DAILY PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES FOR THE FOURTH SESSION OF THE TENTH ASSEMBLY

Tuesday, 27th October, 2009

[Mr SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

_____________

ANNOUNCEMENT BY MR SPEAKER

APPOINTMENT OF MR GEOFFREY B. MWAMBA, MP, TO SERVE ON THE COMMITTEE OF LEGAL AFFAIRS, GOVERNANCE, HUMAN RIGHTS AND GENDER MATTERS

Mr Speaker: Hon. Members, I wish to inform you that in accordance with the provisions of the National Assembly Standing Orders, Mr Geoffrey B. Mwamba, MP, has been appointed to serve on the Committee on Legal Affairs, Governance, Human Rights and Gender Matters.

Thank you.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

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QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

 REVENUE COLLECTION AT NAKONDE BORDER POST

151. Mr C. Mulenga (Chinsali Central) asked the Minister of Finance and National Planning:

(a) how much revenue, on average, the Zambia Revenue Authority collects at the Nakonde Border Post each day; and

(b) how much revenue was collected by the Authority at the same border post from 2005 to 2008, year by year.

The Deputy Minister of Finance and National Planning (Ms C. M. Kapwepwe): Mr Speaker, the average daily collection by the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) at the Nakonde Border Post for the period 2005 to 2008 is as follows:

Year   Amount (K million)

2005     829.1
2006      801.8 
2007 1,375.7 
2008 1,507.9

As regards part (b) of the question, the revenue which was collected by ZRA at the Nakonde Border Post from 2005 to 2008, broken down year by year is as follows:

In 2005, ZRA collected a total of K301 billion. Out of this amount, import value added tax was K138.9 billion and customs and excise duties were K162.1 billion

In 2006, a total of K290.3 billion was collected broken down as follows: import value added tax was K142.5 billion and customs and excise duties was K147.8 billion.

In 2007, revenue collections by ZRA stood at K502.1 billion out of which advance income tax was K3.4 billion, import value added tax was K258.7 billion and customs and excise duties were K240 billion.

In 2008, K550.4 billion was collected by ZRA. Of this amount, K10.5 billion was collected on advance income tax, K248.3 billion was from import value added tax and the balance of K291.6 billion came from customs and excise duties.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr C. Mulenga: Mr Speaker, the amount mentioned is enough to rehabilitate the …

Mr Speaker: Order!

Can you ask your question, please? Do not debate.

You may continue.

Mr C. Mulenga: Mr Speaker, why has the Government not attended to infrastructure such as roads that lead to the Nakonde Border Post when it generates a lot of revenue for this country?

Ms C. M. Kapwepwe: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for that follow-up question but, as the hon. Member is aware, all collections that are made by ZRA are taken to the Treasury for disbursement as appropriated by this House. I am sure that in keeping with that, the Government will have work plans for the entire country supported by revenues collected by ZRA.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Munaile (Malole): Mr Speaker, one of the reasons for prioritising work on the road is that of economic benefit. From the answer given by the hon. Deputy Minister of Finance and National Planning this afternoon, the Great North Road …

Mr Speaker: Order!

You are debating. Will the hon. Member ask the question, please?

You may continue, please.

Mr Munaile: Mr Speaker, why is the Government not considering working on the Great North Road which brings a lot of revenue to the Central Treasury?

Ms C. M. Kapwepwe: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for that follow-up question, which, in my understanding, is very similar to the one I have just answered. I think I will just emphasise the position that the Government has the duty to formulate work plans for the entire country and we are aware of areas that have roads that are commercially operated and we will allocate resources accordingly.

Thank you, Sir.

Colonel Chanda (Kanyama): Mr Speaker, can the hon. Minister explain the disparity in figures in revenue. Why were they able to raise K550 billion in 2008 and only raised a meagre K290 billion in 2006?

Ms C. M. Kapwepwe: Mr Speaker, I may not have the exact reasons at hand for this but, I think, if we look at the figures, as a trend, you will notice that they are going up and I think we will continue with this trend. ZRA is putting in place measures to make sure that compliance is enhanced. I am sure that we will continue to increase the amounts collected at this border point.

I thank you, Sir

Mr Imenda (Lukulu East): Mr Speaker, is the hon. Minister aware that the Nakonde Border Post is too porous to the extent that the country is losing a lot of money because the border is not secure?

Ms C. M. Kapwepwe: Mr Speaker, the Government is fully aware of the challenges that ZRA is experiencing at the Nakonde Border Post. In fact, plans are underway to commence construction of a one-stop border point at Nakonde which will enhance the capacity of ZRA to ensure that controls are in place and there is compliance.

Secondly, there is a mobile compliance unit which works throughout the country and conducts adhoc operations in that area to ensure compliance. There are also plans to secure scanners which will enhance the detection of any malpractices so that the correct revenue is collected.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Lubinda (Kabwata): Mr Speaker, there are plenty zero-stop border points along the Nakonde Border. Can the hon. Minister indicate how the construction of a one-stop border post in Nakonde will curb the passage of goods away from the border post?

Ms C. M. Kapwepwe: Mr Speaker, the construction of the one-stop border point will enhance controls in that it is an entry point for the major truckers and traders. In addition to that, since we are aware that there are other nearby entry points which traders use such as Zombe and others, ZRA is in the process of ensuring that their presence is increased at these points and that they are reinforcing compliance in these alternative entry points.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chella (Wusakile): Mr Speaker, I would like to know how the Government intends to collect revenue if the road to Nakonde becomes totally impassable.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Ms C. M. Kapwepwe: Mr Speaker, this is a working Government.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kambwili: Question!

Ms C. M. Kapwepwe: There is no way we can allow a commercial road such as the Great North Road to become impassable. The necessary action will be taken to ensure that rehabilitation is carried out and that the road is kept active and viable.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

DISTRIBUTION OF MATERIALS DURING ELECTIONS

152. Mr Hamusonde (Nangoma) asked the Vice-President and Minister of Justice whether there were any plans to stop the practice by political parties of distributing campaign materials such as chitenge materials for parliamentary and other elections.

The Deputy Minister of Justice (Mr Chilembo): Mr Speaker, the Electoral Code of Conduct Statutory Instrument No. 90 of 2006 does not prohibit the distribution of campaign materials such as chitenge during an election, provided such material has a party symbol.

Regulation 6 (1) (D) of the code provides that every person shall have the right to distribute electoral literature and campaign materials.

Regulation 2 defines campaign materials as party manifestos, posters, chitenge, t-shirts and any other materials with party symbols lawfully used in connection with an election.

Hon. Opposition Members: Blankets and sugar?

Mr Chilembo: Therefore, no campaign materials without party symbols, be it chitenges or t-shirts, should be distributed during an election.

Mr Speaker: Order!

Mr Chilembo: Doing so amounts to an offence and upon conviction, the offender is liable to two years imprisonment, a fine of K450,000.00 or both.

Mr Speaker, there are no plans to stop the practice of political parties distributing campaign materials such as chitenge materials with party symbols, as this is a lawful practice which is accepted internationally.

Sir, further, the House may wish to know that the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) has structures in place to enforce the provision by establishing conflict management committees in every district. Any aggrieved member of the general public can report any electoral malpractice to the committees which are based at council offices throughout the country.

Further, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and police are empowered to deal with cases of corrupt practices, malpractices and other election-related offences.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Chazangwe (Choma): Mr Speaker, can His Honour the Vice-President and Minister of Justice tell the House how many people have been arrested during campaigns for distributing blankets, sugar and so on and so forth.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: Order!

If there is already an answer, why should I call on him to answer?

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice (Mr Kunda, SC.): Mr Speaker, the question is on chitenge materials and whether there are plans to stop the distribution of such lawful materials in an election.

Mr Speaker, I do not have the statistics off hand with regard to people who have been arrested for malpractices which you have mentioned. However, there are mechanisms through which we deal with malpractices of that nature. If one believes that some offences have been committed in an election, he or she can report to the police. One can also raise them through election petitions. Although such issues are raised, they are rarely proved. That is the position.

I tank you, Sir.

Dr Scott (Lusaka Central): Mr Speaker, many countries place a cap on total expenditure during elections. For example, in Britain, if one exceeds that statutory amount of expenditure on anything, it becomes a criminal and, therefore a police matter which leads to the loss of one’s seat. This is to stop people throwing money at elections. Has the Government ever considered that this might be a decent way of proceeding in a poor country such as ours?

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: Those are some of the matters which we are considering at the National Constitutional Conference (NCC). Issues to do with electoral reforms are actively considered. We passed the Electoral Act in this House and that issue is not covered there. However, there is no limit and those are some of the suggestions you can always make for law reforms in the future.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Milupi (Luena): Mr Speaker, quite clearly, we should not continue to bury our heads in the sand. Has His Honour the Vice-President and Minister of Justice considered the fact that chitenges and t-shirts have monetary value, particularly in a poor country such as Zambia? Therefore, doing away with them would actually enhance democracy in the country?

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: I do not agree with you.

Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: You can find such materials even in countries such as America during campaigns. For example, I noticed, during an election in the Ukraine, that people wore orange t-shirts and caps. This adds colour to the campaign and we should not disturb it.

Interruptions

Ms Kapata (Mandevu): Mr Speaker, voters’ cards are the tools that our people use for voting. I would like to find out whether they are also a campaign material because the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) is forever buying cards from people.

Mr Magande: That is a provocative question.

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: Mr Speaker, that question is not related to the question on the Floor. However, I would like to inform the hon. Member that cards are not a campaign material and that allegation has been denied.

I thank you, Sir.

Laughter

Mr Mukanga (Kantanshi): Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from His Honour the Vice-President and Minister of Justice what measures have been put in place to ensure that the money that is used to procure campaign materials is not corruptly obtained. Is this not undermining our young democracy in the third world?

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: Mr Speaker, there are adequate laws to ensure that political parties do not resort to corrupt means of obtaining finances. If you have any evidence or information relating to corruption or money laundering, security agencies are there to investigate. You will do well to help them with information of any political party doing that without exception.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Kambwili (Roan): Mr Speaker, the His Honour the Vice-President and Minister of Justice has just stated that even in the developed world, campaign materials such as t-shirts and caps are distributed during elections. Is he aware that these are just bought by individuals and not distributed as the practice is in Zambia?

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice: Mr Speaker, I am not aware of that.

I thank you, Sir.

OPERATIONS OF PACRO

153. Mr Kambwili asked the Minister of Commerce Trade and Industry:

(a) how many companies were registered with the Patents and Companies Registration Office (PACRO) as at 30th September, 2009;

(b) how much revenue was collected by PACRO in 2008 from various payments in the form of registration and annual returns; and

(c) how the money collected was used.

The Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry (Mr Mutati): Mr Speaker, I wish to inform the House that the following companies were registered with PACRO as at 30th September, 2009 by type of company:

Type of Companies Number of Companies

Local Companies    80,653
Foreign Companies 1,393
Business Names     158,869
Total       240.915

Mr Speaker, the revenue collected by PACRO in 2008 from the various payments in the form of registration and annual returns was K16.3 billion.

Sir, the money that was collected was used to meet administrative and operational costs. It was also used for the procurement of equipment and expansion programme. The breakdown was as follows:

Type of Cost    Amount 
                                                               (K)

Administrative     8,300,000,000
Operating Costs    3,300,000,000
Capital Expenditure and 
Reserves    4,700,000,000

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Kambwili: Mr Speaker, looking at the number of companies that are registered, it is clear that the K16 billion that has been collected …

Mr Speaker: Order!

You are debating now, ask your question.

Mr Kambwili: What is the Government doing to compel all the registered companies to file their returns so that the Government can collect the much-needed revenue?

Mr Mutati: Mr Speaker, as part of the law, PACRO sends notices to all the registered companies that have not filed their returns and if they do not do that, they are deregistered.

I thank you, Sir

Ms Kapata (Mandevu): Mr Speaker, does PACRO charge a specific amount of money for people who are differently-abled?

Mr Mutati: Mr Speaker, differently-abled people have always persuaded us that they are just as good entrepreneurs as the able-bodied people. Therefore, we charge the common fee.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, besides the K16.3 billion that PACRO collected from the registration of companies and annual returns, was there any money that was appropriated by this House to meet its expenses and if so, how were the figures harmonised when PACRO did not know that they would raise the K16.3 billion on their own?

Mr Mutati: Mr Speaker, I have to find out if there was any specific amount appropriated by this House for PACRO.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr C. Mulenga: Mr Speaker, I would like to find out whether PACRO is networking with the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) to ensure that all the revenues are collected from the companies.

Mr Mutati: Mr Speaker, the answer is yes.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Speaker: Question 154, hon. Member for Itezhi-tezhi.

Hon. Members: He is not in the House.

Mr Speaker: The Question has lapsed.

PLATINUM GOLD EQUITY INVESTMENT AT FREEDOM PARK

155. Mr Mukanga (on behalf of Mr D. Mwila) (Chipili) asked the Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry:

(a) how much money Platinum Gold Equity was expected to invest in the construction of a shopping mall and hotel at Freedom Park in Kitwe;

(b) when the project would be completed; and

(c) how many jobs would be created on completion of the project.

Mr Mutati: Mr Speaker, according to the plans submitted to the Kitwe City Council by Platinum Gold Equity relating to the Freedom Park Shopping Mall, the full commitment of the project is estimated at US$23 million.

This estimate does not include a four star hotel that will be part of phase II.

Sir, the project is anticipated to be completed between November 2010 and March, 2011.

Mr Speaker, during the construction stage, 1,000 jobs will be created and on completion of the project, another 1,000 permanent jobs will be created.

Further, the project is expected to attract over 5,000 jobs from suppliers of goods and services and security firms.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, I would like to find out how much money Platinum Gold Equity has paid in terms of land premiums.

Mr Mutati: Mr Speaker, I do not have those figures.

I thank you, Sir.

_______

MOTION

BUDGET 2010

(Debate resumed)

Mr Magande (Chilanga): Mr Speaker, before the weekend break, I was saluting the late John Mwanakatwe, SC., one of the lustrous sons of Zambia.  I was reminded of him because in 1988, he was requested, amongst many Africans, by the World Bank to contribute proposals on Africa’s development strategies for the next twenty-five years.

Mr Speaker, I was privileged to assist the old man with some comments on the report. The outcome of that study by the World Bank was a report entitled “From Crisis to Sustainable Growth.” Indeed, Zambians came out of that crisis, however, as we recall, it lead to a change of State administration in 1991.

Mr Speaker, our hon. Minister has clearly reminded us, in Paragraph 155, of the serious situation Zambia was in, in 2002, when Anglo-American Corporation pulled out of its mining operations in Zambia. Indeed, he says all of us must be proud, as we came out of that crisis intact and continued to develop. As has been indicated in most of the reports from the ministry, in the last seven years, we have had sustainable development.

Mr Speaker, both the reports of 1988, which talked about a crisis and an analysis of how we came round after Anglo-American Corporation pulled out, indicate that development has prerequisites which must be met. In all these writings, we hear of governance and development, peace and development and, recently, we have been talking about politics and development, and we are aware that countries that have been in conflict for some time have had difficulties to develop. We are also aware that countries where governance, the rule of law and fiscal and political management are not in good order, have had problems of development.

Mr Speaker, I would like to say that to me, the budget that was presented to this House is good.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Magande: However, it should have clearly indicated to us what issues and activities we are going to carry out in order to come out of the current crisis.

Mr Speaker, I want to basically remind my successor that under the Laws of Zambia, he is the custodian of the State resources, be it financial or assets. It is, therefore, incumbent   upon him and his staff to see to it that we continue with the kind of operations that have made us have sustainable development in the past few years, amongst which have been transparency, accountability, justice and, indeed, the rule of law, which can only be attained if there is zero tolerance to corruption.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Magande: Mr Speaker, corruption, as some of us might know it, is, perhaps, when there are bribes between officials and stakeholders. However, if rules and laws are not followed to the latter, that is also corruption because the results of the non-observance of rules and laws is going to be different from what the stakeholders expect.

Mr Speaker, indeed, the recession that we have been talking about has had some negative effects on our operations. I want to admit that the commodity prices went down in terms of our mineral exports. However, I want to say that while that may have been beyond our control, some of the effects such as the reduction in donor aid could have been avoided and as such, could only have been avoided if, like the hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs indicated last week, we were still perceived as a Government and as a country that is in good hands.

Clearly, as the Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs said, a bad perception by other people of your country is very difficult to eradicate once it sets in. I would like to appeal to my Government that we work hard in order to show cause and what efforts we are making to ensure that this bad perception of our country, compared to countries in conflict, can be removed. We must all work towards the maintenance of peace in this country.

Mr Speaker, it may not just be the political problems that we encounter in Chitambo amongst two or three of our hon. Members, …

Laughter

Mr Magande: … but I think that what we say too, as ordinary citizens, is extremely important. We must be mindful of the type of words that we use as leaders in our daily operations. The people need to understand that we have had time to use these words in our youth, but now we are in old age. As for some of us who are senior citizens, we have to remember that it is very difficult to mend a broken name. Once you are old, it will be difficult for people to give you a better name. Therefore, one must be very careful of how he or she relates to people in the country.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!{mospagebreak}

Mr Magande: Mr Speaker, at the end of his speech, the hon. Minister came on very strongly on the influence that we have on the young people. He actually spent somewhere around two or three pages talking about the influence that adults have on the youth.

