DAILY PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES FOR THE FOURTH SESSION OF THE ELEVENTH ASSEMBLY

Friday, 20th March, 2015

The House met at 0900 hours

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

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BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

The Vice-President (Mrs Wina): Mr Speaker, I rise to acquaint the House with the business it will consider next week.

Sir, on Tuesday, 24th March, 2015, the Business of the House will begin with Questions for Oral Answer, if there will be any. This will be followed by presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any.

Mr Speaker, on Wednesday, 25th March, 2015, the Business of the House will begin with Questions for Oral Answer, if there will be any, Thereafter, the House will deal with presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. After that, the House will consider the Report of the Parliamentary Select Committee on the presidential appointment of Mr Likando Kalaluka to the position of Attorney-General of the Republic of Zambia. The House will then deal with Private Members’ Motions, if there will be any.

Sir, on Thursday, 26th March, 2015, the Business of the House will begin with Questions for Oral Answer, if there will be any. After that, the House will deal with presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any.

Sir, on this day, all things being equal, I intend to move a Motion to suspend the relevant Standing Orders to enable the House to complete all the business on the Order Paper and, thereafter, adjourn sine die.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

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MINISTERIAL STATEMENT

SCALING UP OF THE SOCIAL CASH TRANSFER PROGRAMME

The Minister of Community Development, Mother and Child Health (Ms Kabanshi): Mr Speaker, firstly, I would like to thank you for according me this opportunity to give a ministerial statement on the progress made in the scaling up the Social Cash Transfer Programme.

Sir, allow me to provide some general information to the House about the Social Cash Transfer Programme in Zambia before I give an account of our initiative to scale it up.

Mr Speaker, the Government of the Republic of Zambia has since 2003 been implementing the Social Cash Transfer Programme through the Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child Health. The programme has made a positive impact on the lives of beneficiaries receiving the cash transfers on a bi-monthly basis. The Social Cash Transfer Programme started as a pilot in Kalomo District, through support from the German Government and has been scaled up to other districts in a phased manner. Until 2013, it was implemented in nineteen re-aligned districts supporting 62,240 households of which, 23,117 are male and 39,123 are female-headed households. The objective of the Social Cash Transfer Programme is to reduce extreme poverty and its inter-generational transfer. The aim of the programme is to realise an improved wellbeing in the households covered by it.

Mr Speaker, the programme also has the following specific objectives:

(i)    income : To supplement and not to replace household income;

(ii)    education : To increase the number of children attending primary school education;

(iii)    health : To reduce the rate of mortality and morbidity among children under-five years old;

(iv)    food security : To increase the number of households having a second meal per day;

(v)    livelihoods : To increase the number of households owning assets such as livestock; and

(vi)    lesson learning : To provide lessons around identifying what works for Zambia in the implementation process.

SCALING UP IN 2014

Mr Speaker, at the end of 2013, the Government made a bold decision to increase the funding to the programme by more than 700 per cent thus, from K17.5 million to K150 million for 2014. With this increment in funding, the ministry and its co-operating partners embarked on a rapid scale-up and in 2014, added thirty-one new districts bringing the total number of districts implementing the programme to fifty with 145,698 beneficiary households comprising 56,527 male and 89,171 female-headed households.

ELIGIBILITY

Mr Speaker, in order to be eligible for the Social Cash Transfer Programme, households must meet three criteria and these are residency, dependency and welfare level.

Residency

Sir, in order to be eligible for the programme, households must have been living in the catchment area for, at least, six months. This criterion is first verified by the Community Welfare Assistance Committees (CWACs), Area Coordinating Committees (ACCs) and village headmen on the identification form, and secondly, by the management information system based on the data collected through the application form.

Dependency

Mr Speaker, a household is eligible if all its members are unfit for work. This is a household with members that are either chronically ill, people below nineteen years old, elderly persons above sixty-four years old and those that are disabled and vulnerable. We are also targeting households with a high dependency ratio (equal or greater than three). This means that there are three or more people in the household being looked after by one person.

Welfare

Mr Speaker, a household is eligible if its estimated welfare, calculated by the management information system based on a wealth index (these are designated variables) is below a pre-established threshold. Households with estimated welfare levels above the cut-off point are considered better-off and are not eligible for the Social Cash Transfer Programme, unless indicated otherwise in the community validation process. The cut-off point is updated before every targeting phase, based on the estimations conducted in line with the living conditions and monitoring survey and other data sets as well as the budget and caseload projections.

IMPACTS

Mr Speaker, let me now talk about some of the areas where impacts have been made and measured since the programme was launched. The Social Cash Transfer Programme increases food security. The number of households eating more than one meal a day increased by 19 per cent and that of the not severely food insecure ones increased by 18 per cent. The programme also reduces poverty. Extreme poverty among the recipient households reduced by 5.4 per cent …

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order, on the left!

Ms Kabanshi: … and there was also a 10.5 per cent reduction in the number of households having outstanding loans. This means that the programme, therefore, helped households pay-off their debts. The Social Cash Transfer Programme increases productivity and asset ownership. Further, it contributes to productivity and economic growth among the beneficiaries. There was an increase in the size of land cultivated, overall value of harvest and ownership of livestock amongst the beneficiaries.

Sir, the Social Cash Transfer Programme also contributes to education. Beneficiary households are able to send more children to school with a 10 per cent increase in the number of children attending primary school.

FUNDING

Mr Speaker, the programme is funded by both the Government and its co-operating partners. The funds are categorised into two as direct transfers to the beneficiaries and the other goes towards the administration, apportioned as 80 and 20 per cent, respectively. In 2015, the total budget allocated to the programme is K180 million, out of which of K150 million is from the Government and K30 million is from its co-operating partners.

PROCUREMENT OF VEHICLES

Mr Speaker, the ministry is aware that the Social Cash Transfer Programme operates in most hard to reach parts of the country. In this regard, my ministry recently procured and distributed forty-six vehicles for the programme at a total cost of K9,625,644. The vehicles procured were Land Cruisers for the district centres and Ford Rangers for provincial centres. These vehicles are for monitoring the implementation of the programme.

PROCUREMENT OF PAYMENT SERVICE PROVIDER

Mr Speaker, in order to reduce fiduciary risk associated with bulk low value cash payments, my ministry is in the process of procuring a payment service provider. In this regard, the ministry is holding meetings with the banking and financial sector on how they can provide this service to our beneficiaries.

FUTURE SCALE-UP

Mr Speaker, the ministry initially planned to reach full country coverage by 2016 in a phased manner by rolling out to those districts that are characterised with high levels of poverty and inequality in 2015. The ministry intends to bring on board eligible beneficiaries who could have been left out in the initial enumeration as well as replace those who could have died or relocated to other districts.

Mr Speaker, with these measures, my ministry intends to reach the projected 189,000 beneficiary households from the recent 145,698 households which are on the programme. As at 1st March, 2015, the bi-monthly payments which had been processed, totaled K25,442,556.

Mr Speaker, in conclusion, I wish to urge hon. Members of Parliament where the programme is currently being implemented and rolled out to support the programme and help the general public understand the eligibility criteria of this very important development initiative in their respective constituencies.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: Hon. Members are now free to ask questions on points of clarification regarding the statement which has been delivered by the hon. Minister.

Lt-Gen. Rev. Shikapwasha (Keembe): Mr Speaker, how many people are beneficiaries in Chibombo District?

Ms Kabanshi: Mr Speaker, I would like to ask the hon. Member of Parliament to put his question in writing so that I can give him a detailed answer.

I thank you, Sir.

Dr Musokotwane (Liuwa): Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Minister for her statement about a programme which I support. About 90 per cent of the people in Liuwa are very poor. When are the residents of Liuwa going to benefit from the Social Cash Transfer Programme?

Ms Kabanshi: Mr Speaker, my ministry is looking at ways of enhancing the reach of several programmes that are targeting most of the poor people in Liuwa Constituency. One of the programmes is the Social Cash Transfer Programme which is targeting about 20 per cent of the people in the constituency. There are also other programmes related to food security which the people in Liuwa Constituency can access. Before scaling up any programme, we assess its effects and the funds which are available. We are talking to our co-operating partners so that we can reach out to as many people as possible because, as a Government, we are concerned with the poverty levels in Zambia.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Sing’ombe (Dundumwezi): Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Minister for that statement. Who is tasked to identify those who are supposed to benefit from the Social Cash Transfer Programme? My late uncle used to benefit from the Social Cash Transfer Programme when he was not vulnerable because I used to secure his three meals a day. If there was poverty in my home, that money should have been given to me …

Interruptions

Mr Sing’ombe: … and not to the person who was being kept.

Mr Kambwili: You will be arrested.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: Let us wait for the hon. Minister to respond.

Ms Kabanshi: Mr Speaker, I had stated in the ministerial statement that the people who come up with the identification and eligibility criteria are the CWAC and ACC members who are drawn from the community. Unfortunately, it is not possible for us to completely avoid the issues which Hon. Sing’ombe has raised. It would have been better if the hon. Member of Parliament had come forward and owned up to me so that we could have done some good by leaving out his late uncle from the beneficiary’s list.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Mwaliteta: Mukula tree.

Mr Chipungu (Rufunsa): Sir, the Social Cash Transfer Programme is a good programme which if rolled out further, would benefit immensely the people who have kept on cutting down the Mukula tree in Rufunsa.

Laughter

Mr Chipungu: Mr Speaker, why is the programme not rolling out to all the districts in this country quickly in order for it to reduce the suffering of the people countrywide?

Ms Kabanshi: Mr Speaker, the Patriotic Front (PF) Government under the leadership of His Excellency …

Mr Livune: Question!

Ms Kabanshi: ... the President Edgar Chagwa Lungu …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Kabanshi: … is committed to rolling out the programme to all the districts of Zambia. That is why I have already stated that we have engaged our co-operating partners who are also willing to work with us so that we roll out the programme to all the districts.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Miyanda (Mapatizya): Mr Speaker, I would like to commend the hon. Minister on the procurement of forty-six motor vehicles which is a good idea and the way forward. I want to find out from the hon. Minister if one motor vehicle has been given to Zimba, a newly-created district which came from Kalomo, which I know is one of the beneficiary districts.

Ms Kabanshi: Mr Speaker, if Zimba District is one of the fifty districts which is implementing this programme then it must have received a Land Cruiser.

