any better opportunity than this.

Madam Speaker, it is the New Dawn Administration’s solemn duty to work towards improving the livelihood of the people in the Western Province. I would like to say that there was impunity before, whereby the Western Province had the least Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) beneficiaries at 27,000 out of the whole ten provinces, but Hon. Mtolo Phiri has increased that number by 10,000 and they are now 37,000. That is what we call performance. You cannot argue about that because you can see and touch, and that is the difference.

Mr Simumba: On a point of order, Madam Speaker.

Mr Mbangweta: Madam Speaker, as a province, we are working with our colleagues at the line ministries to improve road infrastructure, which was totally neglected under the former regime.The bridge in the Kafue National Park was a disaster in waiting, and people could have been killed. However, the New Dawn Government has started fixing that bridge. Come December, the bridge being rehabilitated will be in use. After that, the New Dawn Government will be in a position to look at the other roads in the province, and this is the development we used to yearn for. If you come from the Western Province, you can now say your taxes are working. One of the successes of this Government is the fact that it has removed the idea of impunity and entitlement, which led to other people just being passengers. We are now equal and we thank the President for being so resilient. We encourage our colleagues to encourage him and not to be vacuous in this House.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: Hon. Member for Nakonde. you were indicating. You wanted to raise a point of order. What is the point of order?

Mr Simumba: Madam Speaker, I wanted to raise a point of order on the hon. Minister. I know that hon. Ministers are supposed to give policy statements, but in view of what he was stating in this honourable House, he was out of order. That is what I wanted to raise.

Madam Speaker: Okay.

Ms Kasune (Keembe): Madam Speaker, indeed, it is a new dawn for the Zambian people. The reason it is a new dawn for the Zambian people regardless of the political party they are affiliated to is that, for the first time, the inflation rate has dropped, as the President told us, from 25.6 per cent to a single digit of 9.8 per cent.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Kasune:Ladies and gentlemen, hon. Members, but more importantly those who are outside, this is how you govern a nation. This is how you move towards becoming a middle-income country. Since we live in a global world, with the inflation that we saw when our friends were governing, you could not go anywhere. The inflation ratewas very high and you could not plan. However, this puts us in the intended goal of 6 to 8 per cent inflation. That is on course, and thePresident and, indeed, the New Dawn Government need to be commended.

Madam Speaker, let me talk about the roads and the hon. Minister for Central Province is here. One of the things that the people of Central Province and I are excited about is the vision of the New Dawn Government, through His Excellency, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, and Her Honour the Vice-President, of ensuring that it bring the roads, which were neglected for a long time, including the Landless/Mumbwa Road, to par, to drive the economy.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Kasune: Madam Speaker, it is no secret that a country without good roads cannot develop. Road infrastructure, especially in rural areas, is an inter link to what development will look like in that country. I commend the New Dawn Government, the entire Cabinet, which is hardworking, and the hon. Minister for Central Province. The announcement that there will be a road from Landless Corner to join Kasempa Road is commendable, and this will bring a lot of changes.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Kasune: Madam Speaker, I would be remiss if I talked about the road network without talking about how serious the New Dawn Government is to ensure that we avoid and reduce the fatal accidents that have been happening on the Lusaka/Ndola Road, especially being Member of Parliament for Keembe Constituency. Not a month passes without hearing about an accident at John Chinena area, which we all know.

Laughter

Ms Kasune: This does not just affect the people of Keembe, but it affects all Zambians.

Interruptions

Ms Kasune: Let us not focus on the name, but on what is happening.

Madam Speaker, the deaths we are seeing in this country are due to the poor state of the roads that were neglected for so many years and the New Dawn Government is fixing the problem. I am excited to see what will happen in 2026 because many Zambians have been saying that this is the Government they have been waiting for.

Madam Speaker, already, the peace we witnessed here at Parliament when His Excellency the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, was giving his address was never seen under the Patriotic Front (PF) Government.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Kasune: We all used to be here. We saw how there would be a circus and party after party outside, but there is now peace and good governance because of the New Dawn Government and His Excellency, President Hakainde Hichilema’s leadership, and the people are saying, what were they waiting for. It is now time to work. If you want to drink, you can drink at your own time, but not where Parliament was reduced to a playground, especially after the President’s Address.