I salute him for reminding us of this. However, as the man who gives financial figures to the youth, I want to say that I would have loved to see some of the youth programmes clearly marked so that once we stop poisoning the young people with bad language, and they want to go and do their work, they will know where to get money from.

For instance, the allocation for the whole Ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Training has come down from K120 billion to K111 billion, and yet the Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP) is premised on citizens’ participation in wealth and job creation using technological advances. The Ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Training is extremely important for the future of this country. I notice that under the Science and Technology Venture Capital Fund, while we had K300 million allocated last year, there is no allocation in the 2010 Budget. Perhaps when we come to the details, the hon. Minister responsible can tell me where the money has gone. Removing that fund from the budget will obviously not develop the science that we need and will not provide the kind of support that the young people require.

Mr Speaker, under the TEVET Graduate Scheme, the allocation has been reduced from K300 million to K100million. I know that this was a programme that was started three years ago whereby graduates from TEVET training institutions were to go out of their schools or colleges with a certificate and a tool kit. This programme has started, but I see now that the allocation has gone down. 

How, then, do these young people, who are keen not to follow the ways of our poisoning language, and are about to get into their productive years, find help from the Government?

Mr Speaker, I also looked at the Youth Inventors Fund and found that the allocation has come down from K600 million to K400 million. I know that when this programme was started, it was intended to enable us tap the talent of young scientists of tomorrow at their JETS fairs in schools and get them to become the Einsteins of Zambia, like the hon. Minister said, and so that by the time they are twenty-five years old, they would not only have reinvented the wheel, but come up with a better type of wheel for the development of our country.

Mr Speaker, I want, therefore, to say that while a lot of efforts, in the last two weeks, have been made by some of our articulate politicians who talked about 2011. They talked about who is going to be there as well as who is going to stand for what position. I felt that I should digress from that kind of language. Who knows who is going to be there in 2011? Who knows, with the kind of fractions and divisions that are in this House every day, what is going to be the geometry of our political landscape in 2011?

 Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Magande: Mr Speaker, for me, I thought that spending time to talk about our elections in 2011 is, perhaps, not the best way to use our time in this House.

 Mrs Phiri: Hear, hear!

Mr Magande: We should, therefore, help the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning to find money for the development of this country regardless of who is going to form Government. I presume that all of us here are leaders who are committed and have a passion to develop Zambia regardless of what his Honour the Vice-President and Minister of Justice said to the effect that whether someone is wearing a blue or a green chitenge, that is just a piece of cloth and you can put it away. What we need is to concentrate on issues that are going to bring food to our people and make this country be recognised, internationally, as a country that has resources such as copper, good schools, good roads and good railway lines. To me, that is the importance of debate in this House.

Sir, I appreciate the difficulties the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning has in raising adequate resources, but I will plead with him that, clearly, he should identify programmes which are going to make a greater difference to the way our people live at the moment.

 I thank you, Mr Speaker,

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chazangwe (Choma Central): Mr Speaker, I would like to thank you for affording me this opportunity to contribute to the debate on the 2010 Budget.

Mr Speaker, in the first instance, allow me to thank and pay special tribute to the late Mr John Mwanakatwe who was a gallant son of Africa, worked as hon. Minister of Finance and left this ministry without any malpractices.

Mr Speaker, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the former hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning, Hon. Magande, for being one of the longest serving Ministers of Finance and National Planning. Therefore, I would like to pay special tribute to him.

 Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chazangwe: Mr Speaker, let me also come to the current hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning but, maybe, because of his name, which is so sacred, I want to say that as I debate, I must be very careful.

Mr Speaker, from the onset, allow me to disagree with the way the 2010 Budget has been presented. I stand here on behalf of the people of Choma. This district is composed of people living in both the urban part and rural part of Choma, but the majority of the people, live typically in rural areas such as Namuswa, Simwami and down into those hills.

Mr Speaker, on page 14 of the 2010 Budget Speech, you will note that the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning was trying to explain what he is going to provide to small-scale farmers who are very poor. I did not expect the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning to reduce the number of pockets of fertiliser given to these farmers from the eight that were given previously, to four pockets and one ten-kilogramme packet of maize seed. This means that they will only be given two top dressing and two basal dressing bags of fertiliser. This puts me in a very tight corner.

Last week, I visited my constituency and many people asked me to explain what formula the Government used to arrive at this number of pockets. To them, it is a funeral. What makes matters worse is that most of my people have one to three wives. Therefore, four pockets of fertiliser means nothing to them because they will not do much. Therefore, I do not agree with this budget. In other words, I would like to say that this budget can be compared to a car that is involved in a very serious accident and needs a lot of panel beating. That is the way I analyse this budget.

 Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Laughter

Mr Chazangwe: Mr Speaker, let me now come to issue of education.

Sir, we have been told that the allocation to the Ministry of Education has been increased. To say the truth, the Ministry of Education has serious problems which are not very easy to solve.

Mr Speaker, what is happening is that the Government is putting lot of food in the mouth and, therefore, failing to chew that same food properly.

Recently, all primary schools in this country were upgraded to basic schools.  In other words, the Government wanted to change all primary schools to secondary schools. What I am trying to say is that the Government is putting a lot in that mouth when they cannot chew properly. At the time the Government initiated this programme, there were no teachers qualified to teach Grades 8 and 9. However, we went ahead without looking at the infrastructure or even our teachers’ training colleges. We just declared that all primary schools would be upgraded to basic schools.

Mr Speaker, last year, the hon. Minister of Education announced, in this House, that there would be no more cut-off points for Grade 9. In other words, pupils can now be allowed to go to Grade 10 without considering a cut-off point. The question arises as to whether we have proper infrastructure or enough classrooms to accommodate these pupils.  Do we have trained teachers to teach Grades 10 to 12? For a teacher to teach Grades 10 to 12 classes, he must be a degree holder, and yet this Government has gone ahead to do away with the cut-off point for Grade 9 without even training teachers when we have no teachers of science.

There is a problem which was mentioned in this House that in Luapula Province, there is only one teacher in the whole province who can teach physics and chemistry. Just imagine! However, you have decided that all schools must have Grade 10, 11 and 12 classes when you do not have teachers. I want to put it on record that we have a lot of problems in the area of education. I would advise this Government to look at education as an important sector.

Mr Speaker, at the time the Chiluba Government privatised all the companies, the reason we were given was that the Government was going to pay attention to sectors such as health, education and agriculture. Alas! What are we seeing today? We are seeing a lot of problems in these same sectors.

For example, we have children who are supposed to attend kindergarten, but the Government is not doing anything about it. We have left this very important sector to the private sector and thus compromising the educational background of the child. What is the private sector doing? They are busy opening pre-schools in residential areas. Houses are being turned into pre-schools. That is very dangerous because all the children are put in one house and suppose that house caught fire? All the children would perish. However, this Government is silent and is not doing anything about it. Therefore, that is the reason we want this Government to pay extra attention to the education sector.

Mr Speaker, whenever we try to advise the Government, I always remember how Sejani speaks …

Mr Speaker: Order! Order!

He is the hon. Member of Parliament for Mapatizya. Use that official title.

Mr Chazangwe: I like the way the hon. Member of Parliament for Mapatizya speaks in this House. However what do we see instead? We see a lot of reactions. In my case, I am timid to speak even though I want to work in my constituency. When I try to say something that I know can bring about development, I ask myself to just keep quiet, and yet these people on your right need us and we also need them. Should we stop talking about the very important issues of this country? I know that we are all here because the main agenda, as you have always said, is our country Zambia.

Mr Speaker, when we talk about the mines, we all know that copper is a finishing asset. We are talking about copper every time because once the price of copper goes down, the people of this country suffer. We have advised this Government to diversify to agriculture, but nothing has been done in this regard. If this Government did something about the cattle in the Western and Eastern provinces, we could get a lot of money to pay allowances for teachers and nurses who go on strike even when they are essential workers. This Government has reduced the number of fertiliser bags to the small scale farmers when we need food. What has happened to our mealie-meal now? The price of mealie-meal is going up and it will never come down. Why? This is because this Government has no political will in agriculture.

Mr Speaker, our brothers and sisters, the hon. Ministers on your right must, at times, try to listen to what we tell them. Sometimes, when a question is asked, they look at us as though they could kill us with their eyes.

Laughter

Mr Chazangwe: Mr Speaker, with those few words, I want to thank you.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: Where is the hon. Member for Chinsali?

Mr C. Mulenga (Chinsali): Mr Speaker, thank you for allowing me to contribute to the debate on the budget speech.

However, before I go any further, I want to join my colleagues in congratulating the Member of Parliament, my neighbour here, Member of Parliament for Kasama Central, Hon. G. B. Mwamba.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr C. Mulenga: Mr Speaker, when I debated three weeks ago, I stated that when the President goes to Kasama, he should go by road so that he tells the people of Kasama why they should vote for the MMD candidate. I have been vindicated. The reason MMD lost is that there is no development going on there.

Hon. Government members: Question!

Mr C. Mulenga: It is simple! Look at the roads.

Hon. Government Members: Question!

Mr C. Mulenga: They are very bad. It is a happy event when you have a baby in a new marriage. The UPND/PF Pact has just …

Mr Speaker: Order!

Take your seat.

I have heard so much about this pact and I want to remind you that we have to be mindful of what the Constitution provides. All of you are in this House on the basis of the provisions of the Constitution. You are in this House either through a political party process or through the process of independence. At least, this particular House is composed of Members in that fashion. If you constantly bring in issues which are not in the provisions of the Constitution, you will confuse your voters. They want to know whether you belong to UPND - and they voted under that name - or a party called PF. They also want to know if this side, on my right, also belongs to a pact as they were voted in as MMD. They also want to know whether those three hon. Members over there belonged to a pact when they were voted as independent Members. Do not confuse the voters.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: Nobody will stop you from talking about the pact outside the Chamber. In here, you belong to distinct political parties.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: The hon. Members will recall the difficulty we had with the combination known as United Democratic Alliance (UDA). Do you remember how many hours I stood here explaining and making that very long ruling clarifying this matter? Do not take me back. In fact, doing so is lowering the level of debate in this House. I, very much, and I believe you too, appreciate the manner in which the hon. Member for Chilanga has raised the standards of debate in this House. Let us keep it there. Do not lower it.

Ms Lundwe: Hear, hear!

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: Let us not lower the standards. It is plural and not singular. It is plural “standards”. So, keep your private arrangements out of this House.

The hon. Member for Chinsali may continue, but must bear in mind what I have said. The rest of you must also bear what I have just said in mind.

Mr C. Mulenga: I am obliged and I thank you for the advice. Mr Speaker, there is nothing much to say about the 2010 Budget.

Hon. Member: Ikala kanshi.

Mr C. Mulenga: Mr Speaker, in my debate, I will concentrate on economic issues. I have, for a long time now, talked about a lot of issues concerning my constituency, Chinsali, and I have done this for the three years I have been in this House. I have talked about the deplorable conditions of the roads in my constituency, issues of the Mulakupikwa College and bridges such as Fonkofonko and Chunga.

Mr Speaker, the Fonkofonko Bridge is one where the road to Shambalakale Farms crosses. This is where the First Republican President comes from. I have talked about the condition of the two high schools I have in my constituency, and these are the Kenneth Kaunda and Chinsali Girls high schools. The schools are not in good condition, especially the dormitories. Pupils sleep in rooms with no doors and windows and at night, they are attacked by the villagers, especially the girls.

Mr Speaker, I have a number of issues to discuss, including the construction of the Mbesuma Bridge which you have been singing about everyday. I have asked the Government to tell us where the K4.7 billion which was paid to one of the contractors for the construction of the bridge is, but I have not gotten any answer.

Mr Chota: It was looted.

Mr C. Mulenga: Mr Speaker, this is why I am saying I am sick and tired of talking about the same things. I am tired because this is an impervious Government. It has wax in its ears and does not listen.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr C. Mulenga: Mr Speaker, it is for this reason that I will concentrate on economic issues. The MMD Government has been at crossroads in terms of improving the economy of this country. In the past eighteen years, it has touched here and there, but has lamentably failed to improve the economy of this country.

Mr Speaker, our colleagues in the Government are now in a confused state for they do not know what to do next. In 1964, shortly after independence, our First Republican President, Dr Kaunda, and his team, realised that to do away with the underdevelopment which colonialism and capitalist ideologies left …

Laughter

Mr C. Mulenga: … and which, for a developing country, would perpetuate a dependency syndrome, decided to adopt a socialist way of development. Using the socialist path of development, these gallant men and women were able to, although we claim that they were not educated; introduce free education and health services. They were able to build many meaningful schools and hospitals and not the basic schools that we have now. In these basic schools, we have grades 8 and 9, but without laboratories. Pupils in rural schools do not even know what a Bunsen burner is. They do not have science apparatus, and yet you call the places they learn from schools.

Mr Speaker, these men and women constructed roads and railway lines and these are the roads which we are using even today. They created more than two hundred and fifty five parastatal companies to give jobs to many Zambians, but, today, all these companies have been sold at no cost. They have been given away to foreigners and our people have remained without employment.

Mr Speaker, people have talked about the sale of parastatal companies and, today, we are talking about the sale of the Zambia Telecommunications Company (Zamtel) and this Government is not listening to the cries of the people over this issue.

Mr Speaker, I would like to quote what one of the fathers of Pan-Africanism once said …

Laughter

Mr C. Mulenga: Let me just quote what Edward Wilmot Bliden a Liberian and Sierra Leonean said in the 19th Century. He said:

“The colonisation of the mind is more dangerous than the physical one which happened during colonialism.”

Mr Speaker, from 1986, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank began to use their economic muscle to undermine the achievements of Dr Kaunda and his team. In 1991, when the MMD Government came into power, it followed what the IMF and World Bank wanted and reversed all the achievements that the United National Independence Party (UNIP) Government had made at the time. Everything was reversed. Policies such as free education were perceived to be wrong and foolish.

Mr Speaker, the provision of free medical services was also perceived as a wrong policy. The Government did away with the food and agriculture subdiseases, subdies …

Laughter

Mr C. Mulenga: … subsidies. The Government instead introduced high schools and medical fees and they sold all the companies that helped infrastructure development and created jobs for the people. Owing to the poor policies that I have just talked about, the MMD Government has failed to control money supply.

Laughter

Mr C. Mulenga: Inflation and interest rates are perpetually high …

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr C. Mulenga: Mr Speaker, the value of the kwacha has depreciated greatly between 1991 to date. The exchange rate is a yoyo. One cannot draw a cash flow because if they did that today, they would have to change it the following day. As such, one cannot plan. The cost of running business is very high because of the poor policies that have been put in place by the Government on your right.

Mr Speaker, because of the poor policies put in place by this Government, poverty levels all over the country, including my constituency, Chinsali, are very high. Prices of commodities, including those of mealie-meal, are very high. I heard one hon. Member who was debating the other day say that a bag of mealie-meal cost K100,00 in the Northern-Western Province. Who can afford to buy mealie-meal at that price? Owing to the poor policies of this Government, many children have become destitute and are found all over the streets, crime levels, insecurity in many communities and infant mortalities have risen. The rate at which infrastructure is developed has also slackened while the economies of the countries from which we emulate how to run the Government are growing.

Laughter

Mr C. Mulenga: These countries’ economies are growing everyday.

Hon. Opposition Member:  Hear, hear!

Mr C. Mulenga: Mr Speaker, this is why Bliden said colonisation of the mind is more dangerous than physical colonisation.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr C. Mulenga: Mr Speaker, it is clear that the neo-liberal approach that the MMD Government has followed as a way of developing the economy of this country has failed lamentably. What we see now is imperialism.

Ms Lundwe: Ulebonfya bwino ama words.

Hon. Opposition Members: Quality! Hear, hear!

Mr C. Mulenga: Mr Speaker, if you look at the revenue side of the budget we are talking about, you will realise that under direct taxes, the most contributors are the workers. They are the ones who are contributing more than even the companies. A worker who is getting so little is the one who pays more than the employer in terms of tax. What kind of economy is this? This is a clear indication that we need to create more employment opportunities for our people and that we can even stand on our own. This country has a population of about 10 million people and that is not much.

Hon. Government Members: Aah!

Mr C. Mulenga: Mr Speaker, Uganda, is three times bigger than this country and has a population of over 30 million, but if one went there, they would see a lot of development compared to what is happening here.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr C. Mulenga: Mr Speaker, I know that every capitalist that comes to invest in this country, just comes to make money. Investors do not come here to develop this country. That is what we must understand. This budget has not addressed the issue of the small and medium business enterprises. The people who can develop this country are those engaged in small and medium business enterprises. The same tuntembas you see can grow into bigger companies.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr C. Mulenga: Mr Speaker, however, the problem we have is that this Government is not creating an enabling environment for such kinds of businesses. Small and medium-sized business people are unable to borrow money from the bank because the interest rates are too high.