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Mbewe (Chadiza): Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Minister for having delivered a very good statement. I am delighted that next year, Chadiza will benefit from this programme. How sustainable is the programme in the event that donors pull out since part of its funding comes from them?

Ms Kabanshi: Mr Speaker, the Government’s commitment to the sustainability of the programme can be seen by its contributing K150 million out of the K180 million which is being spent on this programme this year. After three or four years of benefiting from the programme, most people should be in a position to sustain their livelihoods. Usually, donors only pull out of programmes after three to four years.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Ms Imenda (Luena): Mr Speaker, I want to thank the hon. Minister for that elaborate statement. One of the areas in our country, which is very depressed economically and has high poverty levels, is Luena which is in the newly created Limulunga District. Will the people of Luena benefit from the Social Cash Transfer Programme in 2015? Has Limulunga District also been given a Land Cruiser?

Ms Kabanshi: Mr Speaker, the list for the districts which will benefit from the scaling up of the programme in 2015 does not include Luena.

Ms Imenda: Limulunga.

Ms Kabanshi: Pardon me, for that mistake. Limulunga is not one of the districts which will benefit from the scaling up of the programme. In the Western Province, the four districts which will benefit from the scaling up of the programme include Kaoma, Nkeyema and Mongu.

Hon. Opposition Members: Ah!

Ms Kabanshi: Sir, Limulunga District will benefit from the scaling up of the programme in 2016. No, I am sorry. Limulunga District will actually benefit from the scaling up of the programme in 2015.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Speaker: And the vehicle?

Ms Kabanshi: Mr Speaker, we were only giving vehicles to the districts which benefited from the Social Cash Transfer Programme in 2014.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

  Mr Mutelo (Lukulu West): Mr Speaker, I do not know why Mitete was not mentioned in the statement which the hon. Minister delivered. Let me add further to what the hon. Minster said by stating that Mitete has been provided with a Land Cruiser. I wish to thank the hon. Minister for that.

Sir, the only problem is that only about five centres in the whole of Mitete are benefitting from the programme. There is war in the district. People are fighting. What are we going to do to quickly cover up the entire district?

 Further, Sir, is K70.00 per month enough for the poor people of Washishi to buy animals, considering that they are competing at the market with their neighbours from Angola where our     US Dollars are coming from?

Ms Kabanshi: Mr Speaker, …

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

Ms Kabanshi: …we have not stopped targeting more beneficiaries in the different districts. I mentioned in my ministerial statement that, at the moment, the programme is benefiting about 145,000 households and that we want it to reach about 189,000 by the end of this year. We will still go back to Mitete to identify more beneficiaries. By the end of the year, the number of beneficiaries will increase.

Mr Speaker, on the question of the amount being too small, from the assessments that have been conducted, we have noticed that the K70.00 has brought a lot of dignity to the homes of the people who benefit from the programme.

Interruptions

Ms Kabanshi: Sir, some of the households have managed to improve their lives by buying roofing sheets, goats and chickens.

Hon. Opposition Members: Question!

Ms Kabanshi: Mr Speaker, the Government is doing a good thing and the poor people out there appreciate our efforts.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Opposition Members: Question!

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Muchima (Ikeleng’i): Mr Speaker, this, indeed, is a well-designed programme. We introduced it in 2003. It has been well received everywhere. Statistically, Luapula, the North-Western and Western provinces are the most highly poverty stricken provinces. The hon. Minister has been silent about what the programme has done in the North-Western Province. What impact has the programme had in the North-Western Province and, specifically in Ikeleng’i?

Ms Kabanshi: Mr Speaker, we are a listening and caring Government. We know very well that Luapula, the Western and North-Western provinces have very high poverty levels. If you look at the number of beneficiaries, you will notice that the highest is in the Western Province followed by Luapula and the North-Western provinces.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Livune (Katombola): Mr Speaker, I am not going to thank an hon. Minister for doing his or her job. It promotes indolence.

Laughter

Mr Livune: Mr Speaker, as regards the partnerships or bilateral agreements with regard to donor funding to this sector, are there no agreed terms of how long a partner will be on board? When responding to a question regarding that issue, the hon. Minister did not seem to be too sure whether the donors will be on board for a year or two. She simply said they will not pull out, at least, in the next one year. I would like to know whether there are signed agreements that address the duration so that we can know how long the donors will be on board to support this programme.

Ms Kabanshi: Mr Speaker, the agreement that the hon. Member of Parliament is talking about has not been concluded. The agreement that we have at the moment with our co-operating partners is for the technical support that they are giving us with regard to the capacity building of those who are implementing this programme. I have mentioned the amount of money that the Government is spending on the programme. I have also mentioned the amount of money that has come from the co-operating partners.

Mr Speaker, what we want is more support from the donors so that we can scale up the programme and increase the number of beneficiaries. These negotiations have not been concluded.

Mr Speaker I thank you.

Interruptions

Mr Mufalali (Senanga): Mr Speaker, how often does the ministry audit its system to ensure that there are no discrepancies in terms of the age of the beneficiaries? We have seen too many young people accessing the Social Cash Transfer Programme even when they are not entitled to it.

Ms Kabanshi: Mr Speaker, I mentioned in my ministerial statement that there are three factors which are used to target beneficiaries of the Social Cash Transfer Programme. One of them is dependency. If the young people who are benefiting come from households where everyone is under nineteen years or where the young person is the only one who is looking after three or more people who are not able to look after themselves, then they are eligible to be on the programme.

Sir, the Government knows that the people that need this help more are those that are terminally ill, the aged and the disabled. We are currently assessing the system so that we can come up with the best way of implementing the programme.  

Sir, we always go back to make assessments after we have disbursed our funds. We go back every time in order to get feedback from the benefiting communities with regard to the problems that they face. They also report to us if there are people who have died or moved to other areas.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Lufuma (Kabompo West): Mr Speaker, the design of the programme is noble and beyond reproach. However, we are all aware that K70, which is less than US$10 at the moment, is – can I use peanuts here?

Hon. UPND Members: You can.

Mr Speaker: Well find a more formal word.

Mr Lufuma: Sir, K70 is not enough.

Mr Speaker: I think that is fair.

Laughter

Mr Lufuma: Sir, the money is not enough and can hardly buy a 10 kg bag of seed, ...

Mr Sing’ombe: Hear, hear!

Mr Lufuma: … making the hon. Minister’s claims that it moves households out of poverty very doubtful.

Hon. Opposition Member: And buy mealie meal.

Mr Speaker: Order!

Mr Lufuma: Sir, is the Government considering increasing the figure so that it is in tandem with their claims that it alleviates poverty in households?

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Kabanshi: Mr Speaker, I have been around the country and spoken to the beneficiaries of this programme. Everywhere I have gone, the beneficiaries have appreciated the programme because before being put on it, they were not even able to buy a packet of salt and bar of soap for washing their hands after using the toilet. Before being put on the programme, the women were failing to …

Interruptions

   Mr Speaker: Order!

Ms Kabanshi: … go and give birth from the health facilities because they could not even afford to buy maternity dresses or napkins for their babies.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Kabanshi: Mr Speaker, the K70 has made a lot of difference in the lives of many people, but cannot make any sense to the hon. Member Parliament because I do not think he even goes to talk to the beneficiaries.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Lufuma: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: Order!

No, resume your seat. Hon. Minister, let us get back to the question. Is there any prospect of increasing the figure? That is the question.

Ms Kabanshi: Mr Speaker, we are more concerned with reaching out to as many people as possible. For the time being, we are not thinking of increasing the amount.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Antonio (Kaoma Central): Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister …

Mr Livune: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: Order!

Not at this juncture.  Hon. Member for Kaoma Central, you may continue.

Mr Antonio: Mr Speaker, what mechanism has been put in place to stop officials from the ministry from abusing this fund because the report on the ground is that there are some ghost payments that are made?

Ms Kabanshi: Mr Speaker, my officers do not handle cash or even identify the beneficiaries. This is done by the community members. The ghost payments which the hon. Member has referred to are not rampant.  There can be one or two cases which might have occurred. If the hon. Member knows of any such cases, he should tell the ministry so that we can make follow ups.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Kapyanga (Kabwe Central): Mr Speaker, I stand to agree with the hon. Minister that the Social Cash Transfer Programme has had a lot of impact on the livelihood of the people in this country. I was part of a committee that went round and witnessed its impact in Monze.

Mr Speaker, may I find out from the hon. Minister, when the Social Cash Transfer Programme will  …

Ms Kapata: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: Order!

I am not allowing any points of order.

Continue, hon. Member.

Mr Kapyanga: Mr Speaker, when will the Social Cash Transfer Programme reach the people of Makululu and Katondo in Kabwe?

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

Ms Kabanshi: Mr Speaker, the Government is committed to reaching out to all the districts by 2016. We have seen the impact that this programme has made in the lives of many people, especially the poor ones who never dreamed of owning anything. Once we conclude our discussions with our co-operating partners, we will let the hon. Members of Parliament know when we will reach out to their districts.

I thank you, Sir.

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HER HONOUR THE VICE-PRESIDENT’S QUESTION TIME

Mr Nkombo (Mazabuka Central): Mr Speaker, yesterday, the …

Mr Livune: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: Order!

There will be no point of order now. I will indicate when I will open the Floor for them.

Mr Nkombo: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister of Justice gave us a ministerial statement, which pointed out that the Government intends to bring the clauses which are not contentious in the Draft Constitution to Parliament while we wait for the referendum in 2016. Will the clauses which are perceived not to be contentious in the Draft Constitution to the Floor of this House for enactment only?

The Vice-President (Mrs Wina): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister of Justice yesterday in his ministerial statement, explicitly explained the processes and procedures that he intends to take in order to address some of the contentious or non-contentious issues in the Draft Constitution. Further details regarding the roadmap will be given to the general public in due course.  

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Namulambe (Mpongwe): Mr Speaker, recently, the hon. Minister for Agriculture and Livestock announced that the Government would subsidise the price of maize to cushion the increase in mealie meal prices. Is the Government considering subsidising fuel, especially Low Sulphur Diesel, which is so expensive, so that the cost of transport for Zambians can be reduced?

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, Zambia is a landlocked country which imports a lot of fuel and other commodities. Luckily, the price of fuel on the international market has gone down, but because of the nature of our location, we still incur expenses in bringing it to the country. On the issue of subsidising the price of fuel, the country will be told if the Government decides to do that. For now, the status quo remains.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Musonda (Kapiri Mposhi): Mr Speaker, I would like Her Honour the Vice-President to comment on what caused the closure of Nakonde Border.