Madam Speaker, I want to touch on the issue of agriculture. This is another key economic component in our country. We keep talking about agriculture and some of us who came back for second time debated about agriculture, but nothing was seen. One of the hallmarks that people will see in the New Dawn Government is that there will consistency of policy in the agriculture sector. Once there is consistency of policy when you are governing, then you can plan. You can foresee some of the challenges and that will help the farmers to develop, especially my people, bene mukuni, abo ba Lenje ku Chibombo nabi ku Keembe Constituency.

Interruptions

Mr Kampyongo: Meaning?

Ms Kasune: Meaning, it will help my people, the Lenje people, the owners of this country, bene chishi, to develop because they live in an agricultural area.

Madam Speaker, one of the challenges we have had are diseases. It is sad to note that diseases have continued to cripple the farmers. We all heard about climate change, although nothing was done, and it has continued to affect us. This led to droughts and floods, but this is where real governance comes in. This is when you will know who is in charge. In view of this, the New Dawn Government is moving forward by bringing back farm blocks so that there can be extension services and the cry of the farmers of not knowing what to do can be addressed. For example, in Zambia, on one hectare, we only get twenty bags of maize and that is less than 2 tonnes of maize. In actuality, if we improved our way of using irrigation, we would get about 200 bags of maize and that is equal to 10 tonnes of maize.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Kasune: You do not have to be a member of the United Party for National Development (UPND) or PF to be excited about that and that tells you that your Government is working. I am excited as a grandmother and proud to be Zambian, knowing that I was there when a new Government came into power, and the agricultural sector become the centre of our nation.

Madam Speaker, the President has repeatedly said that Zambia is not landlocked. In this case, it is centrally located. That is why I am always proud to represent my province, Central Province, because it is also centrally located.

Hon. Member: Land-linked.

Ms Kasune: Yes, land-linked to be precise.

Madam Speaker, we did not take advantage of our position, as a country, for so many years because of the lack of good governance.

Madam Speaker, my fourth point is on good governance. There is less violence and people are free.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Kasune: In 2016, some of us were hacked. You can see this panga scar (referring to the scar on her arm), which reminds me of the violence that we had allowed during the PF Government. What was wrong for someone to wear a T-shirt for the party he/she belongs to? We are united in our divergent views, and good governance and peace has been brought back.

Madam Speaker, the participation of women in Parliament has dropped to 14 per cent from about 16.5 per cent. Come 2016, especially for me as the Chairperson of the Women Caucus, I want to see more women in Parliament regardless of their political affiliation because there is no more violence.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Kasune: Women had been barred from coming into the political arena because of political violence, but the New Dawn Government has brought sanity. If you cannot remember anything from my debate, just remember the word ‘sanity’. When there is sanity, everything falls into play.

Madam Speaker, last but not the least, you will continue to hear the song on free education and the people out there are still dancing and celebrating because of free education. However, free education in itself is not all of it and this is why the New Dawn Government will look into early childhood education, which sets the foundation for a child. The Government will offer prenatal services and will ensure that there are preschools and other services that have to do with early childhood education.

Madam Speaker, I would have said more, nga ndamba shinji, but I rest my case on behalf of the Zambians, the Lenje people and the people of Keembe Constituency.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The Minister for Eastern Province (Mr P. Phiri): Madam Speaker, thank you very much for allowing the good and wise peoplefrom the Eastern –

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr P. Phiri: Mr Michael Sata said the wise people left the Eastern Province; they are back. We voted against the fallen Patriotic Front (PF) by giving President Hakainde Hichilema 50 per cent of the vote.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr P. Phiri: We are back.

Madam Speaker, I am so grateful for this opportunity to react to His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia’s Speech during the Official Opening of the Second Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly. The people of the Eastern Province thank the Republican President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, for providing good leadership and unwavering commitment to turning this country around as witnessed by the changes that have occurred in the one year that the United Party for National Development (UPND) Government has been in office.