Mr D. Mwila: Hear, hear!

Mr C. Mulenga: When they go to the banks, they are asked to provide collateral. Now, if I have money, why should I go and borrow? When one goes to the bank, they are first asked to present money before they can get returns on it. So this is the problem that we face in this country and this is why we cannot develop as a country. We need to first pay attention to the small businesses and when those grow, that is when we are going to see the growth of the economy we are talking about.

Mr Speaker, in fact, most of the developing countries now have realised that capitalism is actually failing.

Mr Lubinda: Yes!

Mr C. Mulenga: So most of them are withdrawing. However, this Government does not want to do that because it just wants to stick to what it knows. The biggest problem this Government has is that it does not want to be advised. That is why I am saying that it is impervious. It does not listen.

Hon. Opposition Members:  Hear, hear!

Mr C. Mulenga: It is very hard to penetrate.

Interruptions

Mr C. Mulenga: Mr Speaker, last time I was debating, I said that this Government sent equipment to my constituency to work on the roads without fuel. This equipment has been removed from there after doing only 13 kilometres. Why did the Government bring the equipment when it knew it was not going to be used for its intended purpose? So I do not know whether you are now sending this equipment to Solwezi.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr C. Mulenga: This is the biggest problem we have. They were in Kasama …

Hon. Opposition Members: Now they are in Solwezi.

Mr Speaker: Order!

Do not campaign in this House, but debate the budget.

Laughter

Mr C. Mulenga: Mr Speaker, all I am saying is that this budget has not given any relief to my constituency, in fact, to the whole country. A budget can only be called a good one after implementation. Even the small things that have been put in the budget, which some of our colleagues are appreciating, can only be appreciated after they have been implemented.

Hon. Opposition Member: Hear, hear!

Mr C. Mulenga: However, we still have the problem of implementation and this shall continue. The excuse that the Government will come up with this time is that it has changed the budget cycle, which has not even changed because everything remains the same.

Mr Lubinda: Yes.

Mr C. Mulenga: What has been changed is the date of the budget presentation. That is all.

Interruptions

Mr C. Mulenga: It is just the date that has been changed not the budget cycle. Everything has remained the same. Therefore, the excuse that the Government will give is that it was unable to implement a given programme because the budget cycle was changed. We do not want to hear that. You have to go out and give the people what they deserve. That is when we are going to appreciate what you are doing. That is why I am saying that this budget cannot be appreciated now until we see what happens after its implementation. As for my constituency and I, we have not seen anything in this budget that will please us as people of Chinsali.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

The Deputy Minister of the Northern Province (Mr Chinyanta): Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to also contribute to the debate on the Motion of Supply for the 2010 Budget. I want to thank the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning for giving us this reflective budget that was presented in a very simple way. Those of us who come from the teaching fraternity, know that when you are making a presentation, it has to be as simple as possible and this is what the hon. Minister did.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chinyanta: He did not cloud whatever he wanted to present with difficult language, making the people fail to understand what he was presenting.

Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Chinyanta: Even those of us who are not economists were able to follow what is happening in our constituencies and the provinces as a whole. A budget, as it has been indicated, is an estimation of planned activities. Our duty here is to ensure that we pass this budget and I am urging the hon. Members of Parliament to support their hon. Minister in passing it. Thereafter, we are going to monitor the implementation of this budget in our different areas. Therefore, I do not really see why our colleagues and some of our friends should be worried about one or two things not being mentioned in this budget.

Some hon. Members are complaining about roads in their constituencies not being included in the budget, but if we look at the line ministries, we are going to find that, at least, all of us here, in one way or another, have received an effect from this budget. I am sure when we start presenting our policy statements, I will present some allocations the hon. Minister has given to the Northern Province, and also, maybe, in my constituency, Mambilima.

Mr Speaker, let me take this opportunity to also congratulate the hon. Member of Parliament for Kasama Central on emerging victorious in the Kasama Central By-election. As Provincial Minister for that province, it is important that I mention this because I am sure he is going to interact with me in so many ways as he executes his duties for the people of Kasama Central.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chinyanta: At the same time, it shows that, as MMD and the Government in power, we are really showing mature politics. We have heard many people say that you have done very well and look forward to working with you. That is how a mature party behaves.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chinyanta: Mr Speaker, sadly, on our friends’ side there, they do not practice such kind of politics, but this is what we encourage all hon. Members to do here.

Mr Speaker, I will give an example of the Northern Province where MMD won a by-election in Chilubi, a seat we got from the PF, but none of our colleagues from that side has talked about it and no one has congratulated our candidate. This simply shows how little people understand democracy.

Mr Lubinda: Stop campaigning!

Mr Chinyanta: Mr Speaker, I need your protection.

Mr Speaker, we need to understand that in a democracy, we can win some of the elections and lose others. Therefore, we should accept that because it is the people themselves who decide, based on the votes that they give.

Mr Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to support Hon. Magande for talking about the 2011 excitement which I see in this House. At one time in this House, you informed us that 60 per cent of the hon. Members of Parliament who are here are new. As for you, you were here before 2006 and you saw the excitement which was in this House. I am sure when you look at us now, you laugh to yourself because you are seeing the same excitement. I am told that some of the people on the other side were even choosing seats on this side, believing that immediately after the 2006 elections, they would be here.

Laughter

Mr Chinyanta: Sir, we have seen that some of the people who were very excited did not win. This includes some people on our side. However, the fact is that democratic elections are decided by the voters themselves. They have their own ways of deciding how they are going to vote and who they are going to bring into this House. Therefore, I concur with Hon. Magande when he says that we should not talk about the 2011 elections, but serious issues that affect us.

Hon. Opposition Members: Budget!

Mr Chinyanta: I will come to the budget.

Mr Speaker, let me briefly refer to the hon. Member of Parliament for Kasama Central. Hon. Member, my big brother, I look forward to working with you in Kasama Central. I know that during the campaign, we made a lot of promises, some of them wild while others were real, but I must encourage you that you need to co-operate with us. We are ready to help you and ensure that you provide leadership in that province.

I would like to urge you not to be confrontational because that way, you will find that things will not go well in your constituency.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chinyanta: Mr Speaker, I would like to urge Hon. G. B. Mwamba to bring leadership into the Kasama Municipal Council. I would like him to end the bickering that is there which forced the former hon. Member of Parliament to even give up his seat. If this continues, it will not help the people of Kasama Central. However, I am sure that you are going to help those people realise that bickering retards development. Let us ensure that we take development to that constituency and I am sure, from what I read in the newspaper, you gave a good prayer asking God to give you wisdom. In wisdom, we know that there must be love, there must not be hatred, there must be tolerance and you must tell the truth. If you espouse all these values, I am sure you are going to succeed in Kasama Central.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chinyanta: I would like to see to it that the K650 million Constituency Development Fund, which the hon. Minister has given to the people of Kasama Central, goes towards working on all the projects, including simple infrastructure such as foot bridges and toilets in market places which were not implemented in the past. I am sure if you use this money properly, the people of Kasama Central will greatly benefit from you.

Commenting briefly on the 2010 Budget, I would like to thank the hon. Minister most sincerely for releasing almost 90 per cent in the 2009 Budget for the Northern Province. I am sure he is going to continue doing the same in the 2010 Budget. Across the spending agencies, K681.3 billion has been allocated to the province and all the programmes that will be drawn up for our province will be categorised under different aspects so that we develop the Northern Province.

Mr Speaker, as I have indicated, in terms of figures, I will give some of the details when we debate the policy statement. However, I know that the Government is still committed to a lot of programmes that will continue developing the Northern Province. I have seen that there are provisions for agriculture and livestock, health, road infrastructure, tourism, energy, manufacturing, education and rural electrification. These are clear indicators that your Government is still committed to serving the people of the Northern Province and also upgrading their living standards. Even in areas where there is the Opposition such as Kasama Central, we have been able to provide development. This is how a Government is supposed to behave.

As for Kasama Central, in terms of development, we have given K15 billion for 2009 while all these things are under way and some of the construction works are going on. I am sure in the 2010 Budget, we are going to move to the outlying areas to ensure that we also take development to all the far-reaching places of the Northern Province such as Isoka West and Isoka East, Mporokoso, Luwingu and Kaputa where we have seen that the people there will also appreciate some of the things the Government is doing. I hope that when we start doing that, we will not be accused of only taking development to the MMD’s strongholds. As can be seen, we have demonstrated that we can take development to all areas, including where there are Opposition Members of Parliament.

Sir, speaking specifically on some of the comments that have been made relating to the Northern Province regarding the Great North Road, in my last debate, I indicated that the Government is really concerned about the deplorable state of the Great North Road, from Serenje to Mpika. This is a very bad stretch. I indicated that, as a Government, we have provided K7 billion to work on that patch. The hon. Minister has also provided amounts of money in the 2010 Budget that will help us rehabilitate that road. Clearly speaking, the Government is committed, but we will not say that we will do that overnight. However, money has been mobilised to ensure that we work on that road.

Mr Speaker, as regards the Kasama/Luwingu Road, which people always talk about in this House, K32 billion was allocated in the 2009 Budget. Now we have K55 billion towards the same project. This shows clearly that the Government is prepared to work on that road. However, if we stopped providing money for these roads, then we would say that our Government is not working very well.

Mr Speaker, I want to support people who have spoken against the culture of violence which has been introduced in our Zambian politics. In the Kasama Central By-election campaign, I witnessed violence at its worst. People were using tear gas, trying to kill one another …

Mr Speaker: Order!

Leave that matter behind, let us move forward.

May the hon. Minister continue, please.

Mr Chinyanta: Mr Speaker, the theme for our independence celebration, which we had a few days ago, was “Strengthening Reconciliation and Good Neighbourliness”.

As we discuss issues of national importance, I hope this is the same spirit our friends in the Opposition and Government will have so that this country, for once, will move to another level. The cry for the people out there is our cry as well. Things should change in constituencies. Schools and bridges should be built and all other things that entail development, but that can only come about if we look at the issue of reconciliation. I talked about it last time and I think I want to emphasise it this time because all of us basically want to serve the Zambian people. No one has come here by mistake. If there is anyone, then that person has come to do other things, but personally, as a member of the Executive and Member of Parliament, I have come here to ensure that I provide development by mutual understanding. This can only come about if we support the budget delivered by the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning. Let us look at the money allocated to the ministries. If there is a reduction, like other hon. Members are pointing out, let us find out why. If we do this, it will make us move forward and encourage the Government to provide for our people.

Thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mooya (Moomba): Thank you, Sir, for giving me this chance to debate this motion. I have only one issue to discuss and this is construction.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mooya: I think I will cover this in five minutes.

Sir, I noted, in the President’s Speech and also the speech delivered by the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning, that construction is one of the priorities and that only three sectors have done very well this year. One of them is construction or provision of infrastructure. I also noted that this sector has grown by 10 per cent. I am wondering whether we are growing the sector in the right or wrong way. Is it boom or doom, like I said last time? Are funds being invested or wasted? If you look at the latest World Economic Report on Infrastructure, Zambia is ranked at Number 125 out of the 129 countries that were surveyed. In terms of infrastructure, the report says that Zambia has one of the worst infrastructure in the whole world. If Zambia is ranked this lowly among the 129 countries, that means we are not growing the economy in the right way. There are a lot of constraints which need to be neutralised. I think the ministry responsible for infrastructure development should really analyse this and come up with solutions.

Sir, the same report says the cost of doing business is very high. I will give one or two examples related to this low ranking. One of them is the late completion of the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ)-funded projects. I think that is a disaster. For example, we know how long it has taken for the Choma/Namwala Road to be constructed. Originally, it was planned for only three years, but it has taken more than ten years to complete and at a huge cost. The cost of this project, when it was started, was about K25 billion, but it is now over K40 billion.

Another constraint, Mr Speaker, is wastefulness. We start projects, but abandon them after investing a lot of money.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mooya: There are many examples that I can give, but I will just give one example and this is the Dag Hammarskjöld Stadium which was abandoned. In 1988, it cost K120 only million. It was K7 billion in 1994 and K14 billion in 1997. In 1998, K38 billion and K100 billion in 2007 and it is estimated at K300 billion today or US$65 million. However, the sad part is that the old site was worked on. The infrastructure sub-structure was completed and there was a lot of money pumped in, but it was abandoned after spending so much money.

The other issue is the roles hijacked by other ministries that are supposed to be played by the Ministry of Works and Supply in terms of co-ordination of projects. For example, to put up infrastructure for education and health there should be technical people from the two ministries seconded to the Ministry of Works and Supply. Once this is done, it will help improve the manner infrastructure is developed.

Lastly, on infrastructure development, it was earlier said that the construction industry was growing at 10 per cent, but looking at the World Economic Report on Infrastructure, I think we are not growing the industry properly, but wasting money. We are not investing our money properly. This is the issue I wanted to discuss.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

The Deputy Minister for Western Province (Mr Mufalali): I thank you, Mr Speaker, for giving me this opportunity to debate the 2010 Budget Speech that was delivered by the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning.

Mr Speaker, as you might have noticed, the whole House was quiet and reluctant to debate the Budget Speech when the motion was moved for the reason that all was well with the 2010 Budget.

Interruptions

Mr Mufalali: I congratulate the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning on producing a well-prepared budget.

Mr Speaker, this year, the Western Province has been allocated about K31 billion compared to last year’s K28 billion.

Mr Speaker, the people of Western Province are very anxious to see development as opposed to what other people might think.

Mr Speaker, I thank this Government for showing concern over the Mongu/Kalabo Road, as it is in the process of sourcing funds for it.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: Mr Speaker, I am quite sure that this hardworking Government will also source funds for the Sesheke/Senanga Road, …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: … Kaoma/Kasempa Road …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: … and the Lukulu/Kwatopa Road.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: That is what the people of Western Province want.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: They do not want conventions or the 2011 elections.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: The people of my province are thankful for the five high schools and many full basic schools being built in the province.

Mr Speaker, the people of Western Province want roads which should link our borders to the rich oils of Angola and the wonderful port of Walvis Bay.

Mr Speaker, earlier, I said that I would not debate for a long time because the budget is straight forward.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: Sir, the MMD brought democracy. Let me warn people in this country who are trying to abuse this democracy that this type of attitude can bring about chaos.

Mr Speaker, young people are standing on platforms insulting elders and using abusive language. They should be reminded that “Singulya ngulya sawana mbumu, sawana mubika ukulya kulyelela”.

Mr Speaker, that means when there is chaos in this country, the bullets and bombs will not choose who to destroy. I, therefore, urge those who want to abuse this democracy to stop. We want nothing else but development for our country.

I thank you, Sir.

The Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry (Mr Mutati): Mr Speaker, we have been exposed to very interesting debate this afternoon, ...

Laughter

Mr Mutati: … starting with that of the former hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning, meandering through a number of debaters. We have been exposed to complex debate on how we have shifted from neo-colonialism, imperialism and capitalism to the extent that the price of a bag of mealie meal in the Western Province is now K100,000 and we were also taken through issues to do with construction.

Sir, the former hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning, in his presentation, said that the essence of debate, in this House, should be to make a difference to the wellbeing of our people.

The current hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning, in paragraph 160 of the Budget Speech, has basically said that we must not surrender ourselves as construction workers for an industry that is founded on talk, more talk and complaints.

Therefore, the debate of the former and current hon. Ministers of Finance and National Planning converge when they say that the essence of what we do is to make a difference to our people.

Mr Speaker: Order!

Business was suspended from 1615 hours until 1630 hours.{mospagebreak}

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

Mr Mutati: Mr Speaker, before business was suspended, I had just begun to define the convergence of the debate of the former hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning and the current one.

Mr Speaker, the convergence of the two debates is in the fact that both agree that competitiveness and diversification define the wealth of a nation and the wealth of a nation is simply more jobs and investment. On this point, the former and current hon. Ministers of Finance and National Planning are agreed.

Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister, in presenting the budget, took a step further by saying that we must be practical in the delivery of competitiveness and diversification.

Mr Speaker, taking those practical steps, we were able to sign a transaction this morning for the construction of the Copperbelt city and for the expansion of Manda Hill worth US$210 million which will create 2000 jobs directly and many more indirectly.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mutati: That is the essence of defining diversification. Later this week, we are going to carry on with the issue of diversification. We have a number of transactions that we are going to conclude before Friday this week in the direction of diversification. Tomorrow, we shall conclude with Zambeef, an investment of US$26 million that will create business opportunities and jobs in excess of 4000.

We will also sign a deal with Lamasat, an investment of US$21 million that will create more jobs. Just this week, we are going to conclude a transaction with Chayton Capital, a venture capital from the United Kingdom (UK), that is acquiring farms in Mkushi and Serenje. They want to start farming next season with a total investment of US$50 million.

Mr Speaker, more important is that just this week, yet again, and not later, we are going to conclude an investment of US$46 million with CPD for the Roma Industrial Park.