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, the border at Nakonde closed, mainly as a preventative measure, because of the riots that took place in Tanzania where factions from the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) and Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA) clashed over issues of a political nature, which we are not aware of here. As a result, Zambian authorities decided to close the border, temporarily, to avert the problem from Tanzania spilling over.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr W. Banda (Milanzi): Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from Her Honour the Vice-President whether the Government has any intention to reduce the retirement age from sixty-five years to fifty-five years.

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, this issue has been very contentious and highly misunderstood. However, to answer the hon. Member’s question, I want to say that when His Excellency President Edgar Chagwa Lungu was campaigning, he indicated that his Administration would look at this issue and amend the Statutory Instrument (SI) to reduce the increased retirement age from sixty-five to fifty-five as soon as it was possible. This commitment is there and, as Cabinet, we will meet to decide on this very emotive issue. For now, all I can say is that the SI will be amended.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Chishimba (Kamfinsa): Mr Speaker, I would like Her Honour the Vice-President to tell the House and the nation what this Government is doing to ensure that the health of the President is well- looked after.

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, the health of a president is a matter of national priority. This Government is looking at many options to ensure that the health of the President is well looked after.

Mr Speaker, until now, the practice has been that each sitting President chooses his own doctors to take care of his health. However, the Patriotic Front (PF) Government intends to institutionalise medical personnel that will take care of the Presidents. This is what is done in other countries. That body will give authoritative information regarding the health of the President. This body will be set up as soon as possible. In due course, the hon. Minister of Health will be requested to inform the nation, through this House, on the measures that are being taken to avoid speculations and counter-speculations regarding the health of the President.

Sir, at the moment, it seems that anybody can make a comment on the health of the President.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President: Sir, when this Government tries to be transparent in informing the nation about the health of the President, others take offence and come up with other ideas contrary to the actual state of affairs. So, to minimise on speculation and stop it altogether, we intend to institutionalise a system that will be responsible for the health of the President.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Sianga (Sesheke): Mr Speaker, the users of the Livingstone/Sesheke Road, the people of Sesheke, are not happy with the works being carried out on the M10 Road. Your Honour the Vice-President, are there any plans to give the people of Sesheke a durable road, with the introduction of toll fees?

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, the works on the Sesheke/Livingstone Road are underway. The contractor has been identified and is on site.

Mr Sianga: A fake one?

Mr Speaker: Order!

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, it is really up to the Road Development Agency (RDA) to pursue the contractor to ensure that the works on that road are undertaken in a manner that will satisfy the motorists on that route.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mpundu (Nchelenge): Mr Speaker, just yesterday the learned Minister of Justice, Hon. Dr Simbyakula, delivered a fantastic ministerial statement regarding the Constitution-making process. Your Honour the Vice-President, what is your comment on the President’s commitment to the Constitution-making process, considering that he has been in office for less than ninety days?

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, I think that the people of this country have realised the levels of commitment that His Excellency Edgar Chagwa Lungu has demonstrated towards not only the Constitution-making process, but also to attending to many national issues ...

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President: … affecting the lives of the people of Zambia. There is nothing that will stop this Government from fulfilling the promises which it gave the people of this country during the campaigns.

Sir, this Government has the political will required to complete the Constitution-making process. We are relying on the support from our colleagues on your left, Sir, to ensure that the Constitution-making process takes a route which the people will be happy with. I hope that the hon. Members of this House will take this matter very seriously.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Ms Kalima (Kasenengwa): Mr Speaker, I believe that being the first female Vice-President feels good. Her Honour the Vice-President is, indeed, the pride of both the young and old Zambian women.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Kalima: Sir, what does she intend to do differently as a woman to increase the representation of women in higher positions, including representation in Parliament, in order to leave a legacy which will be attached to her alone as the first female Vice-President?

Dr Simbyakula: Take your time.

Mr Mukanga: Bale iminina

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, governance, particularly of a country, is the collective responsibility of everyone, men and women included. As a female Vice-President, …

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order, on the left!

The Vice-President: … I have pointed out that my desire is to serve the people of Zambia well, whether they are men, women or children. However, I will have special emphasis on programmes that will empower women because I realise that they have been marginalised for a long time in our country, especially from taking up decision-making positions.

Sir, if we look around this House, for example, hon. Members will notice that there are fewer females compared to male representatives. This is an imbalance that needs to be rectified. It is very important for Parliament, councils and all the other institutions of influence, to have women’s voices. Female voices can only be there if the women are there to represent the people.

Mr Speaker, for women to come to Parliament or councils, they need the support of political parties.

Mr Mwila: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President: Sir, political parties have a great stake in ensuring that they adopt women as candidates. We have noted that in some parties, there is only one or two women.

Mr Livune: Question!

Mr Kambwili: Ah!

Mr Mwila: There are only two.

The Vice-President: Why is it that they only adopt men?

Mr Mwila: Moono na bana Mazoka!

The Vice-President: Sir, I urge the political parties to ensure that in their next selection of candidates in 2016, they pick more women as their candidates. We need to increase the number of women in this House to a level which we can be proud of.

Mr Speaker, we are the leaders in this region in promoting women’s human rights. Unfortunately, we are now lagging behind almost every Southern African Development Community (SADC) country when it comes to women occupying decision-making positions because there is no political will among the political leaders to choose women to stand as candidates on their party tickets. I hope that we will see a change in 2016. Let us not depend on the Constitution.

Mr Shakafuswa: Point of order!

The Vice-President: Sir, it is high time the political leaders realised that women make a great contribution to the development of our nation.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Milambo (Mwembeshi): Mr Speaker, by law, the Government is supposed to bring to this House mid year Budget feedback. In the three years of the Patriotic Front (PF) being in office, this has not happened.

Mr Livune: Shame.

Mr Milambo: Why has this not happened?

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, different administrations have their way of doing things. In this particular case, the hon. Minister of Finance has, on several occasions, come to this House to apprised the House on the state of the economy of our country. The hon. Members should obviously be aware that there is not just one way of doing things. The PF Government is doing things differently.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Ndalamei (Sikongo): Mr Speaker, …

Mr Mtolo: Hammer!

Mr Ndalamei: … in its goodwill, is the Government considering releasing the Mongu riots’ prisoners?

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order, otherwise the question will not be answered in the midst of noise.

Hon. Opposition Members: Amulu tuse ima.

Mr Shakafuswa interjected.

Mr Speaker: Order!

Laughter

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, the releasing of prisoners is the prerogative of the President. Since the matter the hon. Member has referred to is still in court, I cannot really give a definite answer to it. The hon. Member of Parliament for Sikongo should know that some of the young men in prison are there because of us, the leaders, who instigate them to cause problems. It is extremely unfortunate …

Mr Mwila: We should all grow up.

The Vice-President: … that some of the young people who were born long after the Barotseland Agreement was signed are now in prison based on issues connected to it. Politicians want to make political capital out of the issue by inciting young people who do not even understand the whole Barotseland issue.

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

The Vice-President: Sir, the young people ended up in prisons …

Mr Mwale: Wa wona manje?

The Vice-President: … while the politicians are enjoying themselves elsewhere. This should not be allowed.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Lubezhi (Namwala): Mr Speaker, ever since the Patriotic Front (PF) Government came into power, there has been a decline in our cultural values because it allows its cadres to demonstrate using mock coffins. For instance, last year, there were demonstrations against Mr Wynter Kabimba involving mock coffins. Even at the Inauguration of President Lungu, where Her Honour the Vice-President was in attendance, there was a mock coffin draped in United Party for National Development (UPND) regalia with a dog seated on top of it …

Hon. UPND Members: Shame!

Ms Lubezhi: … dressed in a Hakainde Hichilema T-shirt, which was carried in a procession. There was also another procession of a similar nature in Kasama on Wednesday?

Sir, why has the PF allowed its cadres to demonstrate using such inhuman and indecent images which, in our African tradition, are considered taboo and can lead to a bad omen which can cause death and collapsing?

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order! Let us have order.

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, since the coming into power of the PF, the message from this side (right) of the House has been peace and unity.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, as leaders of political parties, we should tell the young people that we only have one country that needs protection from all of us. What we have seen in the past, be they mock coffins being carried on shoulders by cadres or women moving bare breasted, …

Hon. Government Members: UPND!

Laughter

Mr Speaker: Order!

Hon. UPND Members: Nc’wala Ceremony!

The Vice-President: … should be condemned by all the leaders. We cannot heap the blame on one political party. I think all of us have a stake in creating peace and harmony in our country. For our party, the youths are being taught the virtues of good governance, respecting authority and the values of not infringing on the rights of others. We all know that sensitising people about such issues is a long process that needs concerted efforts by all of us as leaders in the nation. At whatever level, we need to ensure that our young people adhere to the rich values of our society. The older generation is actually surprised to see the things we do in the name of politicking. As I have said earlier, it is very important for all of us to teach our cadres on good manners and morals, including the hon. Member of Parliament for Namwala.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kapyanga (Kabwe Central): Mr Speaker, my colleague, the hon. Member of Parliament for Bwacha, Hon. Mushanga, the people of Kabwe and I are getting concerned at the delay in the reopening of Mulungushi Textiles. I am saying so because it is now eight months from the time the plant was handed over to the investor. What challenges have led to the delay in the reopening of Mulungushi Textiles?

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, the investor for Mulungushi Textiles has been identified and an agreement has been signed. I believe for now, the investor is still mobilising resources and equipment in order to revamp the factory. As you know, the factory was vandalised to an extent where chickens and pigs were even being kept there. Therefore, it will take time for that facility to come to life again. I hope it will be very soon so that the fears of the two hon. Members from Kabwe are allayed.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr P. Phiri (Mkaika): Mr Speaker, most of the rural councils including Katete District Council are struggling to pay allowances to their councillors due to inadequate funds. Has the Government got immediate plans to take over the responsibility?

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, the Government cannot abrogate its responsibilities to the people. Measures are being put in place to ensure that the situation surrounding the payment of salaries to council workers is normalised through the Equalisation Fund.

Hon. Opposition Members interjected.

Mr Speaker: Just wait until she finishes responding.