Madam Speaker, there is no dispute that in the last one year, the economy has witnessed a serious economic turn-around with stability in the exchange rate as well as reduced inflation. It goes without saying that the New Dawn Government is working for the people of Zambia.

Madam Speaker, the launch of the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP) by His Excellency the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, cannot go without commendation. The plan provides the policy direction that will facilitate the achievement of the much-needed socio-economic transformation and improvement of the livelihood of everyone. The identification of agriculture as one of the priority sectors in the 8NDP creates an opportunity for growth and diversification of the agriculture sector. This is because the majority of the people in the province derive their livelihood from agriculture. As such, any investment in the sector will directly improve the livelihoods of most of the people.

Madam Speaker, the New Dawn Government’s resolve to enhance surveillance and provision of extension services while promoting agriculture diversification, irrigation service development and development of a comprehensive agriculture support programme will significantly lead to the transformation of the sector through increased productivity and sustainability in the sector. It is for this reason that we believe this holistic approach to agriculture development will benefit a subsistence farmer regardless of his political affiliation or ethnic inclination.

Madam Speaker, as a province, we are also happy to note, in President Hakainde Hichilema’s Speech, that the New Dawn Government will reorganise artisanal and small-scale mining to increase the participation of citizens in the mining sector through formalisation, capacity building and provision of extension and technical services in a province where the majority of those engaged in mining are engaged in informal and illegal mining of gold and other precious stones. Such interventions will not only empower those engaged in mining, but will also help the Government broaden revenue generation. Apart from ensuring that those engaged in mining are empowered, the intervention will clamp down illegal engagements in these activities.

Madam Speaker, the New Dawn Government has gone out of its way to promote and empower micro, small and medium enterprises and co-operatives. The Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocation is one among several ways the Government has committed to empowering businesses and other enterprises at the grassroot level. The presidential pronouncement of the allocation of K365 million worth of empowerment products targeted at individual citizens, and micro, small and medium-scale enterprises and co-operatives to the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC) as well as the allocation of K83.9 million to operationalise industrial yards across the country cannot go without any accolades.

Madam Speaker, the Eastern Province is one of the provinces which benefited from the initiative of the industrial yards. However, the yard is not yet fully operational. So, the added resources will go a long way in revitalising and promoting light manufacturing and creation of ready markets for the providers of the raw materials such as the farmers. This, without a doubt, will result in more jobs being created and, subsequently, improve livelihoods of the people.

Madam Speaker, the President’s commitment and fulfilment to the campaign promise of providingfree education in public schools from early childhood to secondary school will enable more children to access education which they were unable to access in the previous Government. This is very gratifying and the people in the province believe that it will lead to meaningful development as education will no longer be for a selected few.

Madam Speaker, moreover, the recruitment of over 30,000 teachers and 11,000 health workers, a pronouncement which seemed farfetched when it was made last year, is worth noting. Our children, brothers and sisters who had been in the communities with no hope of getting jobs are now employed and we are all witnesses to this. In fact, it is important to point out that these newly employed members of staff did not have to wait for countless months before being put on the payroll. They are receiving their second salaries barely a month after reporting. This, indeed, is a Government with a heart for the people.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr P. Phiri: Madam Speaker, I am aware that some people were peddling lies that the New Dawn Government had scrapped off the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP). What a shame. I, therefore, thank the President for reassuring the people of Zambia that the Government will continue implementing the FISP.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr P. Phiri: In addition, the New Dawn Government will continue to implement the Food Security Pack Programme for the vulnerable but viable farmers to ensure food security at the household level. The New Dawn Government is clearly moving towards genuine poverty alleviation and ultimate elimination through various empowerment activities.

Madam Speaker, we thank the President for increasing the number of the Social Cash Transfer Programme beneficiary households across the country. We also thank the President for increasing the value from K400 to K300 every two months for all the beneficiaries, while increasing the value to K800 from K600 every two months for persons with disabilities. This social safety net will reduce the poverty and vulnerability of the very poor people in our country.