Sir, courtesy of Hon. Muntanga, we shall wind up this week with the commissioning of Tombwe Processing, a plant that will be able to process 30 million kg of tobacco, creating business and job opportunities.

That is the basis that the Ministry of Finance and National Planning adopted in this budget that we must diversify through practical job output.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mutati: Mr Speaker, in paragraph 160, hon. Minister concluded by stating that more talk and more talk and less output would not make a difference to the wellbeing of the people of Zambia. What would make a difference to the people of Zambia is taking practical steps towards diversification of the economy, creation of jobs and wealth.

Mr Speaker, one can then ask, “What is competitiveness and diversification”? Let me try and explain in a manner that can be understood by most of our people. Competitiveness and diversification are anchored on three key pillars. The first important pillar is that of reform. The second pillar is attendance to infrastructure and the third pillar is that of investment.

Sir, in dealing with the reform, we, as a Government, are trying to address all those things that slow us down in terms of regulation, policy, law and institutions. These are things that are creating wastage of time for the private sector. This reform is critically important.

This year, 2009, two key policies were approved. The first policy was on the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in trying to deal with the challenges this critical component of our economy faces. Through that policy, we have created a credit guarantee scheme with an initial capital of K7 billion to help anchor the collateral deficiencies that SMEs have. We provide 50 per cent of the collateral requirement. This year, we have also made available K24 billion for capacity building through the business development voucher. We have built 352 SMEs with a target of 500.

Mr Speaker, this year, we also established what we call the business linkage connecting SMEs with big companies and in particular, we have connected twenty-one SMEs to the Kabwe Tannery. To be able to begin to interact in business, we are working with the Zambia Breweries on barley and sorghum to create opportunities and connectivity between big industries and SMEs. That is the essence.

Sir, we are addressing issues of creating a business. It used to take us twenty-one days to register a business, but today, it can be done in two hours. We think these things are critically important.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mutati: We have also simplified the whole tax regulation so that we make it easier, simpler and enjoyable to pay tax. That is a key policy that we pronounced this year.

The second policy for this year is the Public-Private Partnership Policy (PPP) where we are creating opportunities for the public and private sectors to join together. Very soon, we will be launching the first project under PPP which will be the Kitwe/Chingola Highway. This is an investment which will be critical to the smooth transportation of goods between the two key towns. Therefore, this policy is critically important under the reforms.

The next element, which is critically important under the reforms, is regulation. We have over 517 licences. This year, we are going to carry out amendments to various pieces of legislation to bring down the number of licences from 527 to less than 200 because we believe that the cost of compliance is heavy on the business person. If we reduce that by half, then we will be creating a competitive environment.

Mr Speaker, we are also dealing with issues of the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) to make it investor friendly. The totality of the reforms is to ensure that Zambia continues to be a competitive destination for investment.

Sir, let me correct Hon. Mooya’s earlier sentiments by saying that in the last three years, we have moved from a competitive basis, measured by the World Bank Doing Business, from one hundred and third to ninetieth. We are seventh in Africa and third in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). In essence, we are moving forward. Our target for 2010 is to be able to move from ninetieth to fiftieth. That reform process is critical for competitiveness and anchoring diversification.

The second pillar is infrastructure. In the budget, the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning has provided sufficient resources to begin to deal with the challenges of infrastructure. In the road sector alone, he has provided over K1.4 trillion for this. He has also provided K95 billion for the Northern Circuit because he believes that to attract investment to the Northern Circuit, there must be infrastructure on which this investment can rest. We have also provided K30 billion to begin the works that are required in the multi-facility economic zones (MFEZs). The totality of all this is to try and interpret diversification in a practical way; in tourism, agriculture, manufacturing and construction.

Mr Speaker, the third pillar is expanding investment. This is critically important in order to create jobs. I have already made reference to the deals that we are going to conclude this week. However, we are doing a lot more. I have, here, an analysis that I will lay on the Table. It articulates the various investment opportunities, province by province, that we are putting through for the purpose of creating diversity which will result in job and wealth creation. For example, in Lusaka Province, we have commenced the construction of a shopping complex and hotel offices at the Levy Junction. This is an investment of US$200 million with a potential of creating a total of 10,000 jobs here in Lusaka.

Mr Lubinda: But where are the roads.

Mr Mutati: Mr Speaker, at the corner of the Airport Road, we are also creating a new ultra modern hospital, again, with a potential for job creation. Last week, we said that the dominance of Coca Cola would be shaken a little because the works of the construction of a new Pepsi Plant have commenced.

Mr Speaker, what I am trying to say is …

Mr Lubinda: Concentrated on Lusaka!

Mr Mutati: For those who are saying concentrate on Lusaka, I would like to inform them that these three projects that I have referred to are all in Lusaka. However, we are not only focusing on Lusaka, but are also pushing this development elsewhere.

Mr Lubinda: Where mwana!

Mr Mutati: I have also made reference to the Copperbelt cities where we are expecting US$160 to be invested. This is the biggest investment. When you add that to the MFEZ in Chambishi and the dual carriageway that is going to be constructed there, you are going to have a highest concentration of investment in a single area of 50 square kilometres in excess of K2 billion and that is going to result in creation of a big number of jobs.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mutati: Mr Speaker, in the Eastern Province, we are also working with the Lundazi Tobacco Project and a ginnery in Chipata. We are doing all this in order to diversify the economy. We have projects in the Southern, North-Western and Northern provinces which are important.

Mr Lubinda: Which ones!

Mr Mutati: To be specific, in the Northern Province, we are supporting Zampalm which is part of the transaction that we are going to sign this week to facilitate the creation and accelerated investment in Zampalm in Mpika. This is an investment of US$60 million which has a potential to create 10,000 jobs. This is very important for the Northern Province.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mutati: There is a lot more we are doing in the Northern Province.

Mr Speaker, the key is that competitiveness and diversification must translate into making a difference, as hon. Magande said and emphasised by the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning, to the wellbeing of the people of Zambia.

When the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning said that he only used the word diversification thirteen times, last year, and fourteen times, this year, I thought he should have used it a little more because the transactions that we are going to make, by the time we approve the budget, are going to be more than fourteen times, courtesy in part, of my good friend here, Hon. Muntanga, Chairman of Tombwe, a very proud man.

  We are going to commission what will be a very important value addition plant in Zambia which will collect all the tobacco from the farmers and help them supply it to Tombwe Processing.

Mr Speaker, the essence of this budget is competitiveness and diversification, which must result in job creation and anchor investment.

Mr Speaker, I have some final reflections. Our approach is that business people have choices. They have a choice whether to make an investment or not. They have a choice whether to take business a opportunity or not. The role that this Government must play is that of managing the risks of doing business so that the business options available can be increased. Therefore, in minimising the risk of competitiveness, the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning, in his budget, has continued to emphasise that macro-economic stability, this year and in the future, is going to be key to him. We are also continuing with securing investments which is something important for business people.

Mr Speaker, you may also wish to know that our financial system still remains very sound. This year alone, we have been able to attract five foreign banks.

Dr Scott: That is because nobody borrows money.

Mr Mutati: Contrary to the assertion that nobody borrows money, SMEs, this year, have been able to borrow about K1.4 trillion from the banking system, which is a colossal amount of money. If people are not aware that others are borrowing, they simply need to get up and go and borrow because the money is there.

Interruptions

Mr Mutati: Mr Speaker, another key to diversification is the distribution of our investment portfolio. We will continue to push for value addition in the copper industry, but at the same time, continuing with the projects in agriculture and tourism which are key to making a change.

Mr Speaker, in the hon. Minister’s conclusion, in Paragraph 159, he said that this was an article of faith. The article of faith is the conviction that you must do the things that make a difference.  One thing that would make a difference is the creation of jobs. It is an article of faith that you must minimise the time and energy that you spend on talking and churning out less productive results. It is an article of faith that the people of Zambia have the spirit of enterprise. Let us not suffocate this spirit through elaborate and extravagant talk. Let them breathe. You can see them in the morning making choices whether to sell newspapers at Manda Hill or at the flyover bridge. They are running around because of the spirit of enterprise and the opportunities that we are creating.

Mr Speaker, we are also cognisant of the fact that we have a huge task ahead of us. The challenge is big. However, this big challenge will not daunt us. We are going to be doing these things anchored on competitiveness and diversification, which will ensure that the little boy, Mr Phiri, working opposite Manda Hill, will one day become an owner of a big enterprise. 

I was very happy when he was interviewed on Mobi Television last night. He said that if small people came together and pulled their resources and energies, they would be able to create their own bank for the tamanga people. Just a thought process that it can be done is the spirit of enterprise. Those are the Phiris we are looking for.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mutati: They do not have time for complaints and looking back. They are forever running. This Government will provide the fuel in their engines so that they can continue running because the essence is to make a difference in their lives. The essence is to make income tax for the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning. This is very important.

Mr Speaker, God bless Zambia. I thank you.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Minister of Education (Ms Siliya): Mr Speaker, it is quite clear, from the Budget Speech, as presented by the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning on 9th October, 2009, as well as the just-ended debate by the hon. Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry and also Hon. Magande, that truly, as a nation, we are on the right track in terms of expanding our economy anchored on diversification. We must all be high on investment if we are to continue to make Zambia an attractive investment destination.

Mr Speaker, you will recall that just last Saturday, we the citizens of Zambia, together with our friends, celebrated yet another independence anniversary, marking forty-five years of independence. The question some people might ask is what was there to celebrate about our independence and our country. This is a very serious question for many people, especially those of us born way after the independence struggle and who might fail to appreciate the sacrifices made, including the loss of life for our nation, Zambia, to be born. We may forget that it was because of the courage of many men and women that forty-five years ago, for the first time, we stood up and sung songs of Zambia’s pride and freedom.

Mr Speaker, the question on what is there to celebrate on our forty-fifth independence anniversary might reverberate much more loudly today with so many young people seeing no hope in their future. This is because each day, the only messages young people hear about themselves and their country are negative. They hear about poverty in the country evidenced by so many street children. They read headlines of party leaders ridiculing each other. We have young people insulting elders. Media editorials are using insulting language and just recently, started attacking the Judiciary.

In fact, soon after Parliament last Friday on Independence eve, listening to the news on one of the radio stations, made me feel like independence was just like any other ordinary day and not the eve of a very important national day. The first two news stories covered two political leaders with the usual negative messages. They were threatening potential foreign investors by telling them not to invest in Zambia as they risked losing their investment.

Interruptions

Ms Siliya: Mr Speaker, this kind of thinking truly baffles me.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Siliya: Mr Speaker, let me not be understood to be saying that we have no vices to fight as a nation such as laziness, corruption, alcohol and drug abuse, HIV/AIDS, street children and even trying to find …

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

I want to follow her debate. Listen.

Ms Siliya: … a lasting solution to the high fuel prices, limited infrastructure and electricity supply in the nation. However, all these are not reasons for us to be devoid of our national pride or patriotism. In fact, there is no country in the world that has no problems.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Siliya: Mr Speaker, the situation about how negatively we perceive ourselves is in fact quite serious. It is so serious that it is eroding any efforts we put forward for our nation to be seen in a positive light on the international platform.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Siliya: We risk losing the respect that has always been associated with our country.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Siliya: Mr Speaker, I do not think that there is any decent Zambian or politician who can celebrate his or her country being labeled politically unstable as that would be a direct reflection of our inadequacies. This is why I wonder why we continue to hear politicians sounding happy that some co-operating partners have not come forth with budgetary support while others even continue to threaten potential investors. Is suffering what we want for our citizens?

It is the duty of the Government, MMD and opposition parties, civil society, civil servants, private sector and most of all, the media to correct the bad impression about our country as failure to do so will mean that we are agitating for instability and the suffering of our people.

 Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Siliya: Failure to correct this bad impression will mean that our citizens, especially the young, educated and wealthy will lose confidence in all of us as politicians and fear for their safety in Zambia and will thus leave the country, thereby denying Zambia the much-needed local expertise and investment.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Siliya:   Mr Speaker, it also means that foreign direct investment (FDI) will not flow into Zambia due to the impression that the country is unstable and not safe for investments. The result of that will be stagnation and ultimately the shrinking of the economy.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Siliya: It is only investments by citizens and foreigners that will grow and expand the economy and assist Zambia to attain middle-income status with an income per capita of beyond US$3,000. Unnecessary attacks on the Government will only continue to stifle investment and this will mean that there will be fewer jobs for our children, relatives and friends. Simply, there will be no jobs for Zambians.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Siliya: There will be less and less investment in sectors such as health and education, roads, housing and thus defeating our very desire by each one of us in this House to assist the suffering  Zambians.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Siliya: It also means that the Government will not be able to pay decent salaries to civil servants.

Mr Speaker, I ask, again, is this the suffering we, the politicians, want for our people?

Mr Speaker, we have agreed, as a nation, that it is important to know where we are going and so we formulated the Vision 2030 which articulates our aspiration to become a middle-income nation. What does this mean?

If you imagine, a child born this year, will be 21 years in 2030. It is expected that by then, this child would have received an education that prepares him or her to be a productive citizen in an industrialised Zambia. Our vision is that Information Communication Technology (ICT) will help the Government to serve the people better and that a vibrant private sector will lead us to wealth creation in 2030. It also means that in 2030, our universities, like everywhere else in the world and at every time in history, will be the cornerstone for the illumination of our society through research and innovation. Our aspiration is that 21 years from now, our agriculture sector would have truly diversified with produce being processed and then exported. At the heart of this sector and for true transformation to occur, it means that women would have taken their rightful place in business, politics and elsewhere so that child mortality would have been significantly reduced.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Siliya: Maybe, most important of all, our aspiration is that by 2030, as a nation , we would have inculcated in the young Zambians born today, values such as hard work, self respect and respect for others, particularly elders, tolerance of new ideas  and other peoples opinions, democracy and Christianity.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Siliya: Mr Speaker, we, in the education sector, clearly understand the important role we have to play in the political and economic transformation of our country. We know that development does not happen by magic or in a vacuum. It is people who develop a country. There are many examples of countries such as Singapore and Malaysia whose accelerated and sustained economic development was anchored first on the development of human capital. It is this critical mass of human capital that was developed into engineers, economists, and lawyers. It is those people who acted as the locomotive engine for the development that we see today in Singapore and Malaysia. Definitely, it did not just fall from the sky.

Ms Speaker, our strategy to achieve the 2030 Vision is through the use of short-term development plans such as the budget, the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP). As we come to the end of FNDP, we all have an opportunity to celebrate its successes and provide ideas and solutions to our challenges in the Sixth National Developmental Plan (SNDP). We have an opportunity to build on what the past hon. Minister of Finance and national Planning did.

Mr Speaker, in this regard, I wish to congratulate the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning, Dr. Musokotwane, on taking the lead in embracing new ideas and technology and presenting the budget electronically – a real first for this Parliament.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Siliya: I also want to congratulate the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning and his team on presenting a budget not only against the backdrop of the financial crisis, but also in a new cycle. This, again, is another first.

 Mr Speaker, another first is that after so many years, this is a budget with less than 20 per cent support from co-operating partners. This attempt at dismantling the dependency syndrome is a step in the direction of celebrating true independence.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Siliya:  I recall here the words of the late Mr Bob Marley in his song “Redemption”, and I quote:

“Emancipate yourself from mental slavery.”

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Siliya: Mr Speaker, true independence comes from being mentally and economically liberated.

Mr Speaker, there have been many words used to describe the 2010 Budget. The word that comes to my mind is hope. The hope I see in the faces of the many Zambians who come to my office everyday hungry for education and business opportunities; the hope that they believe that Zambia has something to offer them and that there are opportunities in our country which everyone else in the world can see, going by the number of investors we are getting in Zambia. The hope in this budget is reflected in Zambians in the Diaspora who call and email me on how they can invest in education, housing, insurance banking, health, and agriculture, especially under the private-public-partnerships (PPPs).

Sir, I see hope in young Zambians abroad who are returning home after their studies. This is a budget that brings the hope that I see everyday in the staff at the Ministry of Education as they are committed, particularly to infrastructure development as reflected in the budget for the ministry.

Mr Speaker, hope is a small word, but with so much audacity, it can make all the difference in the world. As politician, I believe we owe it to citizens to share hope.

Mr Speaker, when I began my debate, I asked what was there to celebrate a few days after our 45th Interdependence Anniversary. For those of us with a positive approach, there was much to celebrate. We celebrated the many men and women in decision- making positions, through the 45 years of independence. We celebrated the improved per capita income of US$1,000 compared to just under US$300 a few years ago.