The Vice-President: Sir, the levies which are charged by different councils are being studied in order to establish how the councils can raise funds based on the resources around them. I know that some councils are new and still trying to get established. Then there are also some councils which are very poor. I think some councils can afford to generate enough money to pay the councillors their allowances.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mufalali (Senanga): Mr Speaker, I congratulate Her Honour the Vice-President on being appointed Vice-President. Is it the policy of the Government to disparage women when responding to queries from the media like the way its spokesperson has been doing? He is too personal.

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, it is not the policy of the PF Government to disparage women. We need to learn to be courteous to each other as politicians. I think that way, we will avoid confrontations based on personal lines. We are here in this House to deal with national issues that affect our people out there. The levels of poverty are still high to the extent that we cannot afford to devote our time to personal attacks. We need to look at the bigger picture.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

__________

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

CONSTRUCTION OF NEW TERMINAL AT KKIA

450. Mr Mbewe (Chadiza) asked the Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication:

(a)    what the status of the new terminal building under construction at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA) was;

(b)    why the works had stalled;

(c)    whether the tender for the construction was advertised and, if so, how;

(d)    if the tender was not advertised, why;

(e)    who the contractor for the project was;

(f)    what the total cost of the project was; and

(g)    what the time frame for completion of the project was.

The Deputy Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication (Mr Siamunene): Mr Speaker, the construction of the new terminal building at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport is being undertaken through a design and build contract. Currently, the contractor is working on the designs and the progress is as follows:

(a)    the new terminal building has attained 100 per cent completion of the architectural designs. The designer will proceed to complete the working drawings for the construction works which will be completed by the end of April, 2015; and

(b)    the geo-technical investigation was concluded in December, 2014. The results of this investigation will provide details for the optional foundation design which will be incorporated in the working drawings for construction.

Sir, the works have delayed due to the issues surrounding the finalising of the loan agreement between the Government of the Republic of Zambia and Exim Bank of China. These negotiations were concluded in February, 2015, and the payment of the management fee of US $900,000 by the Government means that the contractor will soon access the US $108 million as a first milestone payment as stipulated in the contract.

Sir, the contractor has been working on the design to bring it in tune with the detailed brief of Zambia Airports Corporation Limited and other stakeholders. The submission stages for the approval of the drawings were broken down into three stages, namely preliminary, secondary and working drawings. So far, the contractor is finalising the working drawing designs.

Mr Speaker, the tender for the construction works was advertised not too long ago. Afterwards, an expression of interest was done and then, the bidders who were responsive were shortlisted. It was at this point when the current contractor was selected.

Sir, the contractor is China Jiangxi Corporation International Economic and Technical. The total cost of the project is US $360 million and the duration of the project is fifty-four months, starting 5th September, 2013.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Namulambe (Mpongwe): Mr Speaker, …

Mr Mwiimbu: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, I would have raised this point of order contemporaneously arising from the answer that was given by Her Honour the Vice President in response to the question raised by the hon. Member for Sikongo. In her response, Her Honour the Vice President blamed politicians pertaining to the problems in Barotseland.

Sir, we are all aware that when the former President of the Republic of Zambia, the late President Sata, was campaigning, he assured the people of the Western Province that he would restore the Barotseland Agreement. After he assumed power, he commissioned an inquiry pertaining to the Barotseland Agreement. The people of the Western Province have been expectant of the results of that inquiry and we are aware that one of the resolutions was that the Barotseland Agreement be restored. However, the Government has not honoured that obligation.

Mr Speaker, the current President of the Republic of Zambia while in Addis Abba, Ethiopia, made a pronouncement to the effect that he would ensure that the people of the Western Province would use a referendum to answer the Barotseland Agreement question. That promise, again, has raised anxieties in the Western Province. If the politicians in the PF do not honour their promises to the public, is it right for Her Honour the Vice President to turn around and accuse other people of being behind the tension in the Western Province? She further stated that they could not consider pardoning the prisoners in the Western Province because the matter was in court when, in actual fact, her Government had pardoned Hon. Masumba when the matter was in still court.

Mr Shakafuswa: Yes.

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, why are they being segregative …

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwiimbu: … on issues that affect the people of this country? Are they in order to continue misleading this House and the nation?

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: I am sure you want me to respond and in silence. I think, by now, it must be clear to all that I will not allow points of order during Her Honour the Vice President’s Question Time. The reason for that is simple. This is in order to try to allow as many hon. Members as possible to ask questions. I know that sometimes the temptation behind raising points of order is to take a second bite at the cherry. That is the only reason I disallow them and I will continue doing so. If you wish to follow up a matter, you have colleagues amongst yourselves who can respond to your questions.

As regards the many issues that the hon. Member for Monze Central has raised, some of them even though substantive are clearly distinct from the question that was raised. If you apprise yourself with the Order Paper and look at Question 453, you will notice that this issue is actually the subject of a question. At an appropriate juncture, you will have an opportunity to hold your colleagues on the right to account on that issue. That is my ruling.

Mr Lubinda: He does not read.

Mr Mwiimbu: They will punish you again.

Mr Speaker: Order!

Mr Namulambe: Mr Speaker, the hon. Deputy Minister stated that the construction of the new terminal at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport is being undertaken through a design and build contract. Is it the same contractor who will draw the designs and carry out the construction works? If so, what measures have been put in place for our engineers to supervise both the designs and the construction works?

The Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication (Mr Mukanga): Mr Speaker, I wish to inform the House that our engineers at the Buildings Department are looking at all the designs that are being executed by the contractor in collaboration with the Zambia Airports Corporation Limited so that we have the standard that we want.

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Minister for that answer. I know that he is a good Minister.

 Mr Livune: Question!

Laughter

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister whether this job was sub-contracted and, if so, who is the sub-contractor.

 Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, if you look at the scope of work, you would find that the entire job is very big. I would like to tell the hon. Member that because of the volume of work, there will be a lot of sub-contractors involved in the project. Some of the sub-contractors who are working on the project with this Chinese company include Zulu Barrows and Asphalt Roads Zambia (ARZ).

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Mtolo (Chipata Central): Mr Speaker, in his response, the hon. Minister talked about the scope of work. Would the hon. Minister mind to tell this House what exactly this whole project is all about because the hon. Deputy Minister said that there is a US $360 million budget for it. At the same time, we are being told that there are still some designs that are being looked at. I would like to know what exactly is involved in the work. Is it just the construction of a new terminal building with a runway?

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, in summary, at the end of the project, we are going to see a different terminal, runway and different taxiways and related facilities like fire stations. There will also be different lounges for very important persons (VIPs) and everyone else. Suffice to say that even the current airport building needs a facelift. So, it will be rehabilitated as well to cater for the domestic section. The House may wish to know that the new building, which will be constructed will be for international passengers. As already stated, the current building will be transformed into a terminal for domestic flights.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.   

Mr Mooya (Moomba): Mr Speaker, according to the answer given by the hon. Minister, it is evident that the architectural design is ready. I would like to find out from the hon. Minister whether the reports are true that there is favouratism in terms of payments for architectural works. Is it true that unlike their foreign counterparts, the Zambian architects have not been paid their dues? Is there such a problem?

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, I would like to confirm that there was such a problem. We have had roundtable discussions in order to try resolve it.

I thank you, Sir.

Dr Kalila (Lukulu East): Mr Speaker, my question is based on the cost, which is US $360 million.

Sir, I am aware that in the region, projects of this nature have been undertaken and have cost much less than this.

Mr Speaker, if there is one project I would like the hon. Minister of Finance to have a look at, it is this particular one. It has been indicated in some reports about this industry that this project should cost somewhere around US $200 million. I would like, therefore, to find out from the hon. Minister why this project is costing US $360 million because, according to the scope of work, you can build a new airport with this amount of money.

 Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, hon. Members need to appreciate the fact that we had nineteen bidders and seven were shortlisted. The bidders came up with their pricing and we picked what was referred to as the best. The hon. Member may wish to know that the estimates of the shortlisted bidders were technically evaluated at that particular time.

Sir, there are a lot of projects of this nature which are taking place in other countries. Just next door, there is a big airport coming up in Angola, which will be almost twice as big as ours and will cost US $2 billion. Perhaps I should bring the details of the project to the Floor of this House so that the hon. Members can appreciate its full profile.

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Mwanza (Solwezi West): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister mentioned two sub-contractors which are working on this project. I would like to know the directors of the two companies.

Mr Mukanga: Sir, I mentioned that the Chinese company is working with some sub-contractors which include Zulu Barrows Limited and ARZ. If the hon. Member would like to find out who the directors for these two companies are, he can check with Patents and Companies Registration Agency (PACRA). If the hon. Member wants me to bring the names of the directors of the two companies to the Floor of this House, I would still need to get them from PACRA.

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Livune (Katombola): Mr Speaker, with your indulgence, I would like to request the hon. Minister to bring a ministerial statement to this House on this subject.

I thank you, Sir

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

I think that the hon. Minister has already indicated that he will come back to the Floor of this House with the fuller position. All he needs to do is ask for my permission.

Mr L. J. Ngoma (Sinda): Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister what has changed now and made us see this project as a priority. Just when the Patriotic Front (PF) took over office, it disparaged the former President Rupiah Bwezani Banda for wanting to undertake the project, claiming that it was not a priority. If my memory serves me right, there were even allegations related to this project which were levelled against State House. What has changed now for this project to become a priority?

 Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!  

 Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, what has changed is that we are now in power.

 Laughter

Mr Mukanga: Sir, since we are in power, we have to make decisions that will benefit …

 Mr L. J. Ngoma: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, I have not finished answering the question.

 Mr Speaker: Order!

You cannot raise a point of order! You should know better.

Mr Mukanga: Sir, I was saying that what has changed is that we are in power and, therefore, we have looked at this issue very carefully. We have now realised that we need to make Zambia a hub and in trying to do that, we need to have proper communications facilities and better airports so that aeroplanes will be able to land in Zambia and connect to other places. Based on that understanding, we believe that this is a good project, which we need to execute and we are determined to execute it in such a way that it will benefit the people of Zambia.