 

Madam Speaker, the Government’s commitment to environmental sustainability remains as demonstrated in the President’s Speech. As a province, we shall carry the commitment forward through the implementation of critical programmes aimed at supporting our environment. As a province, we acknowledge and support the President’s resolve to improve the governance environment through the unprecedented and enhanced implementation of the Decentralisation Policy by taking public services closer to the people through the local authorities and empowering communities to make decisions and participate in local economic development.

Madam Speaker, the review of the Decentralisation Policy could not have come at a better time than now when we have a Government which is committed to taking power and resources back to the people, the true owners of the resources.

Madam Speaker, as I conclude, I implore all well-meaning citizens and the hon. Members on the left and the right to support the New Dawn Government as the success of the Government in power is our collective success as the people of Zambia. We can now genuinely say power to the people.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr P. Phiri: Madam Speaker, twalikala kale, takabwelelepo.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Madam Speaker: Meaning?

Mr P. Phiri: Madam Speaker, the New Dawn Government is now here and the fallen PF will never come back.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr P. Phiri: This is Zambian politics.

I thank you, Madam Speaker,

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Minister for Muchinga Province (Mr Sikazwe): Madam Speaker, I thank you for giving me an opportunity to contribute to the debate on the speech delivered by His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, on 9^th September, 2022.

Madam Speaker, from the outset, I wish to state that the message delivered by His Excellency the President was excellent and on point as it inspired and brought hope to the people of Zambia and Muchinga Province, in particular.

Madam Speaker, I will focus on two key issues highlighted by the President through his address. One of the issues highlighted in the speech was the New Dawn Government’s determination to transform this country into an industrialised nation with the participation of all citizens and in partnership with the private sector. The President during his address to this august House also emphasised the need to work closely with the private sector in exploiting the opportunities available in the regional and international markets.

Madam Speaker, on the first issue of industrialising the nation, Muchinga Provincial Administration in collaboration with the private sector has embarked on a provincial driven development initiative through the hosting of an investment forum and expo in the month of October, 2023. The aim of this event is to showcase the various investment potential and opportunities available in the province in sectors such as agriculture, tourism, mining, energy and manufacturing or value addition, to name but a few.

Madam Speaker, as a province, we do not want the planned investment expo to remain a talk show but rather result in the industrialisation of the nation and creation of various job opportunities for the people. The provincial administration has, therefore, embarked on a spirited campaign to engage the private sector, way before the event, so that it can take advantage of the good investment policies of the current Government and investment in the region.

Madam Speaker, His Excellency the President, during his address to this House, also touched on the need to explore the various market opportunities available in the region and the world at large, so as to enhance the contribution of trade and industry to job creation and economic growth. I am glad to announce that various companies, co-operatives and associations in Muchinga Province have already taken advantage of the New Dawn Administration’s political will by penetrating the outside market to grow their investment and businesses.

Madam Speaker, for instance, the Avocado Association in the province, working in collaboration with the sister co-operative from Lusaka, recently exported 20 tonnes of avocado and later 7 tonnes of the same fruit to Italy and Dubai, respectively. The association has gone a step further by engaging other local farmers in the province to begin growing avocados using an out-grower scheme model, so that the province becomes one of the leading growers of avocadoes in the country for the outside market.

 

Madam Speaker, in conclusion, I urge all well-meaning Zambians to continue supporting the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, and the United Party for National Development (UPND) Government because the country has already been brought back on the right development path. Indeed, this is the leadership that Zambians want even beyond 2031.

I thank you, Madam Speaker.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

The Minister for Northern Province (Mr Mbao): Madam Speaker, the good people of the Northern Province extend a note of gratitude to the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, for his inspiring speech. The President’s Speech is a reflection of the determination and resolve of the United Party for National Development (UPND) Government to diligently serve and deliver development to the people of Zambia even in this difficult and challenging period. I also sincerely extend my heartfelt thanks to the hon. Members in this august House who moved the Motion of Thanks before me.