Hon. Government Members:

Ms Siliya: We celebrated 8000 schools and a strong plan to continue to build schools and the 77,000 teachers nationwide.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Siliya:  Mr Speaker, we celebrated the accelerated FDI in this country expected to reach US$2 billion at the end of 2009.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Siliya: Mr Speaker, we celebrated our men and women in uniform, youth, free press and democracy.  We simply celebrated being Zambians

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Siliya: Mr Speaker, we all come to Parliament to speak and to be heard. It does not matter if you have been here for twenty years, ten years, three years or even one week, like Hon. Godfrey Mwamba, whom I wish to welcome to the House.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Siliya:  What is important is how we choose to be heard. It is our choice to be heard intelligently or otherwise. Let us always put Zambia first and open our eyes so that we can see the opportunities in this budget, especially as to how we can benefit at the private sector level through the continued incentives by the Government. This is why I congratulate Hon. Muntanga on being a good example of a chitombwe.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Laughter

Ms Siliya: Mr Speaker, I wish to end by quoting the famous 1963 words of President J. F. Kennedy, which are still appropriate in 2009, and I quote:

“Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” 

Ms Siliya: I would like to call upon all hon. Members of Parliament to share hope and good neighbourliness.

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

The Minister of Communications and Transport (Professor Lungwangwa): Mr Speaker, I am most grateful for this opportunity to debate the excellent budget presented by the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning which was presented with the aid of technology which messimerised most hon. Members who are not conversant with advancements in communication technologies.

Hon. Member Members: Hear, hear!{mospagebreak}

Mr Speaker, the 2010 Budget is anchored on the following facts about our country which the MMD Government is well aware:

(i) the Kafue National Park is the second largest game park in the world and has everything Africa has to offer;

(ii) when all the game parks are put together, namely Kafue National Park, South and North Luangwa game parks, Liuwa Game Park, Nsumbu Game Park and Sioma Ngweze Game Park, Zambia ranks among the few countries in the world with a large land mass of rich game parks. This is the extent of our wealth as a nation;

(iii) with a land area of 750,000 square kilometres, and a population of only about 12 million, Zambia has abundant land resources and all that it carries, like forestry, waiting to be exploited;

(iv) Zambia is endowed with some of the best soils in Africa. Most of the soils are still virgin, waiting to be exploited;

(v) the abundant perennial water resources in our rivers and lakes make our country highly conducive for agricultural irrigation development;

(vi) the fresh water resources of our country in lakes and rivers and the rich grazing grasslands provide opportunities for a prosperous fisheries industry and livestock development; and

(vii) Zambia’s mineral deposits cover the entire country. Every province has a share of the various types of mineral and gemstone deposits waiting to be exploited.

Mr Speaker, the Executive that is sitting on your right, is aware of the immense potential our country has for economic development. The vision for the development of our country, which is rooted in the goal of wealth creation and employment generation, is founded on the realisation of the economic potential of our country.

To achieve economic prosperity, the MMD Government has identified a number of guiding principles or basic tenets for developing our country and these are:

(i) good governance;
(ii) economic growth;
(iii) wealth creation/job generation;
(iv) poverty reduction;
(v) social welfare;
(vi) competitiveness; and
(vii) comparative advantage.

Sir, these are the seven basic tenets of moving this country to prosperity which underpins the 2010 Budget. These are the benchmarks of Zambia’s development upon which lies the hope for prosperity of all our people.

Mr Speaker, the MMD Government is guided by the principle of good governance rooted in adherence to the established laws of the land as embodied in the Constitution and other laws. Provision has been made in this budget to continue with the Constitution-making process through the National Constitutional Conference (NCC).

Further, the budget has allocated resources directed at strengthening institutions such as the Auditor-General’s Office and the Anti-Corruption Commission which deals with matters related to corruption.

The budget has gone further to propose the establishment of a financial intelligence unit to handle matters of financial mismanagement. These are demonstrations of strong commitment to the principle of good governance, the basis upon which the MMD was founded and the foundation that the people of Zambia will continue to give the party massive support for many years to come.

Sir, growing the economy is at the centre of this budget. The proportion of the budget allocated to activities related to economic growth is 19.2 per cent. Even during this period of the global economic crisis, the Government is determined to see the economy grow at the rate of 5 per cent which is significantly higher than what is targeted as the average for the Sub-Saharan Region.

Mr Speaker, the budget has identified investment areas that are critical to achieving economic growth, and these are infrastructure development and human capital development. Significant resources have been directed at developing various types of infrastructure in the country. The infrastructure that is critical to economic growth, which the Government wants developed, includes airstrips, railway lines, roads, bridges, information communication technology and energy power stations.

Sir, the Government is aware that infrastructure is a major catalyst for economic development because of the role it plays in opening up new markets, the production of various goods and facilitation of the movement of goods and services and people. Mr Speaker, the resources allocated to infrastructure development in this year’s Budget will elevate our country to a higher development level. Through construction, rehabilitation, and installation of different types of infrastructure such as aerodromes, railways and roads, canals and other waterways, communication and meteorological facilities, my ministry plays a direct role in contributing to economic growth.

The second area of investment that is central to economic growth, which this budget has devoted significant resources to, is human capital development. Human capital includes education, skills development and the health status of people. Put together, allocations to human capital development has taken 28.1 per cent of the budget or K4.7 trillion. Through this investment, our people are assured of greater opportunities for improved health, knowledge and skills acquisition for effective participation in economic development.

Mr Speaker, this Government strongly believes in the need for creation of wealth and generation of jobs for the people. This budget has outlined a number of policy strategies that will enable the country generate wealth and create jobs. These strategies centre on diversification of the economy and citizenship economic empowerment.

While it is important to continue with mining which has been the mainstay of the economy, efforts are being made to diversify. Further, the Government, through this budget, realises that it is important to develop other sectors if wealth and jobs are to be created. Additionally, the Government is aware that sustainable wealth creation and employment generation can be achieved by involving the citizens through economic empowerment.

Mr Speaker, the sectors that the Government wants to develop are tourism, agriculture, livestock, fisheries and manufacturing. This budget has highlighted developments of farming blocks, tourism circuits, cattle disease-free zones and multi-facility economic zones as examples of areas of investments which will help create wealth and jobs for the people.

This strategic approach the Government has taken, will clearly place our country on a greater economic productivity path, wealth creation and employment generation. This strategic path will certainly see our country achieve Vision 2030 earlier than the targeted year.

Mr Speaker, in its endeavour to serve the people of Zambia equitably, the Government pays particular attention to matters of vulnerability, especially as they relate to women, the physically challenged, youth and elderly. This budget has allocated 2.7 per cent of the estimated available resources or K445 billion to the social protection of our people. This is a clear indication of the commitment of the MMD Government to matters of social justice, fairness and the welfare of those who might be disadvantaged in one way or another. We are a Government that strongly believes in the humane treatment of our people.

Sir, raising the quality of life of all our people, by reducing poverty, ranks high in the priorities of this Government. One of the indicators of commitment to this policy objective in this year’s Budget is the support given to the small-scale farmers whose numbers on the Farmer Input Support Programme has risen from 220,000 to over 500,000. As a Government, we stand on a higher moral ground if more of our people are empowered to raise their agricultural productivity levels.

Mr Speaker, the budget acknowledges that in order to achieve our set goals, we have to be competitive. A number of strategic policy goals have been outlined in the budget which can make our country competitive. The hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning has summarised these policy strategies into the following words:

“It is, therefore, essential that we continue to pursue a business-friendly macro-economic policy in order to strengthen and sustain the investor confidence needed for economic growth and wealth creation.”

Mr Speaker, by developing the optic fibre backbone infrastructure which will boost the information and communication technology (ICT) industry and by creating a competitive environment in the ICT sector, the Government is contributing to the establishment of making our country a good business destination. Zambia has a significant comparative advantage position among African countries. Some of the factors that make our country have a higher comparative advantage are the peace and stability it has enjoyed over the last forty-five years, the strength of the leadership to adhere to the fundamentals of democratic governance, the respect of the rule of law and adherence to a liberalised macro-economic framework. These are the tenets which make Zambia a good investment destination in Africa.

Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning has implored all of us, as national leaders, to uphold these basic tenets so that our country continues to maintain the status of an attractive investment destination. Unwarranted careless statements and criticising investors, especially Chinese investors, are not in the best interest of our country.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Professor Lungwangwa: Mr Speaker, what the uninformed critics of the Chinese investors should know is that any country that does not establish economic links with China now, will be irrelevant in ten years’ time as that country unfolds to occupy centre stage as the economic giant of the world.

This budget is for the good of our country. It is pro-poor and aimed at elevating our country to greater economic development for the wellbeing of all our people. This is the reason it has received wide support. All well-meaning hon. Members of this august House should equally support this budget.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

The Deputy Minister of Finance and National Planning (Ms C. M. Kapwepwe): Mr Speaker, I thank you for according me this opportunity to make my contribution to the debate in support of the motion.

Mr Speaker, I also join others in congratulating and welcoming the newly-elected hon. Member for Kasama Central (Mr Mwamba) to the House.

Mr Speaker, I want to start by adding my voice to those before me, who have saluted and recognised the significant contribution to the development of this country by the late former Minister of Finance Mr John Mupanga Mwanakatwe, SC. I count myself to be privileged to be one of those who knew him personally as a parent and, also, those who worked with him. I worked with him when he chaired a board on which I served as a member. His dedication, wealth of knowledge, humility and his trademark of putting service before self is an enviable legacy that should be emulated by all of us.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Ms C. M. Kapwepwe: Mr Speaker, let me now turn to the budget and start by making reference to a Latin saying which, when translated, means “a good diagnosis makes a good cure”. This means, especially for the hon. Members on your left, a sound and correct analysis of the budget will assist all of us in arriving at and supporting good and constructive measures which will uphold our mutual goal of the development of this country. The point of this exercise is to look critically at the proposals which were ably and skilfully articulated by the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning, analyse them correctly and in good faith, and support this progressive and well-meaning budget. If we do not take time to correctly and objectively analyse this budget, we will arrive at wrong conclusions.

If one does not have good intentions, if you are only fault finding and politicking, you can easily condemn the entire budget. My appeal to those on your left, is to keep issues in perspective and put things in context. Otherwise, that type of flawed analysis will lead us nowhere. Appropriation of the Government revenues is one of the critical roles that we have been mandated to discharge on behalf of the people of Zambia. I am, therefore, alarmed to hear sentiments expressed on the Floor condemning this budget in a wholesome manner, charging that it brings no hope to this country. There are many positive and progressive measures in this budget which any fair-minded, focused and well-meaning person can clearly see. Unfortunately, there are many examples of bad and incorrect analyses and these include sweeping statements such as, “The hon. Minister has nothing new in the budget”. Some said the budget is bad and bound to fail, alleging that an entire province had been left out.

Mr Speaker, I would like to differ as my copy of the Yellow Book has no pages missing and every province has an allocation.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms C. M. Kapwepwe: Some, and in particular one hon. Member on your left, went as far as taking a certain amount of litres of fuel, dividing this by the number of the entire population of Zambia and ending up with an answer of seventeen teaspoons. I am totally baffled by this type of analysis and to borrow a phrase from my colleague, the hon. Member for Siavonga (Mr Syakalima), this is clearly a case of poverty of analysis.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Ms C. M. Kapwepwe: Mr Speaker, some hon. Members have raised an issue regarding the retention of the 2009 Budget theme which has been maintained in the 2010 Budget. This is as it should be, considering that due to the change in the Budget Cycle, the proposed budget was formulated only a few months after the formulation of the current one, which is now running. To put this in context, this is a transitional year in which, for the first time, two budgets have been presented in the same year. Secondly, achievements in enhancing competitiveness and diversification cannot be realised in such a short period and, therefore, it was only prudent and, indeed, wise to retain the same theme. This is a clear demonstration of the Government’s commitment and shows the consolidation of our position and continued efforts in achieving our desired long-term goals of economic growth, wealth creation and poverty reduction.

Mr Speaker, allow me, now, to turn to some of the major issues which were raised by the hon. Members on your left. There were concerns raised on the structure of the tax revenue aspect of the budget. A case in point was the burden of taxation on our workers in formal employment through the Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) system. The Government is, indeed, fully cognisant of this fact, as this has been the case for sometime now as is the case in many other countries. That not withstanding, the Government’s medium to long-term policy is to expand the tax base, thus shifting the incidence of tax from production to consumption. This can be seen by this working Government’s tireless efforts to create and sustain a conducive and robust investment climate, particularly through FDI, PPPs, MFEZs and other initiatives that will bring about the necessary capital technology and expertise required to transform our economy.

We have to sow seeds now which will result in future economic growth. This means that in order to attract this type of investment, we have to forego some taxes in the form of tax relief on such investments while, at the same time, adopt an expansionary fiscal stance that would provide adequate resources for the Government to develop the infrastructure necessary to support the required levels of investment.

In view of the foregoing, the Government will have little option in the short term but to rely on PAYE as one of the major sources of tax revenue and continue to periodically adjust the amount of relief given to the workers through exemptions. This dependency on PAYE should gradually reduce as other types of tax start to perform and as more jobs are created resulting in more relief for our workers.

Mr Speaker, another aspect of the budget was that there was inadequate allocation to the health sector. On the contrary, the total resource allocation to health functions in 2009 amounted to K1.8 trillion of which K1.15 trillion will be financed through domestic resources. In 2010, the total allocation is K1.36 trillion which will be almost entirely from domestic resources and represents a nominal increase of over 18 per cent on domestic resource allocation from this year’s Budget as compared to the proposed 2010 allocation.

Even as a proportion of gross domestic product (GDP), the allocation to health has increased and almost all resources are to be domestically financed following the withdrawal of donor support. The Government has been able to reduce the gap in funding, thereby demonstrating its commitment to this sector and its agility in being able to realign resources to priority social sectors such as health and education.

Mr Speaker, some hon. Members on your left went on to say that there was only a minimal increase in the total budget of only 9 per cent. In view of the impact of the global financial crisis and withholding of donor support among other challenges faced this year, the projected total expenditure for the current fiscal year is K14 trillion, 8.3 per cent lower than the approved amount of K15.2 trillion.

Moving from a projected end-of-year-performance of K14 trillion to our proposed budget of K16.7 trillion, it is, in fact, a much higher increase than if we are merely comparing approved budget amounts year on year. The Government should also be commended for targeting growth in excess of 5 per cent instead of the lamentations from some hon. Members on your left, who have said that our targets are not in line with the rest of the world and that because our projected outturn, this year, is lower than budget now that we are in recession. On the contrary, we should be commended for achieving growth, with revised projected growth of, at least, 4.3 per cent for 2009, even under such severe constraints and uncertainties, especially in the first half of this year. We have proposed increases in allocation to education, health as regards domestic revenues, social and environmental protection amongst others.

Mr Speaker, another concern which was raised was that there was no provision for countering plunder of public resources. This is not the case and, in fact, the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning was emphatic and categorical in his Budget Speech as to the Government’s position on this scourge. The hon. Minister stated that financial mismanagement is unacceptable and that any public servant who misappropriated public resources would face the full force of the law.

In an effort to enhance the detection and prevention of abuse of public funds the Government proposes to increase resources available to the Office of the Auditor-General as well as to the Anti-Corruption Commission. In addition, the Government has demonstrated its commitment to fighting financial crime and other forms of malpractice and corruption by signalling its intent to establish a financial and intelligence unit.

Mr Speaker, as was the case for the 2009 Budget, we continue to align our annual planning to FNDP to the medium-term expenditure framework with the long-term focus on the Vision 2030. Our focus remains on key strategic areas such as agriculture, infrastructure development, health, education and skills development amongst others. Planned public spending will strengthen economic and social infrastructure, namely roads, schools and hospitals, the energy and communications sector while enhancing agriculture and rural development. The Government’s medium-term goal continues to be acceleration of economic diversification, moving from mining sector dependency towards agriculture, tourism and manufacturing.

Mr Speaker, this year’s Budget clearly demonstrates our serious commitment to enhancing growth through competitiveness and diversification. This can be seen in our initiatives to diversify even in the agriculture sector through separate and clear allocations to the newly-created Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development. Although some hon. Members have stated that the creation of disease free zones has not been allocated adequate funding, with similar concerns raised for the allocation to the development of the Luena Farming Block in Kawambwa, it is important to note …

Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!

Ms C. M. Kapwepwe: … that this allocation is a start and an emphatic demonstration of our commitment to the diversification of our economy. Indeed, Rome was not built in one day and even a journey of a thousand kilometres starts with the first step.

Interruptions

Ms C. M. Kapwepwe: Mr Speaker, the MMD Government continues to follow its well-articulated development strategies and long-term goal of becoming a prosperous middle-income nation by 2030.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms C. M. Kapwepwe: Mr Speaker, the 2010 Budget remains focussed on placing emphasis on economic diversification, infrastructure development, growth in economic sectors such as mining, agriculture and tourism, while addressing challenges in health and education. This budget has not only ably responded to building on the Government’s strategies for sustainable, social and economic development, but has also moved towards positioning our economy to take advantage of the recovery in the global economy.

Mr Speaker, I wish to conclude by quoting from the hon. Minister’s Budget Speech, and I quote:

“The challenge for 2010, is for us to be united in our resolve to rededicate ourselves to economic diversification, building on the resilience shown by our economy in the dark days of the global economic turmoil so that, as a nation, committed to becoming a middle-income country in the next two decades, we can take full advantage of the rebound of the international trade and revived global growth.”