Mr Speaker, the House may wish to know that the way this project was going to be implemented during the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) reign was that the contractor was going to take over the operations of the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA). That would have made it difficult for flights from the other airports in the country to use the airport. We are going to execute that project in such a manner that we will still allow flights from other airports into the country to use the KKIA because they all depend on it for their smooth operations.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

CLOSURE OF CHILYABALE BASIC SCHOOL

  451. Mrs Masebo (Chongwe) asked the Minister of Education, Science Vocational Training and Early Education:

(a)    what had necessitated the continued closure of Chilyabale Basic School in Chongwe Parliamentary Constituency since January, 2015;

(b)    when the school would reopen;

(c)    whether extra lessons would be given to the pupils at the school to make up for the lost time; and

(d)    what measures the Government had been taken to ensure that a similar incident did not recur.

The Deputy Minister of Education, Science Vocational Training and Early Education (Mr Mabumba): Mr Speaker, although it is stated that January, 2015 in the hon. Member’s question, as far as our records are concerned, it is supposed to be February, 2015.

Sir, I wish to inform the House that the closure of Chilyabale Basic School in Chongwe Parliamentary Constituency since February, 2015 was necessitated by the members of the community who attacked the teachers at the school on allegations that they were practicing satanism. The District Commissioner (DC) and the District Education Board Secretary (DEBS) undertook investigations to ascertain the community’s claims, which proved that no single teacher was practicing satanism.

Sir, the DEBS has been negotiating with the community to guarantee the teachers’ safety once they return to work. Consequently, as a result of these negotiations, it is expected that the school will open in the next two weeks on condition that the safety of the teachers and pupils is guaranteed.

Mr Speaker, the ministry’s policy is to provide remedial lessons to learners in need. In light of this, remedial lessons will be provided to the learners at Chilyabale Basic School, as the teachers have been ready to teach. The ministry can only call upon the hon. Member of Parliament for Chongwe Parliamentary Constituency to assist in sensitising the community on the need for it to co-operate with district authorities to ensure lessons resume promptly.

Mr Speaker, as explained in the above given answer, the school closed because of hostilities and false allegations from the community. The district authorities will continue to engage and sensitise the community on the need to foster good community relations between the school and community. Further, administratively, there will be staff changes at the school in order to restore community relations.

I thank you, Sir.

Mrs Masebo: Mr Speaker, I want to inform the hon. Minister that last week on Monday, I undertook a tour of the school and had an opportunity to meet with all the seventeen headmen and some members of the community around that area. In fact, I was informed that the ministry had taken away the last five teachers that had remained at the school as of last weekend. Only one teacher is remaining at the school which is supposed to have sixteen teachers.

Sir, the hon. Minister has said that I should ensure the safety of teachers at this school. I thought the Government has a wing to help ensure the security of teachers if a similar incident occurs. The community and local leadership have told me that they are worried about the continued closure of this school and that it seems to be taking too long to reopen. It was closed early February, 2015 and this is the end of March, 2015. The school has remained closed for almost two months now. So, I am appealing to the hon. Minister to urgently help in reopening the school. The community is actually willing to receive the new teachers that the ministry has promised to send to the school.

Mr Speaker: Well, I do not know whether that is a question, but I will ask the hon. Minister to comment, if he feels inclined to do so.

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, I totally agree with what Hon. Masebo said in terms of the need to reopen the school as soon as possible. Like I said in my earlier answer, in the next two weeks, that school has to open. Next week, the Provincial Education Officer (PEO), some staff from here in Lusaka and Chongwe DEBS will be engaging the community just to prepare for the opening of the school and the following week, the school has to open.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Pande (Kasempa): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister said that in the next two weeks, the school will be reopen. Is he assuring us that the same number of teachers that were removed will be at the school by the time it will reopen?

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, the answer is yes. This is why I am saying next week, there will be some administrative measures that we will be put in place which includes the engagement of the community as well as looking at the staff establishment. So, the teachers will be in place in the next two weeks.

I thank you, Sir.

Lt-Gen. Rev. Shikapwasha (Keembe): Mr Speaker, have pastors been allowed to go and exorcise all the witchcraft out of the school?

Laughter

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, I think the community had requested some church members to go to that particular school to conduct some prayers.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Antonio (Kaoma Central): Mr Speaker, when such things happen at our schools, the police is supposed to be informed. Has there been any arrest of disgruntled villagers who are terrorising teachers at the expense of our children’s education?

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, from the information I have, no arrest has been made so far.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mutelo (Lukulu West): Mr Speaker, in the next two weeks, schools will be closed …

Mr Speaker: Order!

Business was suspended from 1045 until 1100 hours.

[MR DEPUTY SPEAKER in the Chair]

Mr Mutelo: Sir, before we went on break, I was saying that in the next two or three weeks, schools are closing. How come that hon. Deputy Minister is saying that this particular school will reopen in the next two weeks? Are there deliberate measures to keep this school open during the holiday so as to compensate for lost time?

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, in fact, Mr Mutelo has just answered his own question. As part of providing remedial measures, the school is going to extend its learning programme even after other schools have closed.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Livune: Mr Speaker, the issue of satanism is not only at this particular school. It is at many schools in different parts of this country. What is the long-lasting solution that the Government is trying to put in place so that we protect the pupils in schools?

Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, if you look at the schools where satanism has been reported, there has been no proof of its existence, making it very difficult for us to handle the situation. Therefore, I only want to encourage communities where our teachers are serving to try to protect the integrity and image of our teachers. Most of these teachers provide this service under very difficult circumstances and if our own communities, which our teachers are supposed to serve, are the ones in the forefront of alleging that they are practicing satanism, it is going to be very difficult for teachers to do their work.

I thank you, Sir.

IMPORTATION OF EDIBLE OILS

452. Mr Chishimba (Kamfinsa) asked the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock:

(a)    why the Government had banned the importation of edible oils; and

(b)    when the ban would be lifted.

 The Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock (Mr Ng’onga): Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock has not banned the importation of edible oils, but has suspended the issuance of import permits. The suspension of the issuance of import permits was done in order to facilitate the investigations into the concerns that have been raised by the players in the edible oil industry. The concerns include the suspicion of smuggling of edible oils, under declaration of imports and concealment of quantities, products and values. This has led to a threat to the processors in terms of capacity utilisation of their plants and put jobs at risk in the industry. Further, these concerns resulted in revenue losses.

Mr Speaker, to this effect, a task force comprising the edible oil industry representatives, Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Ministry of Finance, Zambia Revenue Authority and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock officials has been set up to look into the concerns raised by the edible oil industry players. The committee is expected to come up with recommendations to address this situation. The suspension was effected on Tuesday, 17th March, 2015. However, import permits issued before Tuesday 17th March, 2015 are still valid. The suspension on the issuance of import permits will be reviewed after the task force has presented its findings to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Chishimba: Mr Speaker, if the current system has raised complaints among the many refineries, does the hon. Minister have an idea on how the importation of edible oils should be handled to avoid a recurrence of the current problems?

The Minister of Agriculture and Livestock (Mr Lubinda): Sir, we have put together a team of experts drawn from relevant ministries and agencies which have been itemised by the hon. Deputy Minister. For the purpose of clarity, we have drawn experts from the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock and, indeed, experts from the Zambia Revenue Authority as well as representatives of the oil processors, so that they can advise on this matter and also on how we should proceed with the issuance of import permits for edible oils. However, if the hon. Member was to solicit my personel opinion, I would say to him that we would like to see at the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock an arrangement whereby, before import permits are issued for the importation of any such agricultural commodities, the various players sit together to analyse the local situation regarding that commodity.

Sir, when I was announcing that the Government had decided to allow the importation of wheat, I did make mention of the fact that, we arrived at that decision after consulting with the various players who are involved in the wheat industry in Zambia. That is how I would propose that we proceed so that it is not left to the discretion of one entity or, for that matter, one individual. We think that this should be a transparent process involving various stakeholders because these are matters that affect the vast majority of citizens.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Simfukwe (Mbala): Mr Speaker, I want to start by commending the hon. Minister for this initiative. It is a brave one and I think it is very patriotic. My question is: When does the hon. Minister intend to expand the list of agro products which should not be imported so that it does not just get limited to some edible oils, but should also includes other products that are already being produced in the country? There is a lot of smuggling into the country of products such as baked beans, tomato paste, vegetables, peanut butter and cornflakes. The importation of such products should only be done after consultations with the players in the industry. When will that be done?

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, let me thank the hon. Member of Parliament for Mbala for that very important question. With your indulgence, allow me to congratulate him on being declared as having been duly elected to represent the people of Mbala.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Lubinda: Sir, when the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock presented this matter to His Excellency, President Edgar Lungu before the suspension was made, he indicated his concern about Zambia quickly becoming a dumping ground for a lot of imported products which are competing unfavorably with locally produced products. As a result of the President’s instruction, I and my dear colleague in the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, and in consultation with the hon. Minister responsible for finance, will soon to look at all these products and see whether we can control the importation of some of them. So, I cannot say outrightly which commodities we have considered as we are now just addressing the issue of edible oils because of the concerns that have been raised by the players in the industry. We will also undertake a forensic audit when we create that inter-ministerial team that will advise us on how to proceed in handling such matters. When doing this, we will also pay attention to all the trade protocols and agreements that Zambia is part of because we do not want to go against them.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mutale (Kwacha): Mr Speaker, how many are the major refineries and what was their main complaint?

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, there are currently seven main crushers and refiners in Zambia. These are:

(i)     Mount Meru Zambia;

(ii)    Zamanita;

(iii)    Unified Chemicals;

(iv)    Parrogate Ginners;

(v)    Global Industries;

(vi)    Hypro; and

(vii)    Super Oil.

Sir, these seven are the main crushers and refiners. I also ought to mention that there are many other smaller ones. There are even village-based crushers and refiners of oil. The main seven are the ones at our suggestion that have established themselves into the Crushers and Edible Oil Refiners Association of Zambia. The complaints they presented to us were quite many. One of them was that they suspected that some of the imported oil that was finding its way onto the shelves in Zambia was not being brought in through the formal channels and that those who were bringing it into the country were evading the payment of duty. The second complaint was that some of these oils were imported under the pretext that they were crude oils meant for further refinement in Zambia.

Sir, another complaint was that some of the oils that were acquitted at the ports of entry as being in transit to neighbouring countries were offloaded in Zambia without customs officers realising it. There are others which I would not like to dwell on for now. However, these are the main ones that were presented to us.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Shakafuswa (Katuba): Mr Speaker, generally, in Zambia, we do not promote the development of infant industries. This is why you find that a lot of people rely on the Government or on white collar jobs when they can work as artisans in various businesses. I wish to declare interest. Mount Meru Crusher is in my constituency and I have seen what a local industry can do in terms of job creation and payment of tax.