Madam Speaker, His Excellency spoke about the various things being provided by the Government to all the citizens of this country, regardless of race, tribe, ethnicity, region or other things. Among the many things the Government has provided, and will continue to provide, is the actualisation of the Decentralisation Policy, where we have seen an astronomical increase in the Constitutional Development Fund (CDF), empowerment of small businesses, the youths, women and also free education from lower primary to secondary school. The President mentioned all these things in detail in his address to the nation. Every single word in his address instils a new faith in the citizens and inspires every citizen to do something for this country. In view of this, no number of words will be sufficient to express our gratitude. Indeed, the New Dawn Administration has prioritised the implementation of socio-economic interventions aimed at stabilising, repairing and reviving our economy.

Madam Speaker, with our resilience, cultural unity and traditions, and support from the patriotic citizens, today, Zambia has achieved a compelling position not only in Africa, but in the world and this has brought a ray of hope tothe people. Zambia was almost abandoned by great nations and institutions because of the bad leadership we experienced the past unforgettable decade. However, under the able leadership of His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, we have emerged as a strong player on the world stage. We have established our credentials in the world on the basis of strong leadership who support all institutions of governance. This has led to renewed investor confidence and foreign direct investment (FDI). Indeed, we are now in the champion’s league.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mbao: Madam Speaker, the statistics given by His Excellency, in his address to this august House, are infusing vigour in our economy. It is indicative of the fact that Zambia’s economy is emerging with great enthusiasm from its almost comatose state burden by high debt just a year ago. This has led to international financial institutions among them the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Word Bank coming to the aid of this country.

Madam Speaker, this Government reflects the sentiments, both negative and positive, from the friends on your left who seen to be confrontational. This ruckus noise, and creating unnecessary debates in the nation on none important issues, seems to be a premeditated effort and a political game plan. However, a planned political strategy is that the lies and false rumours being spread shall soon get busted and the truth shall rightfully prevail. It will eventually get difficult for them to be relevant. They can continue to create chaos, but should be rest assured that they will never win the trust of the people who have moved with the UPND forward, and we are just moving from one step to the other going forward, not looking behind. We must save this country from these traitors. They engage in spreading lies and rumours, mislead the nation and try to take the country under siege. Our nation is diverse and so are the aspirations of the common citizens and we should remain focused in developing this country.

Madam Speaker, –

Madam Speaker: Order!

Hon. Minister, I did not want to interrupt, but the word ‘traitor’ is unparliamentary. Mayyou replace it.

Mr Mbao: Madam Speaker, I withdraw it.

Madam Speaker, we have also been in the Opposition. You must have noticed then that we rose our voices on matters of national importance and cornered the corrupt leaders of the then Ruling Party. We strengthened our voices and made honest efforts. I am shocked that, today, opposition leaders are not interested in discussing matters of national development. I keep waiting for them to raise their concerns so we can get a chance to share about the good works that we are engaged in, but they rarely give us this opportunity. Since there is no such concern now, they have nothing left to say on critical and crucial matters. Hence, they have stopped asking how many roads, bridges and schools we will build. Rather, they are talking about homosexuality and things that do not add value to the Zambian people.

Interruptions

Mr Kampyongo: On a point of order, Madam.

Mr Mbao:Madam Speaker, the people of the Northern Province have high hopes –

Madam Speaker: Order, hon. Minister!

A point of order is raised.

Mr Kampyongo: Madam Speaker, this is the time when our hon. Colleagues on your right-hand side must give clear policy statements as it relates to the President’s Speech. I amsaddened to raise this point of order because the former hon. Member of the Patriotic Front (PF) and candidate has opted to veer off from the policy statement, and I doubt if the technocrats wrote that speech he is reading. Is he in order –

Madam Speaker: Order!

Business was suspended from 1640 hours until 1700 hours.

[MR SECOND DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair]

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, thank you so much and we welcome you in the seat.

Mr Speaker, before business was suspended, I had just risen on a point of order pursuant to Standing Orders No. 65 and 109. I was sitted here trying to enjoy the hon. Minister for Northern Province’s debate, hoping he would get to a point where he could inspire the people of the Northern Province by making developmental policy pronouncements in relation to the President’s Speech. Alas, the hon. Minister opted to veer off the President’s Speech and he used language that sounded vulgar and unparliamentary.