 Mr Speaker, in stuck contrast to the conclusion reached by the hon. Members on your left, I submit that this budget is to bring jobs, wealth creation, more school places for our children, more hospitals in districts and infrastructure development.

Mr Speaker, I wish, therefore, to end by urging all hon. Members of this House to support this budget.

I thank you, Sir.

The Minister for Presidential Affairs (Mr Mukuma): Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for the opportunity you have given me to contribute to the debate on the budget presented by the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning, Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane.

Mr Speaker, I wish to begin by paying tribute to the late Hon. Ben Tetamashimba and Hon. Hamir, who were hard working, loyal and committed members of this august House and the MMD. Their deaths are a great loss to the party and the nation as a whole. May their souls rest in eternal peace.

Mr Speaker, I stand to support the 2010 Budget presented to this House by the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning, Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane. The budget is well focused and supports the Government’s convictions, priorities and commitment to the diversification of our economy. In supporting it, I wish to start by quoting a statement from Dr Musokotwane’s Budget Address which states, and I quote:

 “If we, the adults, tend to project predominantly negative thoughts on them, the youths, then we should face the real possibility that many of our offspring will inherit the same disposition in life: to complain, talk, but then achieve nothing tangible.”

Mr Speaker, this statement is very important because it explains why there is less participation by Zambians in the economic development of the nation. The negative remarks and unjustified criticisms by the Opposition have negatively impacted on the minds of not only our youths, but also Zambian people in general towards the Government’s development programmes. Zambia, despite the abundant resources it has, finds it difficult to achieve an economic growth rate higher than 5 per cent not because of poor economic policies or lack of resources, but because Zambians are fond of criticising, talking a lot and working less.

Mr Speaker, many situations are that the Zambians keep aloof of the development programmes, treating them as purely the Government’s problems which are not to be shared by all. When we take stock of the utilisation of resources at the end of a specified period and find lapses, the people point fingers at the Government as being at fault, when in actual fact, we, as Zambians, have contributed a lot to this under development. Zambians should realise that development is a collective effort by all citizens of this country. The Government alone cannot create wealth or generate employment without the active participation of all Zambians.

Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Mukuma: Mr Speaker, it is common to hear people criticising the Government for not providing solutions to job creation and poverty eradication.

The real situation is that the Government has done its best and is still doing its best in response to the development challenges of this country through the creation of an enabling environment for investment. We have heard, this afternoon, from the hon. Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, the measures that the Government is putting in place to invite investors and create a business atmosphere which can enable business people conduct their businesses successfully. So far, we are on the right track and our economy is picking up with the help of foreign investors and a few Zambians who have decided to ignore the negative calls from the Opposition and work with the Government to develop our country.

Mr Speaker, I have said that since the majority of Zambians are not willingly come forth to work with the Government and implement the development programmes, the majority of the investors we have, at the moment, who are producing significant results, are foreigners.

Mr Speaker, due to the good policies and measures put in place by this working Government, the mining sector is operating very well and more jobs have been created for the Zambians.

Hon. Opposition Members: Question!

Mr Mukuma: Production in the key sectors like agriculture, tourism, transport and construction has improved tremendously and many jobs also continue to be created for the Zambians.

Mr Speaker, the 2010 Budget is geared to support the key sectors of our economy to accelerate economic growth. However, for the Government to achieve better results and continue to create more jobs, it is important for the leaders to stop issuing negative statements that scare away investors both local and foreign. As leaders, we should examine the role we are playing in creating jobs and wealth for mother Zambia. Good leaders should encourage and inspire the people they represent to seize the opportunities created by this working Government to create wealth and job opportunities for our youths. I was amazed to hear some hon. Members of this House telling the nation, through this Floor, that the MMD Government is corrupt and has done nothing for the nation. This is being insincere to the nation because the hon. Members who come to make such negative statements in this House have on-going development programmes in their respective constituencies.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mukuma: For them to utter negative statements about the services we are providing shows that there are no serious lapses in our services except to make comments on what is going on. Our colleagues in the Opposition must learn to accept that the MMD Government is delivering on its promises to the people and appreciate the development it has brought in their respective constituencies.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mukuma: Mr Speaker, it is equally disappointing for the hon. Members on your left to suggest that they have better leadership than the MMD Government when their leaders do not even have half of the qualities that our President, Mr Rupiah Bwezani Banda, has.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mukuma: The President of the MMD, who is also the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Rupiah Bwezani Banda, is not only a veteran politician and diplomat, but also educated, mature, tolerant and an experienced administrator. He draws his sound and solid administrative experience from the Government as well as parastatal companies he worked for a long time at a senior management level, which qualities and experience cannot be found in the leadership of the opposition parties.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mukuma: They are either experienced, but not educated or educated, but not mature and experienced. Our colleagues should accept that the best of everything is in the MMD and stop making wild statements on its leadership.

Interruptions

Mr Mukuma: Mr Speaker, on corruption, I wish to state that corruption is a cancer, which we must continue to fight as a nation. The Government is more committed than before to the fight against corruption and the allegations that His Excellency the President, Mr Rupiah Bwezani Banda’s Government has slowed the momentum to fight corruption is not true. I say so because of the measures His Excellency, Mr Rupiah Bwezani Banda’s Government has put in place to fight the scourge. The Government has not only continued from where the late President, Dr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC., may his soul rest in peace, left, but also gone further to introduce policies and measures which seek to address the legal, institutional and social weaknesses that provide opportunities for corruption.

Hon. Opposition Member: Ask Patrick Mwanawasa!

Mr Mukuma:  As many hon. Members already know, the President recently launched the National Anti-Corruption Policy which aims at, among others, harmonising and strengthening laws and regulations on corruption. Under this policy, ACC will be the key player in the fight against corruption and its powers and mandate will be expanded to deal effectively with any case of corruption.

Hon. Members of this august House may wish to know that integrity committees are being established in Government institutions to take appropriate steps to prevent corruption from occurring within their organisations. These committees receive assistance from ACC in the form of advice, investigation and prosecution services when corrupt practices are established.

Once these committees become effective, the preventative measures they adopt, from time to time, will certainly reduce corruption at places of work.

So far, integrity committees have been established in thirteen institutions which include the Ministry of Lands, Immigration Department and the Zambia Police Service among others. In addition, the Government’s commitment to the fight against corruption is reflected in the 2010 Budget where more money is allocated to the Auditor-General’s Office and other investigative agencies to enable them operate effectively.

In September, this year, the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr Rupiah Bwezani Banda, also launched a Millennium Challenge Account with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). One of the objectives of this programme is to ensure that Zambia maintains acceptable standards of good governance which include a society free from corruption. It is important that Zambia maintains a good governance record, failure to which this funding and support will be withdrawn.

It is also important to mention the code of ethics which was launched in November, 2008. This was introduced in the Civil Service to promote, among other things, integrity, honesty and accountability in the Civil Service. It is envisaged that the code of ethics will have a positive impact on the civil servants and help to reduce corruption.

The Government has accepted the application or implementation of the African Peer Review Mechanism in Zambia. Under this programme, Zambia’s governance status is subject to periodic assessment by a group of experts and able lapses that are discovered are brought to the attention of the Government for possible correction.
Last but not least is the Public Expenditure Management and Financial Accountability (PEMFA) Programme. This is a component of the Public Service Reforms Programme which aims to strengthen financial accountability and expenditure monitoring systems to ensure that public spending is producing the desired results, that is, resources are trickling down to the poor in order to improve delivery of pro-poor Government services. Through this programme, the procurement systems of pubic institutions are also reviewed and strengthened to eliminate irregularities associated with procurement in the Government ministries.

Mr Speaker, it is clear that contrary to what the people are saying, especially the Opposition, the Government has taken the fight against corruption very seriously. The combined effect of all these measures will be to plug all opportunities to practise corruption, expose all malpractices in public institutions and ultimately reduce or stop theft and corruption in our society. It is, therefore, important to note that as the anti-corruption measures are implemented and become effective and before the situation is normalised, many cases of malpractices may be exposed.

The Government should be commended for taking corrective measures and moving in the right direction towards the elimination of corruption in Government institutions instead of politicising the situation and condemning the Government as being corrupt.

Mr Speaker, I wish to conclude my statement by encouraging colleagues in this House to support the 2010 Budget because it is focused and intended to implement the diversification programme.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Chief Whip (Mr Mwaanga): Thank you very much, Mr Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to participate in the debate on this motion which is before the House.

Let me begin by saying that until I heard members of the front and middle benches debating, I was beginning to get worried about the quality of debate and the extent to which it had been lowered.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwaanga: After they began debating, I am now a lot more comfortable about the level of debate.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwaanga: I would like, Mr Speaker, to begin by welcoming Hon. Geoffrey B. Mwamba, the newly-elected Member of Parliament for Kasama Central Constituency. He has been a personal friend of mine for many years and I know that when we were together in MMD, he was a very civil person. I am confident that the spirit of civility which he takes to the other party will be reflected in his pronouncements.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwaanga: I also wish to take this opportunity, Mr Speaker, to congratulate my party on the dignified manner in which they conceded this by-election. That is the way civilised politics should be.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwaanga: They conceded defeat in the face of electoral adversity and that is something to be admired because after all, Kasama Central Constituency was not a MMD constituency but Patriotic Front (PF) and so it is a mere retention of the status quo.

Mr Speaker, I would like to congratulate my colleague, the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning, Dr Musokotwane, on the very able manner in which he presented his budget for 2010 under the continuing theme, “Enhancing Growth Through Competitiveness and Diversification” as has already been stated by the other speakers. He certainly introduced this budget using enhanced technology which this House has not seen before.

The task for the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning this year, just like the task for other Ministers of Finance all over the world is, in terms of looking at the year, 2010 is a very enviable one. The world economic situation has affected nearly all countries, but it is heartening to note that growth, which is being led by China and India, is continuing to gather momentum as some countries of the West, particularly France and Germany get out of the recession.

As the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning has pointed out in his Budget Address, growth in sub-Saharan Africa, is expected to be below 2 per cent, and yet our country’s, notwithstanding all these difficulties, has grown and is likely to grow by the end of this year at the rate of 4.3 per cent. This is something to be commended because were it not for the sound mitigation measures which were taken by this Government, the performance of the economy would have been worse than this. We have every reason to congratulate ourselves and continue to work hard to ensure that our economy improves in terms of the future.

I should point out, however, that there is no country in the world which addresses all the problems of that particular country in one budget.

Hon. Government Members: No.

Mr Mwaanga: It is never done anywhere. It is certainly more complex to present a budget in 2009 for 2010 than raising pigs in New Kasama or printing promissory notes to pay farmers.

Laughter

Mr Mwaanga: Mr Speaker, it is heartening to note that the programmes of diversification, which are being pursued by this Government, have been bearing fruit. I think I expect the hon. Members on the other side to give the Government credit where it is due so that they can encourage us to continue to look for solutions to the economic problems facing Zambia. It is not all gloom and doom. There are bright spots on the horizon on which we need to build so that as we grow the economy of our country. We can enlarge our national cake and make it possible for the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning to equitably share the resources of country.

With the support the Government is giving to small-scale but viable farmers, through the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP), I am confident that our farmers will rise to the challenge and that, food production in our country will continue to grow so that we can export our surplus to deficit countries in our region. Agriculture output this year has been impressive at 1.9 million tonnes of maize, exceeding 1.5 million tonnes which was registered last year. This is a sign that our farmers have been responding positively to the agriculture policies of this Government. I know, given the spirit of enterprise, which our farmers have always embraced through this Government, they will rise to the challenge and produce more and more food during this year so that our food basket, as a country, can continue to grow.

Mr Speaker, I take note of the sharp fall in the level of international trade this year with the value of imports and exports falling by 26 and 19 per cent respectively, as a result of the steep depreciation in the kwacha during the first half of the year and the weaker global demand for metals.

Mr Speaker, there is no doubt that international investors have continued to show confidence in the MMD Government’s financial and economic policies and programmes as well as its ability to manage the affairs of our country. That is why five new commercial banks have come to Zambia.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwaanga: Commercial banks do not come in an atmosphere of uncertainty, but that of certainty with clear projections for the future, as this Government has been doing.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!{mospagebreak}

Mr Mwaanga: It is a clear demonstration of their determination to participate in our economy, help us grow our economy and ensure that we enlarge the national cake to enable the Government of the day distribute it more equitably.

Mr Speaker, this good performance on the part of this Government will guarantee the continuation of policies of Zambia beyond 2011.

Mr Speaker, this budget lays emphasis on growing the economy and improvements in the social sectors such as education, health and infrastructure development as well as poverty reduction. Financial sector growth and stability and implementation of the Financial Sector Development Plan will improve access to credit and reduce the high cost of borrowing to our citizens and, therefore, enable the Government to take a more expansionary stance during 2010. This is a welcome development and we should give encouragement to the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning to continue this expansionary stance so that the economy can grow.

Mr Speaker, the focus of the 2010 Budget is the correct one. The focus is on agriculture and livestock, tourism, manufacturing, education, health, road infrastructure development, transport and communications, skills development, water and sanitation, social protection, energy and local government, among others.

What better priorities can any Government have? These are the sectors which are of direct interest to the people of Zambia and affect their lives. They are all important areas, as they impact positively on the development of our country.

Let us stop being professional critics who criticise everything the Government does all the time, without offering any credible and workable alternatives.

Mr Speaker, I look forward to a day when the Government and the Opposition, working together, will be able to join hands and work for the betterment of Zambia and not just scoring political points or debating points against each other, but competing for ideas on how best to develop our country. This, I have not yet heard from the other side.

Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!

Mr Mwaanga: It is a challenge which I issue and am sure well-meaning hon. Members of Parliament on the other side will be able to take it up seriously and respond to it at an appropriate time.

Mr Speaker, we were challenged the other day by the hon. Members for Sinazongwe and Siavonga respectively when we were told that if we were confident about what we were doing, we should call an early general election.

Hon. Opposition Members: Yes!

Mr Mwaanga: We have no intention of doing that.

Laughter

Mr Mwaanga: We are strict constitutionalists. We will run the Government until the end of our tenure of office in 2011 before elections can be called.

Interruptions

Mr Mwaanga: In the meantime, you must just continue to perfect your policies by harmonising socialist ones on one hand and capitalist ones on the other so that we have more cohesive manifestos coming from the other side which will not confuse the people of Zambia …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwaanga: The left hand must know what the right hand is doing. Sometimes the problem with some of our Opposition leaders, not all of them, is that the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwaanga: Not only that, sometimes the problem is even more serious than that in the left hand does not know that there is a right hand.

Interruptions

Mr Mwaanga: Mr Speaker, the simplistic statements that we have continued to hear about economics would make Donald Duck feel embarrassed as some of the theories we have heard in this House do not only take us to a Government made simple, but to a Government made even simpler. What we need is not a simple Government, but a Government that thinks. One that is going to plan for the future of this country and introduce programmes which will benefit the people of Zambia.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwaanga: That is the type of Government that we want and I do hope that one of these days we will be able to reach that level of development so that we can all join hands and say together, that this is our country.

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

Mr Mwaanga: We owe the people of Zambia a service so that we can uplift the quality of their lives and make Zambia a better place to live in.

Let us all take comfort in the fact that as long as this Government is in power, the best is yet to come.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Msichili (Kabushi): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to debate the 2010 Budget Speech which was presented by the Minister, Hon. Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane, MP, on the 9th of October, 2009.

Mr Speaker, I would like to begin by congratulating my neighbour, Hon. G. B. Mwamba, who has come to this House. Hon. Member, welcome!

Laughter

Dr Musonda: That is against Mr Speaker.

Mr Msichili: Mr Speaker, I wish to commend hon. Members of this august House for having united to support the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill, 2009 that changed the budget cycle.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Msichili: Mr Speaker, because of this landmark decision, it is hoped that the budget will now be implemented in twelve months as opposed to the nine months which was the case previously.

 Sir, there is a saying in Nyanja that goes “Vina mwamene waimvelela”

Laughter

Mr Speaker: Order!

I would like to hear the interpretation.

Mr Msichili: Mr Speaker, the interpretation is shaana uumo wayunfwila.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: Order!

What is the English interpretation?

Mr Msichili: This means that one should dance according to the way he or she understands a tune.

Sir, I would like to talk about foreign financing of our budget. The hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning stated, in his speech, that there was great economic uncertainty in the world, rapid price decline of our main commodity copper and a lot of job losses.

Sir, as a country, we should have learnt from this, especially that our co-operating partners, the donors, withheld their support because of the scam at the Ministry of Health.

Mrs Phiri: Acquittals!
 
Mr Msichili: Mr Speaker, how were we going to solve this problem? Rather than depend on donor assistance, we should have adjusted our budget. In this year’s Budget, K3.1 billion has provided. This represents 18.6 per cent of the total budget, but this can create problems for the country. As I have already indicated, we should have learnt a lesson from this experience.