Mr Speaker, at the moment, there is a South African oil which you will find in all the compounds in Zambia.

Mr Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Katuba, what is your question?

Mr Shakafuswa: This is the question.

Laughter

Mr Deputy Speaker: It does not sound like a question.

Mr Shakafuswa: Sir, there is a South African oil which is derived from Palm oil which has flooded the Zambian market. Does South Africa grow that much Palm oil to flood the Zambian market or it is importing the oil from the Far East and selling to Zambia through the guise of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Protocols? This is killing our infant industry.

Sir, have we tested the South African oil and proved that it is actually produced from that country?

Mr Deputy Speaker: The question is understood.

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, I ought to appreciate the sense of patriotism in the question raised by the hon. Member for Katuba. It is this patriotism that has moved this Government to suspend the issuance of permits and to put in place the task team. Like I said, the task team includes representatives of the players in this industry. One of their terms of reference is to delve into that same question, to find out whether the oils that are coming into Zambia under COMESA protocols actually, qualify, to be brought into Zambia.

Mr Speaker, beyond that, we did our investigations and established what the lawyers – I wish Hon. Jack Mwiimbu was here – refer to as a prima facie case. We established that there was, indeed, merit in some of the complaints that were delivered to us by the oil processors. We are hoping that the task team, within a short time, will tell us whether our suspicions are correct or not. The team will advise us on how to proceed.

Mr Speaker, we are doing this because, obviously, we cannot allow a situation where the seven main processors of oil in Zambia have a capacity of 24 to 26 thousand metric tonnes per month but, as I speak, are operating at 50 per cent of their capacity not because they do not have the material, but because the market is overcrowded with imported oil. The Zambian producers cannot manage to sell more than 50 per cent of their production capacity. Therefore, this means that we are exporting jobs to the countries that are bringing oil into Zambia.

Mr Speaker, what we would like to see, going forward, is that these refiners create a push effect in the agriculture sector because I can imagine that very soon, the people of Katuba will move away from producing maize, which I have said before, is a curse to some extent in this country, as we produce it at a higher cost than the export parity price. If they can move away from producing maize and leave the ones who can produce maize efficiently to continue, they can move to other crops such as soya beans, sunflower or cotton which are oil crops so that they can feed Mount Meru Plant in Katuba. This will not only create employment at the plant, but also have a spillover effect by creating employment for the farmer. This is what we are aiming at by coming up with this suspension.

I thank you, Sir.

Dr Musokotwane (Liuwa): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has correctly indicated that issues of trade, in our particular case, are governed by various protocols that we have signed under various arrangements such as the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). Zambia and Kenya, which is one of the major exporters of crude oil to Zambia, are part of COMESA. Has the hon. Minister examined the Zambian exports to Kenya in agriculture which the Kenyans could also suspend in retaliation considering that they are now going to suffer? Have you examined what damage this could bring to Zambia if the Kenyans retaliated?

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, we stated, and hope that it was very clear, that we have simply suspended the issuance of import permits to allow for a team of experts to delve into this business and advise the Government on how to proceed. With regard to the question of whether any of the countries that are exporting to Zambia will retaliate, let me say that some of the countries that are in question are on record as having even stopped our maize from passing through their countries. They have stopped our maize from entering their borders in transit to neighbouring countries and we have not retaliated.

Mr Speaker, this is a matter of protecting our consumers. It is a matter of protecting our economy. It is a matter of protecting our infant industry. I am sure that every country has its sovereign right to protect its people.

Mr Speaker, I just want to emphasise that the decision on how to proceed shall only be arrived at after the task team has advised the ministry. That is when we will make the final decision. For now, we have only suspended the issuance of the permits. It is my prayer and hope that before the end of next week, the task team will have concluded its investigations. I am sure that it will also look into the matter that the hon. Member for Liuwa has spoken about.

Sir, I would like to emphasise that it is important for us, going forward, to start looking for ways of ensuring that our country does not become a dumping ground for products that may not even be better than our own products. We have to protect our jobs. There is no other way that we can grow this economy than that.

Sir, a few weeks ago, the hon. Minister of Finance, when asked about the issue of the value of the Kwacha against other international currencies, did lament the fact that we are not producing enough. He actually complained about how we have become an import country. Everything that we have in this country is imported. How can we proceed, as a country, that even imports chips, not potatoes, but chips? Certainly, if there is a country that is exporting chips to us and is going to tell us that it will not allow us to export our products to it, for the sake of our country, we will say keep your French fries and we will keep our market for our oil because our farmers can grow the oil seed, our manufacturers can process it and our Zambians will consume it.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
   
  Mr Pande: Mr Speaker, I fully appreciate the protection of our own industry. Will the Government be making such far-reaching decisions such as the suspension which has been effected based on rumours?

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, let me thank the hon. Member for Kasempa for that very important question because it will assist me to allay any unnecessary fears. The Government will not make big decisions based on rumours. In this particular instance, the Government is not reacting to a rumour. This matter has been on our table for close to six weeks, and we were very slow at arriving at this decision. Like I said earlier, we only arrived at this decision after we established a prima facie case. This was after we realised there was an element of truth in many of the issues that were raised.

Mr Speaker, we asked the ZRA to give us information regarding the importation of oil over the last three months. It gave us a report I think from its Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA). The findings in that report are really frustrating. How could anyone ever imagine that a company that is registered by the Patents and Companies Registration Agency (PACRA), and is running as a hair salon can import 20,000 litres of crude edible oil? Can anybody ever explain how a hairstylist could import 20,000 litres of crude edible oil, and does not even have a refinery? Where would the hairstylist be taking the edible crude oil? Can the 20,000 litres of crude edible oil be used for styling hair? The only conclusion is that the importer may have arrived at the border, and falsely declared that he or she was carrying crude edible oil when what was being carried was, in fact, refined oil ready for sale on the shelves of Zambian shops.

Mr Speaker, some traders who do not have refineries are importing as much as 934,000 litres of crude edible oil, and declaring it at a dutiable value of 15 US cents per kg. Those with refineries are importing from the same source and declaring the oil at a dutiable value of US $1.2 per kg. If a trader is going to buy from X supplier at 15c, how could a refinery possibly go and buy from the same supplier at US $1.2? How could that be? One would have expected that the refinery would be negotiating better prices than a trader and distributor. This goes to prove that there is a lot of cheating in the system. That is the reason the imported edible oil is being sold at much lower prices than the local edible oil. This is killing our jobs and industry. Therefore, the decision is not based on a rumour, hon. Member for Kasempa. It is based on facts. I am confident that when that team has concluded its findings, it will make a very informative report, which will guide the Government on the way forward. Like I said when I was answering the question from the hon. Member for Katuba, the report may inspire us to look at the whole list of agriculture commodities that are being imported into our country.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Namulambe: Mr Speaker, the answer that was read by the hon. Deputy Minister indicated that the Government has suspended the issuance of new import permits, and that the permits which were issued on or before 17th March, will continue to be valid, meaning that there will be continuous importation of these edible oils. On the other hand, we have heard that the refining industry for edible oil in Zambia is not operating at full capacity because of the imported cheap edible oils. My question is: What is this suspension of the issuance of new permits meant to cure if we will continue with the importation of the edible oils because those who have the valid import permits are going to import even more for fear that the Government might ban the importation of edible oils at some stage? What are we trying to cure by merely suspending the issuance of new permits?

Mr Deputy Speaker: Order!

Just as a reminder, hon. Members, we have two other orders on our Order Paper. We have to bear that in mind as we proceed with these questions.

Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, I take that as a direct guidance to me to be brief in answering the question, because it is the last question that you have allowed. I will be brief. I wish to inform Hon. Namulambe and the House that the permits that are issued are specific in terms of the quantity which is to be imported. Therefore, no importer who has a valid permit will go out and import much more than is contained on the permit. We are not a draconian Government. We did not want to ban the importation of edible oils without any proper investigations being instituted. There are some traders in the business who are genuine. Some of the crashers, like I said, are importing crude edible oils at the right prices, declaring them correctly and paying duty. Cancelling those permits would have had an impact on the business of the local producers. We only decided to suspend the issuance of fresh permits. Until the task force informs us on how to proceed, we will not issue any new permits. However, like I said, I hope that the work of the task force will not take longer than a week. During this period, we work hard to ensure that there is a sufficient supply of edible oils on the Zambian market.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Deputy Speaker: Order!  

I thank the hon. Minister for having correctly read my mind.

MONGU RIOTS

453. Mr Mwanza asked the Vice-President:

(a)    whether the Government had any plans to publish the findings of the Commission of Inquiry established in 2011, to investigate the causes of riots in Mongu;

(b)    if so, when the report would be published; and

(c)    what had caused the delay in publishing the report.

The Deputy Minister in the Vice-President’s Office (Mr Bwalya): Mr Speaker, the Government is in the process of studying the findings of the Commission of Inquiry established in 2011 to investigate the causes of the riots in Mongu. Once the Government White Paper is prepared, the report will be presented to Cabinet for consideration and approval, after which it will direct on the way forward. With regard to when the report will be published, it will depend on how soon and fast Cabinet considers it.

Sir, the delay in publishing the report is in view of the normal Government procedures that are involved in bringing a matter before Cabinet which requires that once a commission of inquiry produces a report, the Government has to study the recommendations contained therein and after which it produces a White Paper. These documents are then presented to Cabinet for consideration, a process which is currently on-going.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mwanza: Mr Speaker, this is the cheapest answer ever received from a very high office …
 
Laughter

Mr Mwanza: … in Zambia

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mwanza: Sir, the hon. Deputy Minister has said that the investigations are still going on when we have been talking about this issue for the past four years. What is the Vice-President’s Office doing to ensure that the mater reaches its logical conclusion?

Mr Bwalya: Mr Speaker, this is quite an emotive issue that borders on a number of lives, especially those of our colleagues in the Western Province, whom we love so dearly in our hearts.  Therefore, the contents of the report need to be studied carefully. It is critical for Cabinet, therefore, to take its time to ensure that it analyses the issues involved properly in order to come up with a clear roadmap.

Mr Speaker, as was stated earlier, we also have to bear in mind the fact that certain issues in the report are in court. Thus, it is prudent for us to let all the matters which are in court to be fully concluded.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mutelo: Mr Speaker, sensitive as it is, taking a long time to resolve this matter may cause chaos in Zambia, particularly in the Western Province. In fact, it is the Patriotic Front (PF) which gave prominence to this matter.