Interruptions

Mr Kampyongo: It took the Speaker to rule him out at one point, but he continued making unsubstantiated allegations on all of us. The way I knew him as our member whom I was so proud of up to the last minute, was he in order to make insinuations that even bordered on him? He said that traitors of the party he belonged to, and I would want to know at what point he – but anyway, was he in order to veer off the President’s Speech and go to town, what is referred to as chilingalinga, a debate which has no head and tail, which is not expected of the hon. Minister? Now, we expect policy from hon. Ministers and their line ministries.

Mr Speaker, I seek your serious guidance on the hon. Minister for Northern Province so that he can inspire his people who are watching and listening attentively.

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Thank you, hon. Member, but as you are aware, hon. Ministers are at liberty to make statements as regards the Government’s position and no one whatsoever can compel them to say what he/she thinks they should say ...

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: ... as they are stating Government policy.

May the hon. Minister for Northern Province continue.

Mr Mbao: Thank you, Mr Speaker. It is very good and I thank my brother for –

Hon. Member: Former brother.

Laughter

Mr Mbao: He is still my brother. I thank him for claiming me as having been one of them. When you are being claimed, it means you are doing fine where you are and where you came from.

Mr Speaker, as our hon. Colleagues continue spreading false apprehensions and narratives, this Government will continue with the mandate of increasing investment in sectors like agriculture, mining and tourism, providing internet connectivity to the citizens, something which our friends failed to do, and manufacturing to grow our economy and our efforts should be in this direction. Implications of advanced infrastructure means providing new growth opportunities and an enabling environment for the development of the deprived. It would open up amazing possibilities of employment as well and it also has the potential to bring a multiplier effect in the economy. This Government is ensuring that no part of this country remains untouched in the journey of growth or development. Such is our idea of achieving a progressing and developing nation, and attaining the Vision 2030.

Mr Speaker, this Government is a Government that walks the talk. Last year, the President of this country came here to issue a statement and we are very sure and even our friends on the left can attest that 100 per cent, or maybe I should say 120 per cent, of the things he presented here have already been done. For example, President Hakainde Hichilema, the Commander-in-Chief of all Armed Forces, mentioned Kasaba Bay. As I am talking to you now, the people in the Northern Province are very happy because our President has sourced money to ensure that the Kasaba Bay Project is done. The Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) Government started the Kasaba Bay Project some years ago in 2008 and when our friends came into power, they even went away with what was left on the site. Today, we are reviving that issue. A contract was signed in 2014 to work on Kasama Airport and a very small amount was required, but our friends failed to find that money. Before December, Kasama Airport will be operational ...

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear|!

Mr Mbao: ... because the President has found money.

Mr Speaker, our President is a President who walks the talk. This Government is a Government that we should have for a very long time.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Interruptions

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Order!

There is still time. Today is the time for hon. Ministers to respond. The hon. Minister of Labour and Social Security.

The Minister of Labour and Social Security (Ms Tambatamba): Mr Speaker, I thank you for according me this opportunity to contribute to the debate on the speech delivered by the one and only President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, during the Official Opening of the Second Session of the Thirteenth National Assembly. The President, in his speech, outlined the New Dawn Government’s development agenda, which is firmly anchored on the Eighth National Development Plan (8NDP).

Mr Speaker, the President, in his speech in paragraph 2 on page 1, referred to us as successful or talked about our successful year in office. Notable amongst the successes was the success related to my ministry’s mandate, the creation of over 40,000 direct jobs in the Ministry of Education.Never in the history of this country have 30,496 teachers been recruited in a single year. This is unprecedented. As if this was not enough, the New Dawn Government yet again, recruited 11,276 health professionals at once. This Government has not ended there, but it is also in the process of recruiting additional 4,000 civil servants across various ministries, whose treasury authority has already been granted and will be employed before December, 2022, and many more which are in the pipeline.