Sir, in my debate on the President’s Speech, I stated that we would like the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning to give this House a comprehensive report on how the ordinary Zambian benefited from the debt relief. I have noticed that, at the pace we are moving, the country is acquiring more debt, and yet when I look at the debt which has been acquired, I can hardly see development in my constituency.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Msichili: Therefore, when the hon. Minister comes to wind up debate, we will appreciate it if he gives us the current debt stock and how much we have borrowed from the time we reached the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) completion point.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Msichili: Sir, the increase in the budget allocation for agriculture is welcome, but I doubt whether this will make the required impact. I am concern because the Government is silent about issue of irrigation. This can make the country move forward. The Government has remained silent when we should have learnt a lesson from our colleagues in Zimbabwe who have done very well in irrigation despite the problems they are facing today. The Government should learn from our neighbours.

Mr Speaker, let me also talk about the fish industry. It is sad to note that the fish industry is on the decline, especially from the lakes which are on the border. This is because when the Zambian Government is putting measures in place to impose the fish ban, our neighbours across are not observing it. The Government should look consider developing commercial fish farming. Once the Government shows an interest in fish farming, this problem will be addressed.

Sir, as I talk about fish farming, I would also like to find out whether the hon. Minister is aware that the current water sector is using the 1949 Act. That is the Act that we are currently using in this country. With all these years that have passed, many things have changed and if we continue using the 1949 Act, it would be very difficult for us to move forward. Zambia, as a country, has even failed to sign certain agreements because of archaic laws. Therefore, we are urging the hon. Minister to bring amendments on this Bill to this House.

Mr Speaker, let me also talk about tourism. The issues that I have raised in this House on tourism are pertinent. I hope the hon. Minister took note of that although she is not in the House at the moment. Even last time, when I debated on tourism, she was in Kasama. However, for the benefit of the hon. Deputy Ministers and others, I would like to restate what I said.

The Government has concentrated on funding the Kasaba Bay and Livingstone when all the seventy-two districts in the country have something to offer as tourism attractions. Therefore, I would like to urge this Government to also look at the white beaches in Samfya and Chilengwa na Lesa in Ndola and many others. If the Government funds such small tourist attractions, there would be a lot of tourist in the country.

Sir, in my last debate, I mentioned that it is imperative to follow up the rampant misapplication of tourism income. I mentioned that a lot of tourists that are coming into this country are paying from their countries of origin. When they come into this country, they are not leaving anything behind. That is why the Government should come up with a policy which will ensure that all tourists coming into this country, leave the much-needed foreign exchange in Zambia.

Mr Speaker, it is sad to see that, in the 2010 Budget, 15.7 billion has been provided for the rehabilitation of airports, but none of this was given for the Ndola Airport, and yet it has the second longest runway in the country. If that airport is rehabilitated, it would open up the North-Western and Copperbelt provinces. Therefore, in the next budget, the hon. Minister must allocate some money for the rehabilitation of the Ndola Airport.

Sir, the increase in the price of diesel will have an adverse effect on agriculture. All the expected gains will soon be wiped out because of this increase. What is the justification for that because the price of oil on the international market is still the same? Why did this country see it fit to increase the price of diesel? Is it for fundraising for election?

Mr Mwenya: Hear, hear!

Mr Msichili: The price should have remained the same because even minibuses will increase fares. Since the price of diesel has gone up, prices for commodities will immediately go up.

Mr Speaker, it seems there is a contagious disease which ministers and their permanent secretaries suffer from once they get to Ministry of Finance and National Planning. When we are experiencing a fuel shortage, every minister who comes into this House, says seventeen trucks have crossed the border or are being escorted by bandits …

Laughter

Mr Msichili: Sorry, I meant the police.

Laughter

Mr Msichili: It took three weeks for the trucks to reach Lusaka. The Government should give us the correct position of what is happening.

Sir, I would also like to talk about issues of water and sanitation in Kabushi. Kabushi is one of the oldest townships in Ndola, and yet there is no running water …

Mr Speaker: Order!

Business was suspended from 1815 hours until 1830 hours.

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

Mr Msichili: Mr Speaker, before business was suspended, I was talking about issues affecting my constituency.

Mr Speaker, the supply of water in urban settings is on a decline and Kabushi has not been spared. Kabushi is one of oldest townships in Ndola, and yet we do not have access to running water, there are no toilets and sanitation is bad. This Government should come to the aid of the people of Kabushi.

Mr Speaker, we used to have good services by the council before the formation of utility companies. The people have been deprived of good services by the councils which have also lost revenue as a result of these utility companies. Kabushi is lucky to have a river flowing within the constituency, and yet the people have no access to clean water. We are appealing to this Government to do something to ensure that the people of Kabushi have water and toilets.

Mr Speaker, I wish to commend the Government for constructing police houses in my constituency. As a result, the morale of the police officers has gone up and we will definitely have good services from them. However, I wish to say that the Government should also budget for the maintenance of the old housing stocks which are in a bad state, especially in my constituency.

Mr Speaker, from the time I came to this House, I have been talking about one particular road in my constituency, the Chambishi Road. This is a route for minibuses and is one of the main roads. Year in and year out, we have been having assurances from this Government that this road will be rehabilitated. When I just came to this House, the hon. Minister assured me that the contractors had started off from Lusaka and were on their way to Ndola. The next I asked, I was told that they were in Kapiri Mposhi. When I asked again, they were in Kafulafuta, then Bwana Mkubwa. Last week, when I enquired, I was given documents by the council, stating that the contractors were supposed to be on site on 1st November. When I went to enquire about this, I was told that they would sign the contract on 30th November. The people of Kabushi are appealing to this Government to have the road worked on. 

Mr Speaker, in my constituency, there are a lot of retired miners. Some of these people have not yet been paid their terminal benefits. We are making an appeal that these people be paid.

Mr Speaker, most of the schools in my constituency are in a bad state. We are urging the ministry to do something about this. I was requested to submit a list of schools which needed rehabilitation through the District Education Boards (DEBs). The list was submitted, but to date, no action has been taken.  We are, once again, appealing to the hon. Minister to look at our list.

Mr Speaker, I stand here a very sad person. Two years ago, some donors were willing to help us turn a clinic into a mini hospital. The donors had US$100,000 for this project. Unfortunately, the council refused to give us one of the buildings which they have not used in the past twenty-five years. This clinic was supposed to service a lot of people in that area. We are appealing to the council to release this building to us.

Mr Speaker, as I conclude, …

Mr Muntanga: Hear, hear!

Mr Msichili: … I would like to state that most of these things would have been done if the decision on the windfall tax was rescinded. The Government would have collected a lot of revenue and most of these projects in my constituency, which I have outlined, would have been undertaken.

Once you concede to defeat, it does not mean that you are weak. Sometimes, it is a sign of strength. I am, therefore, appealing to the Government to bring back the Bill to this House so that we can have more money for a number of developments to take place in my constituency.

Mr Speaker, with these few words, I thank you.

The Minister of Sport, Youth and Child Development (Mr Chipungu): Mr Speaker, I would like to thank you for this very rare opportunity to debate the motion on the Floor.

Mr Speaker, I wish to welcome to this august House, Hon. Mwamba and congratulate him on his victory. I am aware of how difficult it is to campaign and win an election. I also wish to pay tribute to the speakers, especially on your right, who have spoken before me. Well done!

Mr Speaker, I would like to begin by commending Hon. Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane, MP, for presenting to this august House a very good budget, indeed.

Hon. Government Members: Her, hear!

Mr Chipungu: Mr Speaker, this budget is good, visionary and touches all areas relating to development in this nation. Therefore, those who are criticising it have either not understood it or know very little about budget preparation.

Mr Speaker, I would also like to commend the National Assembly of Zambia through the Reforms Technical Committee, for introducing Parliament Radio in a number of provincial centres in Zambia. This facility is there to give an opportunity to the electorate to follow our debates in this House. Therefore, I beg that these debates be of quality in nature and not mere rhetoric full of insults, especially to the Executive and the leadership of this country.

Mr Speaker, I note that most of the debaters, especially on your left, depart from real issues in the budget and instead, insult the leadership or criticise this listening Government.

Mr Speaker, in discussing this budget, I first want to reflect on the theme “Enhancing Growth through Competitiveness and Diversification”.

Mr Speaker, in his wisdom, Hon. Musokotwane has decided to retain the same theme because he has seen that the work, which this Government started, has not finished, hence the need to continue and finish it off. It is necessary to continue with the same theme as an indication of this MMD Government’s commitment to the diversification process. Hon. Minister, well done!

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chipungu: Mr Speaker, I wish to make few comments in the areas such as agriculture.

Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister makes good comparisons regarding the growth of this sector. There is a remarkable expected growth of 5.2 per cent this year compared to 1.9 per cent in 2008. The reason being the bumper harvest which is expected this year of 1.9 million metric tonnes compared to 1.5 million metric tonnes of maize recorded in 2008.

Mr Speaker, therefore, the MMD Government must be commended for its good policies in agriculture. FISP must continue to enable farmers attain even higher production yields in the years to come. The increase in the total allocation to the agriculture sector to K1.139.0 billion in 2010 is welcome.

Mr Speaker, in order to boast agriculture, I would like to request all hon. Members to get involved. You should find a piece of land in your constituency and grow something because we are expected to lead by example.

 Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chipungu: Mr Speaker, peace in any nation is a result of good governance. Therefore, those hon. Members attacking the governance record of this country through the MMD Government are being unfair. The peace that Zambians enjoy in Zambia should not be taken for granted. Zambians move about without any restriction or fear of any attacks from anybody.

Mr Speaker, on Friday last week, I saw Hon. Mumbi Phiri, walking along Kudu Road in Kabulonga during the day, which she could not do in other countries as a leader unless under escort.

Mr Speaker, last week, again, one gentleman from a neighbouring country came over and asked why I was driving myself. He indicated to me that in his country, it was not possible for ministers to drive themselves and to move without being accompanied by police officers. All these are signs of the peace and good governance that we all enjoy in this country.

Mr Speaker, all those agitating for trouble because of their actions, the insults they shower on the leadership of this country or incorrect reporting in our media must stop. When there is anarchy or trouble, we shall all be affected and nobody will run away.

Mr Speaker, I would like to salute His Excellency the President, Mr Rupiah Bwezani Banda for upholding the rule of law and good governance in this country

Mr Speaker, it is only in Zambia where the judicial system is clean and transparent.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chipungu:  It is where freedom of speech is totally upheld and citizens’ rights are not infringed upon. It is only in Zambia where people are not detained anyhow as we have seen and heard in other countries or indeed, secretly eliminated.

Mr Speaker, His Excellency the President, the Executive together with the MMD Government, must be commended for this record. It is this good record and so much development, which we can seen throughout the country, which will make the MMD Government bounce back to power in 2011.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chipungu: Mr Speaker, those hon. Members especially on your left who are standing up saying they will take over power in 2011 must think twice. We, on this side of the House, are also working and are ready for the showdown.

Mr Speaker, I have no doubt that the MMD Government will triumph in Solwezi Central.

Mr Speaker: Order! 

I hope the hon. Minister was here when I ruled out all references to campaigns in Solwezi or elsewhere. Please, move on.

Mr Chipungu:  Mr Speaker, I am encouraging hon. Members, especially those on your left, to work hand in had with provincial administrations if we are to get the work on our roads done.

Mr Speaker, I am aware that a number of roads and bridges have been constructed across the country. It is on record that this Government has done extremely well in the construction of these roads and bridges through the Road Development Agency (RDA). The procurement of equipment by the late President, Dr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC., was for the purpose of working on feeder roads throughout the country.

The actual programme to work in various constituencies is with the provincial administration. Therefore, hon. Members must approach their provincial ministers to ensure that their roads are worked on and not go there to demean the leadership.

Mr Speaker, coming to this House to complain about our roads in various constituencies is total failure on our part and will not help us at all.

Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!

Mr Chipungu: Mr Speaker, turning to my ministry, I wish to thank the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning for an increase in funding in the 2010 Budget. In the 2010 Budget, the hon. Minister has allocated, at least, K31 billion. In 2009 our allocation was K22 billion.

Mr Speaker, we intend to allocate most of this money to infrastructure development. My ministry will continue with its policy to construct youth skills training centres in each constituency and some of this money will go towards that development.

Mr Speaker, to improve the reading culture in our country, which has gone so low, my ministry is looking at renovating infrastructure such as reading and recreation centres in various districts. Therefore, I am inviting hon. Members with unused buildings in the district centres to inform my ministry so that we move in to renovate them.

Mr Speaker, at the same time, we are looking at the possibilities of constructing and renovating sports infrastructure by using part of this money and also through PPPs.

 Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ntundu indicated.

Mr Speaker: Order!

The hon. Member for Gwembe was called upon, but he was not in the House.  He is now in the House.

Laughter

Mr Ntundu (Gwembe): Mr Speaker, first and foremost, let me thank you for according me the opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Floor of this House.

First of all, I would like to welcome the new hon. Member of Parliament for Kasama Central, Hon. G. B. M. Mwamba …

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ntundu: … and to congratulate him on having won the just-ended by-election in Kasama Central.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ntundu: However, let me also pay my condolences to the MMD for losing the by-elections.

Laughter

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ntundu: Mr Speaker, I have chosen to debate in the dying minutes of this debate so that I could attentively listen to the debates from both sides of the House. I would like to congratulate all the hon. Members who have debated.

Mr Msichili: Minister!

Mr Mwamba: Minister!

Laughter

Mr Ntundu: I will not point at anyone, Mr Speaker, but I need your protection.

Sir, I must say that I have analysed the budget itself properly and what each and every hon. Member of Parliament has debated on the Budget Speech is actually what is obtaining.

Mr Speaker, before I go further in my debate, I would like to inform you that I will be very brief. I know you are expecting new points and I will give you new points, Sir, because I add flavour.

Laughter

Mr Ntundu: Sir, if I was a chef, I was going to cook a very delicious dish for you because I know what you like.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: Order!

Laughter

Mr Speaker: Order!

You have worsened that flavour!

Laughter

Mr Ntundu: Mr Speaker, as I have already said, so much has already been said by both sides of the House. So there is very little for me to debate that has been left out, but I think I have one or two points.

Sir, the first point is that I would like to remind the hon. Members of this House that it is important for each and every hon. Member of the House belonging to a political party, apart from those who do not belong to political parties, to be loyal to their parties.

Mr Mwiimbu: Hear, hear!

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ntundu: Whether one is MMD, PF, United Democratic Alliance (UDA) or United Party for National Development (UPND), he or she has to be a good hon. Member of Parliament. He or she has to be loyal to his or her political party.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ntundu: Mr Speaker, I am a very proud hon. Member of Parliament for Gwembe who has represented the people of Gwembe for eight years. I have been loyal to my political party and will continue to be loyal.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ntundu: I know that MMD is a very good political party because it wants to keep its members that are loyal.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ntundu: I have observed that the MMD is very good at …

Mr Chota: At boot licking!

Mr Ntundu: … disciplining those members who are not loyal to the party. I wish to advise those members who will not be loyal to UPND …

Mr Speaker: Order!

Hon. Government Members: Budget!

Mr Speaker: You have to address the Budget. Leave party politics out of this.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ntundu: Another point.

Laughter

Mr Ntundu: Sir, I want to make reference to one hon. Member on your right who, in his debate on the budget, referred to the hon. Members on the left side of the House as having no quality. Nevertheless, I wish to put it on record that on the left side of the House, we have hon. Members who have experience in all walks of life.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ntundu: I will start with myself.

Laughter

Mr Mwiimbu: Hear, hear!

Mr Ntundu: Mr Speaker, for the information of the hon. Member on your right who does not know that this House is very rich in experience, I wish to inform him that from this side of the House, we have experienced hon. Members, starting with myself. I am an experienced hon. Member of Parliament who is even consulted by the South African Government on taxes.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ntundu: The South African Government has been successful on taxes because of my input.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ntundu: I am just giving them free a service.

Laughter

Mr Ntundu: We also have qualified hon. Members of Parliament on this side of the House who can work as mine managers. We have Hon. Simuusa who was a Managing Director for Maamba Collieries. We also have qualified lawyers.

Mr Mwiimbu: Hear, hear!

Mr Ntundu: We have tobacco farmers.

Mr Muntanga: Hear, hear!

Laughter

Mr Ntundu: We have successful businessmen such as Hon. G. B. Mwamba, who has just come into the House.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ntundu: We also have strong men on this side of the House who can box like Mohammad Ali. They are here.

Laughter

Mr Ntundu: If you are a wrong doer, they will box you.

Laughter

Mr Ntundu: They are here.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: Order! Order!

You are now bringing boxing into your debate which is very unfortunate. This is exactly why your counterparts on my right say that you are lowering the quality of debate.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: It is that kind of debate they are talking about. Please, raise the level of your debate. I want to hear you raise it.

Mr Ntundu: Mr Speaker, I will raise the level of my debate by responding to what the hon. Member of Parliament on your right hand side and remind him that what he actually said, lowered the debate. It was just a reminder.

Sir, I appreciate the debate by the hon. Member for Luena, Hon. Milupi, in which he told the Government that works on the Bottom Road, which I have seen missing in the budget, are necessary for this important road. He sighted a few examples of what would happen if this road was worked on that would make it of great value.