Mr Deputy Speaker: Order!

You have asked your question. Please, this is not a statement.

Your Honour the Vice-President, you may proceed with your response.

Mr Bwalya: Mr Speaker, as earlier alluded to, this is an issue of leadership that calls for sober minds. It calls for all of us to be united and to ensure that we do not ignite things that are not supposed to be there. Yes, the conclusion of this matter has taken long, we agree, but the fact still remains that we need to study the nitty-gritties that are contained in this report.

Sir, it is also true that His Excellency Edgar Chagwa Lungu is on record as having said that he will ensure that issues of this nature are addressed effectively and qualitatively, with a view of ensuring that peace and harmony is maintained.

I thank you, Sir.

Dr Musokotwane: Mr Speaker, as we were told this morning, it was the Patriotic Front (PF) Government that openly promised to honour the Barotseland Agreement, once in office. There are so many articles on the internet which have been written about the matter.

Mr Speaker, it was also the same PF Government that ordered armed forces to go and shoot people in the Western Province for advocating for the Barotseland Agreement to be honoured.  

Mr Speaker, we also recall …

Mr Deputy Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member, please, ask your follow up question. I think that we are not …

Dr Musokotwane: I am coming to that, Mr Speaker.

Mr Deputy Speaker: I know that you are coming to it, but you are taking long. Can you be brief.

Dr Musokotwane: When the report was handed over to the former President, he angrily rejected it. Is this Government serious about releasing the report to the public or are we merely being told stories for the sake of buying time?

Mr Bwalya: Mr Speaker, first and foremost, it would be good to correct the notion that the Patriotic Front (PF) sent troops to the Western Province to go and shoot people. It is very clear that it was not us, but our predecessors who sent troops to the Western Province.

Interruptions

Mr Bwalya: Mr Speaker, this Government seriously wants to bring this matter to a close. It is important to ensure also that we protect and preserve the peace in the Western Province. With this mind, we need to ensure that this process goes through the normal channels so that we can come up with a qualitative and reasonable answer that will bring about a lasting solution.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Deputy Speaker: I will have the last question from the hon. Member for Lukulu East.

Dr Kalila: Mr Speaker, one of the very first acts of the Patriotic Front (PF) Government was to set up a commission of inquiry regarding this matter which, to me, suggests that there was an urgency attached to it, and because of this, one would expect that by now the matter would have been concluded.

Mr Speaker, can Her Honour the Vice-President state whether within their mandate of five years, this report will be made available to the public.

Mr Bwalya: Mr Speaker, I agree with the hon. Member that this was one of the issues tackled quite urgently by this Government. That is why we published the actual Barotseland Agreement in the print media.

Sir, I wish to urge the public to, first and foremost, understand the content of this report. It is also correct that the President has a keen interest in this matter. We want to see this matter concluded as soon as possible.

I thank you, Sir.

FORMER PRESIDENTIAL PILOTS

454. Mr Pande (on behalf of Mr Chipungu) (Rufunsa) asked the Vice-President:

(a)    how many former presidential pilots there were as of October, 2014;

(b)    whether the former pilots had a special status in society; and

(c)    if so, what the status was.

Mr Bwalya: Mr Speaker, as at October, 2014, there were six former presidential pilots. The former pilots do not have any special status in society as they are entitled to the normal conditions as every other officer upon retirement.

Finally, Sir, they are retired officers.

I thank you, Sir.

COMMISSIONING OF THE COMMUNICATION TOWER AT CHIEF CHITAMBO’S PALACE

455.    Mr Mushili Malama (Chitambo) asked the Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication:

(a)    when the Government would facilitate the commissioning of a communication tower erected at Chief Chitambo’s palace in Chitambo Parliamentary Constituency; and

(b)    what the radius of communication network the tower was expected to cover.

Mr Siamunene: Mr Speaker, the communication tower at Chief Chitambo’s Palace in Chitambo Parliamentary Constituency has been erected and has been operational since July, 2014. The Government plans to launch a tower at provincial level to signify the functioning of all towers in a particular province.

Sir, the ceremonial commissioning of the construction of all communication towers by the Government was done on 17th April, 2014, in Matanda when the first tower was erected and went on air.

Mr Speaker, the erected communication tower is expected to attain a maximum of 5 km radius of network coverage. However, it must be noted that network coverage is influenced by various factors such as the terrain conditions, location and altitude of the tower.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mushili Malama: Mr Speaker, when is the coverage area for this particular tower going to be extended? The hon. Minister has stated that the tower only covers 5 km, although, as far as I am concerned, it only covers about 3 km.

Mr Siamunene: Mr Speaker, as I have already stated, there are certain limitations which affect the radius which a particular tower can cover. Geographical limitations have led to the tower not covering a radius of 5 km.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mbulakulima (Chembe): Mr Speaker, this issue is very critical and non-partisan. The putting up of these towers is very expensive. One would have hoped that the putting up of towers to cover a 5 km radius which we complained about would have come to an end about two years ago. Why have we continued putting up expensive infrastructure with limited coverage when we know the people in the villages are very scattered? Does that make sense?

Mr Siamunene: Mr Speaker, there was a contract that was signed. The details of the contract were that these towers were going to cover a radius of 5 km. There will be a next phase. Perhaps, in the next phase, we shall put up towers which will have a larger coverage.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Konga (Chavuma): Mr Speaker, the towers that were contracted out by Zambia Information and Communications Authority (ZICTA) were supposed to cover a radius of a minimum of 5 km. However, the one at Matanda, which the hon. Deputy Minister has talked about, only covers a distance of less than 1.7 km. These are the facts on the ground.

Sir, why is the Government allowing the contractor to get away with shortcomings? The contractor should do the job as outlined in the contract.

Mr Deputy Speaker: Although the hon. Minister mentioned that it is due to other limitations which he outlined, I will allow him to answer the question.

Mr Siamunene: Mr Speaker, I think our answer was very clear. Hon. Members should know that the terrains in the different geographical locations vary. If there are mountains in the area, they can affect the coverage of a tower. To end this matter, I wish to state that we have engaged the contractor to see how we can rectify the situation if there are any shortcomings.

I thank you, Sir.

Lt-Gen. Rev. Shikapwasha: Mr Speaker, having come from a military background, I know that the problem at hand is very easy to overcome. They should put the tower on a mountain. That way, it will cover a radius of 30 km. Has the problem not been caused by the choice of equipment which was bought? Why did we not buy equipment which could cover 30 km?

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, under this phase, the specification was to buy equipment which would cover a radius of 5 km.  I do not know why hon. Members are complaining when there is an evaluation team on the ground which is looking at the performance of each and every tower. When it sees that a tower is not performing accordingly, the contractor is under obligation to correct the situation. Our plan in the next phase is to ensure that we have 100 per cent coverage of the country.

Interruptions

Mr Deputy Speaker: Order, on my right!

Mr Mukanga: Sir, I agree that putting up a tower on a mountain can increase its coverage. All those options are being considered.

I thank you, Sir.

REHABILITATION OF FEEDER ROADS IN MILENGE

456.    Mr Mbulakulima asked the Minister of Local Government and Housing when rehabilitation of the following feeder roads in Milenge District would commence:

(a)    Milambo to Mulumbi;

(b)    Milambo to Lwela;

(c)    Mulumbi to Tande;

(d)    Mulumbi to Ngomba;

(e)    Chipundu to Mashika; and

(f)    Milenge to Kasepa.

The Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing (Mr N. Banda): Mr Speaker, the process of feeder road rehabilitation starts with a request from the council which should submit a prioritised road list of core feeder roads to be worked on. The ministry has yet to receive a request from Milenge District Council. Therefore, Milenge District Council is advised, through the hon. Member of Parliament responsible for the area, to submit the prioritised roads list for consideration by the ministry.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mbulakulima: Mr Speaker, first of all, I wish to state that Hon. Banda is my Member.

Laughter

Mr Deputy Speaker: Hon. Member for Chembe, please, can we have your follow-up question.

Mr Mbulakulima: Mr Speaker, I am a very senior man who knows the process.

Mr Deputy Speaker: Can we have your follow-up question.

Mr Mbulakulima: Mr Speaker, I am coming to that.

Mr Deputy Speaker: No, you have developed a habit of challenging my rulings. Let me have your follow-up question.

Mr Mbulakulima: Mr Speaker, what the hon. Member is suggesting has already been done. Is the hon. Deputy Minister in a position to implement what was requested once I show him the letter which was written by Milengi District Council to the ministry?

Mr N. Banda: Mr Speaker, at the moment, I am not in a position to understand the real situation on the ground. The councils communicate to the ministry through the Provincial Permanent Secretaries. The Ministry of Local Government and Housing is yet to receive the formal request which was made early this year.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Deputy Speaker: Hon. Deputy Minister, in your answer, you said that the council has not written any letter to the ministry. The hon. Member for Chembe is saying that if he brings a copy of that letter, are you going to implement what was requested?

Mr N. Banda: Mr Speaker, the council made its request through the Provincial Permanent Secretary. Once we receive the formal request, we will definitely consider working on it.

I thank you, Sir.

CONSTRUCTION OF WEIGH BRIDGE AT LUANGWA BRIDGE

457. Mr Pande on behalf of Mr Chipungu asked the Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication:

(a)    whether the Government had any plans to construct a weigh bridge at Luangwa Bridge in Rufunsa District;

(b)    if so, when the plans would be implemented; and

(c)    what the estimated cost of the project was.

Mr Siamunene: Mr Speaker, the Government of the Republic of Zambia has no immediate plans to construct a weigh bridge at Luangwa in Rufunsa District.

Sir, part (b) of the question is not applicable since there are no plans to construct a weigh bridge at Luangwa. The estimated cost for the construction of a weigh bridge at Luangwa Bridge in Rufunsa District is not yet known since the Government of the Republic of Zambia has no immediate plans to construct a weigh bridge at the aforementioned location.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Pande: Mr Speaker, Luangwa Bridge is important because it connects this country to Malawi and a lot of cargo passes through it. We are putting that bridge at risk. If the Government has no immediate plans to construct a weigh bridge there, can the ministry put up a mobile weighing facility which can weigh the trucks before they cross that bridge?