Mr Speaker, the New Dawn Government’s drive for job creation is not limited to the creation of jobs in the Government of the Republic of Zambia, but also through private sector facilitation. As Minister of Labour and Social Security, I am proud to acknowledge that the planned US$1.35 billion which has been pumped in the Nickel Mine Project in Kalumbila by First Quantum Minerals (FQM) and the expansion of the Kansanshi Mine in Solwezi District, which the New Dawn Government has successfully facilitated, is expected to also add on and create about 18,000 direct and indirect jobs for the people. All these areunprecedented milestones that relate to what the President referred to as a successful year in office.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Tambatamba: Mr Speaker, on page 9, the President clearly outlined various strategies that the Government is pursuing in order to create jobs for the Zambian people. Notable amongst the several interventions aimed at creating jobs, the President highlighted increased support to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) through the Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission (CEEC), and the increased allocation towards the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), which is yielding jobs across all the 155 constituencies andincreased investment in agriculture, mining, tourism and manufacturing. In addition, the Government has provided a conducive environment for job creation. To this end, the New Dawn Government has created the Public-Private Dialogue Forum (PPDF) to unlock regulatory and administrative barriers to private sector growth and proliferation.

Mr Speaker, I am happy to note that the PPDF model is similar to the social dialogue mechanism which has worked to good effect to cement relationships between the Government, employers, and employee organisations, thereby guaranteeing industrial harmony. Undeniably, both are based on the principles of mutual respect and understanding.

Mr Speaker, another milestone is that of paying many pensioners who went beyond twenty years without being paid, whom even the past Administration failed to pay. The New Dawn Administration led by the President, Mr Hakainde Hichilema, has met a critical part of this milestone and paid off many pensioners.

Mr Speaker, as a ministry mandated to provide regulatory oversight over labour and industrial matters, we take note that on page 36, the President outlines measures being implemented to strengthen the policy and governance environment, rule of law, human rights and constitutionalism. Further, on page 43, the President reiterates the New Dawn Government’s belief in the respect of human rights, civil liberties, and freedoms as guaranteed by the Constitution.

Mr Speaker, to this effect, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security will strengthen mechanisms, systems and procedures that will be worked on and have been absent in most of the transactions of the ministry in the way it manages matters relating to the workplace, to promote social dialogue, reform and optimise compliance to labour laws, extend application of the occupational safety and health standards in line with current international best practices, broaden and enhance social security coverage, and mainstream productivity improvement practices as well.

Mr Speaker, good governance also translates to strict adherence to workplace management practices. As a demonstration of the Government’s commitment to supporting good governance, promoting social dialogue, and enhancing productivity, the Zambia Institute of Human ResourceManagement Act No. 3 of 2022 was enacted and signed by His Excellency the President in April 2022. The Act is aimed at facilitating effective regulations, standardisation, and enforcement of human resource management practices that protect and promote the rights of the workers. In this respect, the Act provides guidance on the competences required to effectively manage human resource thereby ensuring adherence to the labour laws.

Mr Speaker, further, in promoting good governance and respect for human rights by the President of the New Dawn Government, my ministry has embarked on a rigorous campaign to extend and enhance social security coverage through reforms that include amendments to the National Pension Scheme Act and the Workers Compensation Act.

Mr Speaker, the President’s Speech also brings impetus to my ministry’s mandate of transforming the National Health Insurance Management Authority (NHIMA) into a world class provider of affordable and sustainable health insurance.

Madam Speaker, on page 10 of the speech,the President highlights low productivity in the agriculture sector and the need to improve sector-wide productivity. Increasing national productivity is key to unlocking the economic and developmental potential of the country. Therefore, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security as part of its mission of promoting decent work and productivity for inclusive economic development has stepped up the implementation of the National Productivity Policy.

Mr Speaker, to gain traction in mainstreaming productivity, the ministry is collaborating with the Remuneration Division of the Cabinet and the Parliamentary and National Guidance and Religious Affairs Division under the Office of the Vice-President to enhance productivity in all line ministries and other Government institutions.

Mr Speaker, as I conclude, the President highlighted initiatives to mitigate the high youth unemployment rate that has been referred to already by ensuring that the citizens, particularly the youths, women, older persons and –

Mr Second Deputy Speaker: Order!

The hon. Minister’stime expired.

(Debate adjourned)

_______

The House adjourned at 1720 hours until1430on Wednesday, 28^thSeptember, 2022.

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