Sir, I just arrived from my constituency today and I passed through the Bottom Road. This road is side by side the Zambezi River. Gwembe Constituency has the widest stretch of the Zambezi River.

Ms Lundwe: Side by side!

Mr Mulyata: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Ntundu: Iwe you sit down, that is why you do not listen!

Mr Speaker: Order!

Laughter

Mr Speaker: I was protecting you now you are inciting him to rise on a point of order. The answer is no.

You may continue, please.

Laughter

Mr Ntundu: Sir, I am still talking about the Bottom Road. If this road is tarred, it will bring a lot of value to the Zambian economy. For example, the people in the valley grow a lot of cotton and this cotton finds its way to Lusaka using the Gwembe/Chisekese Road which is not in a good state …

Mr Mwiimbu: Hear, hear! Far!

Mr Ntundu: … and is far away from the valley. If the Bottom Road is tarred, Sir, that cotton which is grown in the Gwembe Valley, will be easily exported to South Africa using the Zimbabwe route.

The Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (Zesco) has power lines running alongside the lake. If the Bottom Road is tarred, it will make the job easier for Zesco workers to carryout routine maintenance works on their power lines.

Sir, in Gwembe, we have lot of elephants. You can name any wild animal you know, you will find it in Gwembe. If the Bottom Road is tarred, Gwembe District will be a centre of attraction for tourism in the whole of Zambia. There is no area in Zambia that can beat Gwembe if the Bottom Road was tarred in terms of tourism attraction. We have a beautiful view of the great Zambezi River and beautiful islands.

 Sir, you would be interested to see the hippos and elephants.

The people of Gwembe have what we call inchala and it would be interesting for tourists to watch a woman smoking using that. I can go on and on mentioning what the Government is missing out on. We lose a lot of opportunities by not tarring the Bottom Road. We have all species of fish in the Zambezi River and the fish you see in hotels is from Gwembe.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!{mospagebreak}

Mr Ntundu: That is a fact, but the only problem is that you do not analyse these issues. If you come to Gwembe, you will see many trucks carrying fish from there using the Gwembe/Chipepo Road. One time, I found Hon. Lungwangwa who is looking at me, travelling on this road …

Mr Speaker: Order!

Address the Chair!

Mr Ntundu: Mr Speaker, it is easy to travel from Lusaka to Gwembe without using the Monze Road. You just go to Siavonga and cross the lake. Then, you are in Gwembe. You would even spend less fuel. When the Bottom Road is worked on, a lot of people will use it to travel to Gwembe because, on the way, they will be viewing animals like elephants and the beautiful side of the Zambezi River.

This weekend, I am going to Gwembe and I will give a lift to His Honour the Vice-President and Minister of Justice so that we can see the beautiful scenery together. Maybe, that is the only way I can convince him to agree with me on what I am saying.

Mr Speaker, His Honour the Vice-President is a very good friend of mine.

Laughter

Mr Ntundu: Mr Speaker, His Honour the Vice-President is a personal friend.

Hon. Members: Ulula!

Mr Ntundu: One thing I like about him is that he is never absent from this House. He makes sure that the Business of the House goes on well. He is better than the former Vice-Presidents because he is always in the House. Even at the National Constitutional Conference, he always comes to make sure that the deliberations are going on well. He is a committed Vice-President.

Laughter

Mr Ntundu: Mr Speaker, when we speak about the shortcomings of the budget, hon. Members on your right should not think that we are insulting them. We are merely telling them what is missing in the budget because I expected the Government to put in an allocation for the Bottom Road. As an hon. Member from the Opposition, my role is not to bring down the Government, but to help it.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ntundu: For example, I am telling you what you are missing by not working on the Bottom Road.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ntundu: I am simply helping you. You should listen and then take action. Over the Bottom Road, I remember the former hon. Member of parliament (Mr Kantina) cried in this House.

Hon. Member: You also want to cry?

Mr Ntundu: I can also cry like Mr Kantina.

Laughter

Mr Ntundu: I can see His Honour the Vice-President and Minister of Justice nodding. The Bottom Road is very important. In the last Budget, the Government allocated K6 billion and this was paid to a contractor who is not on site. The problem which the Government has is on the choice of contractors. The contractor who was contracted to work on the Bottom Road was a briefcase contractor and I do not know what criteria is used to choose contractors. The Government should revisit the issue of choosing contractors so that the country can develop.

Mr Speaker, I am appealing to the hon. Minister of Finance and National Planning to help the people of Zambia. We want to help you deliver because we are not here to bring you down. However, remember that from the time you took over power, you have done more wrong than good. I am telling you the truth because you are not supervising the money that you are disbursing to ministries and that is why we have the Kapoko issues.

Hon. Member: That was before we took office.

Mr Ntundu: It is because you have not put in safeguards. We cannot support …

Mr Speaker: Order! 
That matter is in court and so do not refer to it.

Mr Ntundu: I thank you for your guidance. What I am saying is that the Government is failing to put in safeguards on the moneys they release. It is just a matter of time because when we come in, we shall do so.

Interruptions

Hon. Member: But the Vice-President and Minister of Justice is your friend. Just cross over.

Mr Ntundu: Mr Speaker, the Vice-President and Minister of Justice is my friend, but when we start campaigning, he will not be my friend.

Laughter

Mr Ntundu: Mr Speaker, lastly, I would like to talk about taxes. The Government is using taxes as a measure to collect money and that is why they have not been successful. These taxes are being collected without putting into consideration the percentage.

Interruptions

Ms Lundwe: Talk about The Post!

Mr Ntundu: The Post has done nothing wrong at the moment and so there is nothing to say about them.

Laughter

Mr Ntundu: Mr Speaker, in South Africa, at one time, the value added tax (VAT) was as high as 17 per cent. Later, when the Government realised that VAT was too high and a lot of people were evading paying, they decided to lower it to 11 per cent and spread it over a period of time. For example, if someone imports a car, currently, the Zambia Revenue Authority would want that person to pay the duty at once. A K20 million has to be paid at once when payment can be spread over a period of six months. With this measure, you will have a lot of people importing cars because tax will be spread over a period of time.

VAT is too high, as it is at 16 per cent now.

Dr Musokotwane shook his head.

Mr Ntundu: You are shaking your head just because you have not tried it. In the United Kingdom, tax is not paid at a go. It is paid over a period of time. That is why they have been able to collect more money. You have a lot of people now evading tax because the taxes are very high. If they are lowered and spread over a period of time, you will collect more money ...

Hon. Opposition Member: Hear, hear! Consultant.

Mr Ntundu: … and I have done that for the South African Government for free.

Laughter

Mr Ntundu: So if you do not want to listen, it is up to you. After all, you will only be there for a few months.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ntundu: Hon. Lungwangwa, you will be lucky if we shall see you this side of the House again. Otherwise, you will not even be in this House.

Laughter

Mr Ntundu: With these very few words, Sir, I thank you.

Laughter

Colonel Chanda (Kanyama): Thank you, Mr Speaker, for giving me a chance to debate this very important motion. From the onset, I would like to pay glowing tribute to the people of Kasama for having given us Hon. G.B. M.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Colonel Chanda: Mr Speaker, I say so with a sense of responsibility because I know Hon. G.B. M very well. He is not a bag of mealie-meal. He is a person who will deliver.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Colonel Chanda: Mr Speaker, on a sad note, I would like to convey my condolences to this House and to you, personally, because I know you knew the late Hon. Mwanakatwe very well. He was a very committed Zambian who did his best to raise the standards of many of us. By coincidence, when this House was in recess in April this year, I strayed into our library here one morning and the person I found standing by the entrance to the library was none other than the late Hon. John Mwanakatwe. In his usual charming nature, he offered a handshake to me and uttered words that were, at first, a little embarrassing because I thought I did not deserve that type of compliment. He said to me, “Young man, please, keep it up. I am very impressed with the way you are looking after the grounds of the National Assembly.” I was taken aback, but knowing the way I knew Mr John Mwanakatwe, I took it in my stride and accepted these compliments on behalf of you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Colonel Chanda: Mr Speaker, God has been very kind to me in that I was born a few months after the Second World War. I am able to speak with authority that I have seen this nation grow. I lived through the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland and I knew how those noble men and women used to look after us. Even under slavery, we never starved and never went naked. The only thing we missed was freedom.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Colonel Chanda: We had enough to eat …

Mr Mwenya: Tell them!

Colonel Chanda: … under the Legislative Council, which was the forerunner to this same august House, we had all the liberties.

Mr Mwenya:  Hear, hear!

Colonel Chanda: Mr Speaker, I lived through the freedom struggle. I played my part under the African National Congress (ANC) and also the UNIP Government. Let me cut the story short because it is important that I get to the subject under debate before this House.

Mr Speaker, that great man, Dr Kenneth David Kaunda, with no degree, moulded this country to a level that is unsurpassed by even people that claim to have so many PhDs.

Mr Mwenya: Which ba Fashion cannot do.

Colonel Chanda: Mr Speaker, if Hon. B. Y. Mwila was in this House, he would bear me testimony. I went to Chiwala Secondary School where, every morning, I had breakfast of an egg, sausage and baked beans. In short, I had a full English breakfast everyday.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Colonel Chanda: That is how well we were looked after.

Mr Mwenya: Nomba mule balisha ishonkonono.

Laughter

Colonel Chanda: Mr Speaker, it is a shame that if you had to go to schools now, even where our children are paying so much, the quality of the diet is that which is not fit for human consumption.

Mr Speaker, coming more specifically to this budget, for lack of a better word - I would not like to be impolite - this is a budget similar to an ostrich.

Laughter

Colonel Chanda: Mr Speaker, we have a budget with your men, on your right, hiding their heads in the sand and they think that all is well.

Mr Speaker: Order!

That is unparliamentary.

Colonel Chanda: Mr Speaker, I withdraw that phrase.

I find it very difficult to understand that, today, I am one year and eight months in this House and I have been listening very attentively to the hon. Members on your right. I was hoping that I can draw inspiration on behalf of the many Zambians suffering out there. Listening to Mr Lungwangwa, former Minister of Education …

Hon. Government Members: Professor.

Colonel Chanda: …, sorry for demoting you, Sir…

Hon. Government Members: Aah!

Colonel Chanda: … and also the men and women on your right hand side, who had gone through that education system that I am referring to and coming to stand up and articulate issues so well, one would think that from the pronouncements they make, Zambia is a paradise but, alas, the quality of service delivery must be improved. I am not saying this as a way of pulling anyone down. I am only saying this because it is my job as a Member of the Opposition to provide checks and balances.

Hon. Opposition Member: Hear, hear!

Colonel Chanda: I will not be doing my job if I come to stand here and start showering praise on the Executive when they are not doing their best.

Hon. Opposition Member: Exactly.

Colonel Chanda: They have a lot of work to do.

Hon. Opposition Members:  Hear, hear!

Colonel Chanda: I represent a rural constituency.

Hon. Members: Kanyama?

Colonel Chanda: Sorry, I represent an urban constituency.

Laughter

Interruptions

Colonel Chanda: I represent a constituency which is peri-urban. It is partly rural and partly urban.

Hon. Opposition Members: Yes.

Colonel Chanda: The amount of suffering that I have witnessed in Kanyama in the one and half years that I have been in office, is very saddening to say the least. I was a founder member of MMD. The principles that we expounded have been thrown in the dustbin by the people on your right …

Hon. Government Members: Aah!

Colonel Chanda: … and even when I look around, I can only spot Hon. V. J. and Katele Kalumba here …

Mr Speaker: Order!

You are lowering the standard of debate.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Colonel Chanda: Mr Speaker, thank you for your guidance. I plead that we represent men and women who are looking forward to us delivering.

Those men and women sent us to this House to uplift their living standards, but this is not the case. As regard Kanyama, in particular, I am a very sad hon. Member of Parliament because to get even little resources from the Government is like squeezing water from a rock.

Mr Speaker, I have three major roads in Kanyama and one of them is the Blue Ball Road, which is like a zoo. This is the road that Hon. Katele Kalumba uses every day. This road was last resurfaced in 1972 and since then, the community has taken up the responsibility of maintaining it year in and year out as if they do not have a Government.

Mr Speaker, that situation is not healthy and the Government must take up its responsibility and see to it that this road is attended to as a matter of urgency. The Makeni Road is another road that has been neglected beyond redemption. This road is being maintained by the Makeni Neighbourhood Watch. All they are asking from this Central Government is to maintain this road. We provide our own services such as water and collect our own refuse, but when they ask you to work on a road, it becomes something impossible. Is that fair?

When I was a councilor at the Lusaka City Council (LCC) in 1992, at the time when the fuel levy was introduced, we conducted an impromptu survey from which we found out that the peripheral of the LCC, alone, was raising K2 billion from fuel levy per day, and yet the requirement to maintain all our roads in Lusaka was K2 billion for the entire year. Therefore, where is the money that is collected now with the impromptu strategy going to? Every time we ask the Government to mend potholes in town, it says that there is no money, and yet all those vehicles on the roads are giving it that much money. Where is the money taken?

Mr Speaker, this is a very sad situation and if roads cannot be maintained in townships satisfactorily, given the amount of tax that we pay, what is expected of the Copperbelt or other towns like Kasama? They must be in shambles.

This so-called listening Government, I think, for once, must check its actions. It will only be judged by what it does. If it does not provide …

Mr Malwa: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Malwa: Mr Speaker, I thank you so much for giving me this opportunity to raise a point of order on the hon. Member of Parliament for Kanyama who is debating so clumsily. The hon. Member is biting the Government that feeds him, forgetting that it has given him colossal amounts of money of over K10 billion for the drainage system. At the moment, we are constructing a high school in his constituency, but he is blaming the Government for the lack of development in his constituency. Is he in order? I need your serious ruling.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: The hon. Member for Kanyama may continue, please.

Colonel Chanda: Mr Speaker, I thank you for that protection. I have not touched the drainage system, I was talking about the roads. Now, that the hon. Member has started it, I will move on to the drainage system.

In March, this year, this Government apportioned K10 billion towards the construction of the drainage system in Kanyama and I was very grateful when that pronouncement was made. However, the Government's pronouncement has not been followed by action and that is why I am lamenting. I am doing this because I have only three weeks before the rains.

Mr Speaker, it is surprising to note that this Government is evaluating the tender in October when the rains are around the corner. When does it think it is going to work on the drainage system and when are the contractors going to move on site? This is the type of inertia that irritates me. It is extremely irritating because it is like the Government is playing on our minds. It gives us money on one hand while on the other hand, does not want to give us the money to do the work. On paper, it wants to sound like it is doing the work, but when it comes to physical work, there is absolutely nothing it is doing.

It is that particular inertia on your side that is going to pull you down.

Dr Katema: It has already pulled them down.

Colonel Chanda: You are conducting the feasibility study and busy selecting the contractor now knowing very well that, in three weeks’ time, the area will be flooded. When is that money for the drainage going to be used? Can you dig drainages while the place is flooded? You cannot. Therefore, it is a mockery. I would have been the very first person to come here and shower praises on the right hand side if the right thing had been done.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Colonel Chanda: However, I am very grateful to the American Government who gave Kanyama US$930,000 for the construction of the same drainage.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Colonel Chanda: I wish this Government could do much better.

In the 2010 Budget, I am looking for an additional K10 billion. If it is not given to me, the people of Kanyama are going to be on you, the Government, because it is not a favour. You owe them that right and you must start making drainages there. There is no way the Government can subject us to living like animals in our own country.

Mr Speaker, I am one of the few people who had the opportunity to listen to budget speeches by the former Ministers of Finance like the late Hon. Chigaga, Hon. Ronald Penza and Hon. John Mwanakatwane, including Mr Kebby Musokotwane, to mention but a few. I have had a chance to go through their speeches and I found them to be very inspiring.

Mr Speaker, this Government wants to experiment on a standard platform that has been set by its predecessors. It could have gone back to the archives to improve on those speeches instead of experimenting on things that are straight forward. Zambia belongs to all of us and we must all work and see to it that we uplift the living standards of the people who are living in abject poverty at the moment.

Mr Speaker, with those few words, I thank you.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: Order!

(Debate adjourned)

_____________

The House adjourned at 1956 hours until 1430 hours on Wednesday, 28th October, 2009.

 

 

WRITTEN REPLIES TO QUESTIONS

NATIONAL AUDIT OF PRIVATE PROPERTY

154. Mr Beene (Itezhi-tezhi) asked the Vice-President and Minister of Justice whether the Government has any intention of carrying out a national audit of private property to ascertain the authenticity of the sources of funds used to develop such property and, if so, when the Government would start?

The Vice-President and Minister of Justice (Mr Kunda, SC.): Mr Speaker, I wish to inform the House that the Government has no intention of carrying out a national audit of private property to ascertain the authenticity of the sources of funds used to develop such property. This would be tantamount to witch-hunting. Instead, citizens should be encouraged to acquire property and create wealth lawfully in the nation. Only where there is reasonable suspicion that a person has acquired property illegally should they be investigated in accordance with the law. Therefore, possession of wealth and property should not be stigmatised.

I thank you, Sir.