Mr Siamunene: Mr Speaker, currently, along the Great East Road, we are constructing weigh bridges at Chongwe and Katete. Those bridges will take care of the concerns which have been raised by the hon. Member.

I thank you, Sir.

REHABILITATION OF THE MUSONWEJI/MUFUMBWE BRIDGE

458. Mr Pande asked the Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication:

(a)    when the rehabilitation of the Musonweji/Mufumbwe Bridge would commence;

(b)    what the cost of the project was; and

(c)    what the time-frame for completing the project was.

Mr Siamunene: Mr Speaker, it is envisaged that the rehabilitation of the Musonweji/Mufumbwe Bridge will commence in the first quarter of 2016, upon the completion of the designs which are expected to commence in the second quarter of 2015 and procurement of the works consultant.

Sir, the estimated cost will only be known once the detailed designs have been completed. The time-frame for completing the project will only be known once the designs for the bridges have been completed.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Pande: Mr Speaker, I do not understand that response because some years back, there was a contractor who was supposed to have constructed a bridge on that river. That contractor abandoned that project. I think the Government took that contractor to court. I expected the Government to say that it has found a new contractor instead of what the hon. Deputy Minister has said. Currently, for the people Mufumbwe to get to Mushima which is close to them, they have to go through Kasempa. Can the hon. Minister clearly state when the bridge will be constructed?

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, we are going to have the four bridges constructed along this road in accordance with the answer which has been given by the hon. Deputy Minister. As to what happened to the contractor who was given the contract to work on the project, I do not have the details with me here. We will try to find out and come back to the House with a proper response. What we have stated is that by the first quarter of 2016, the commencement of construction works will take place. Currently, we are sourcing consultants who should be in position to design the four bridges that are needed.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Namulambe: Mr Speaker, the materials for the bridge that will be constructed at Musonweji are already at Kasempa Boys Secondary School. The materials have been lying there for quite some time. I take it that the designs are also in place. What is going to happen to those materials which have stayed there for over ten years now?

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, that is why we are engaging a consultant. This consultant will take into consideration the materials that are already there when in up with the designs.

I thank you, Sir.

CONNECTION OF ELECTRICITY TO MILENGE FROM MUSAILA

459. Mr Mbulakulima asked the Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development:

(a)    when the project to connect electricity to Milenge District from Musaila in Samfya District would commence;

(b)    how much progress had been made regarding the project, to date;

(c)    whether the project was on schedule and, if not, and

(d)    when the project would be completed.

The Deputy Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development (Mr Zulu): Mr Speaker, the project to connect electricity to Milenge from Musaila in Samfya District commenced in 2013. The project of connecting Milenge to the national electricity grid is being undertaken in phases. This is due to the huge cost of the project estimated at K46 million. The second phase involving the construction of 27 km of a 33 kV overhead line commenced in September, 2014. The contractor has, so far, delivered all the materials to the site and works are in progress. The works performed as at 29th January, 2015, are at 50 per cent. The second phase of the project is on schedule and the contractor is expected to complete the works by 30th June, 2015. The Government, through the Rural Electrification Authority (REA), expects to complete the electrification of Milenge by 2017.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Mbulakulima: Mr Speaker, is the hon. Deputy Minister aware that the first and second phases of the project which involved the construction of 30 km and 27 km overhead lines was not undertaken in Milenge, but in a different district? When will those works be undertaken in Milenge District?

Mr Zulu: Mr Speaker, maybe, let me give more details with regard to how far we have gone with this project. The electrification of Milenge District to the national grid involves extending the grid from Samfya District covering a total distance of 150 km. Considering the huge costs involved in undertaking the project which is estimated at K46 million, the Government, through REA, is implementing the project in phases. The first phase has been completed.

Sir, phase one involved the construction of a 30 km long 33 kV line from Musaili Junction to Musaba Primary School in Samfya District. The 33 kV overhead line has been constructed parallel to the Pensulo/Samfya/Tuta Road. The first phase has since been completed and switched on. Three schools, namely Mulisha, Nkungu and Musaba all located along the first phase line have been connected to electricity. Phase one has been implemented at a cost of K6.7 million and the contractor was Midland Business Systems, a Zambian contractor.

Mr Speaker, phase two of the electrification project of Milenge District is an extension of phase one. The works involve the construction of an additional 27 km of a line at a cost of K7 million. Two schools, namely Mungulube and Kafwanka and two rural health centres, namely Kabongo and Mungulube will be connected to the national grid once phase two has been completed. Phase two is expected to be completed in June, 2015, and the contractor, again, a Zambian contractor, is Yenga Tech Enterprise. The electrification of Milenge District will not be completed in two phases due to the limited funding to the authority. The remaining works are estimated to cost K32 million.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

____________

BILLS

SECOND READING

THE TAX APPEALS TRIBUNAL (Amendment) BILL, 2015

The Minister of Finance (Mr Chikwanda): Mr Speaker, I beg to move that the Bill be now read a second time.

Mr Speaker, the Bill before the House is seeking to:

(a)    rename the Revenue Appeals Tribunal as the Tax Appeals Tribunal and to continue its existence and operations;

(b)    provide for the composition and functions of the Tax Appeals Tribunal;

(c)    repeal the Revenue Appeals Tribunal Act No. 11 of 1998; and

(d)    provide for matters connected with, or incidental to, the foregoing.

Sir, this Bill is straightforward and I commend it to the House.

Mr Speaker, I beg to move.

Mr Lombanya (Solwezi East): Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity accorded to me to present the views of your Committee and stakeholders on the Tax Appeals Tribunal (Amendment) Bill, 2015.

Sir, your Committee considered various submissions on the Bill referred to it by this House on 6th March, 2015. The objects of the Bill are to:

(a)    continue the existence of the Revenue Appeals Tribunal and rename it as the Tax Appeals Tribunal;

(b)    provide for the composition and functions of the Tax Appeals Tribunal;

(c)    repeal the Revenue Appeals Tribunal Act, 1998; and

(d)    provide for matters connected with, or incidental to, the foregoing.

Mr Speaker, I wish to state from the outset that your Committee supports the Bill and commends the Government for bringing this important piece of legislation to the House. Having considered the various submissions and concerns raised by stakeholders, your Committee recommends that the Bill be supported by the House, subject to specific observations and recommendations. Your Committee observes that the Bill proposes to rename the Revenue Appeals Tribunal as the Tax Appeals Tribunal. Your Committee views this Bill as progressive …

Interruptions

Mr Deputy Speaker: Order, on the right!

Mr Lombanya: … because renaming the tribunal will more accurately describe its functions. The current name ‘Revenue Appeals Tribunal’ has been misconstrued to mean appeals arising out of assessments or regarding matters relating to the revenue of the Republic of Zambia in general, from any source whatsoever when, in actual fact, the Revenue Appeals Tribunal only deals with appeals on assessments and matters relating to taxes.

Sir, your Committee also observes that the requisite qualifications for the three legal practitioners on the tribunal have been raised from seven to ten years standing at the Bar. This increase is progressive as it makes the requisite years of experience of the legal practitioners the same as that of High Court Judges. Clause 15 of the Bill provides that appealing against a decision made by the Tax Appeals Tribunal shall be made in the Supreme Court, placing the Tribunal on a par with the High Court. It is, therefore, prudent that those presiding over matters of the tribunal qualify to hold the Office of High Court Judge.

Sir, with regard to the composition of the Circuit Tribunal, your Committee observes that the proposal, as it stands, appears to suggest that it is biased towards the legal profession as opposed to a balance between legal and accounting expertise.

Mr Speaker, tax appeals are not solely based on legal issues, but also on the actual computation of figures. Such matters can best be understood by accountants.

Sir, allow me to point out that your Committee is cognisant of the fact that once an assessment has been made by the Zambia Revenue Authority, the tax has to be paid even if it is under dispute and an appeal has been made to the tribunal. Depending on the amount under dispute and the time taken to resolve the matter, tax assessments have the potential to cripple an individual or a business. Your committee, therefore, strongly recommends that the Tax Appeals Tribunal have the power to grant a stay of execution of either the whole or part of the amount under dispute until the matter is resolved.

Mr Speaker, as I conclude, I wish to express gratitude to all stakeholders who appeared before your Committee and also wish to thank you, for affording your Committee an opportunity to scrutinise the Bill. Your Committee also appreciates the services rendered by the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly and the permanent witnesses from the Ministry of Finance.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Chikwanda: Mr Speaker, I wish to inform the House that the policy objective of the Bill is to change the name of the Revenue Appeals Tribunal to the Tax Appeals Tribunal as an institution that is mandated to arbitrate tax disputes and clearly distinguish it from the revenue collecting agency, the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA).

Sir, the current name of the organisation is a misnomer as the tribunal only handles disputes related to taxes and not to other forms of Government revenues. The proposed name change will connote the real mandate of the organisation and assist in distinguishing the institution from the ZRA and thus, create a more positive and confident attitude from the public.

Sir, the new law will also assist in re-branding the tribunal and allow for greater appreciation of the services it offers.

Mr Speaker, this Bill provides for appeals from the tribunal to now lie with the Supreme Court. Previously, aggrieved parties could appeal the decision of the tribunal to the High Court. Under this Bill, the Supreme Court shall hear and determine any such appeals and may refer the matter back to the tribunal for rehearing, confirmation, reduction, increment or annulment of the assessment or decision determined by the tribunal.

Sir, I am sure the House will agree with me that time is of essence in dealing with tax appeals, mainly because of the colossal sums of money involved. The quick resolution of matters enables money to quickly go into Government coffers or be utilised or reinvested in the business by the taxpayer.

Mr Speaker, the High Court being a court of original jurisdiction attends to so many matters and normally, when a matter goes there on appeal, tax matters are not given any preference. Therefore, matters take long depending on the number of matters before the hearing Judge. Allocating tax appeals to the Supreme Court will shorten the process as an appeal in the Supreme Court will not be adjudicated upon by a single Judge. The matter will be attended to by, at least, three Judges.

Mr Speaker, the House may wish to note that under the tribunal, the Chairperson will have the same qualifications as a High Court judge. Previously, the requirement was for members of the Bar to have seven years of experience which was less by three years than that required of a Judge at the High Court. The requirement also entails that the tribunal will now be on a par with the High Court, hence the requirement that legal practitioners (Chairperson and Vice-chair) be of the same standing as High Court Judges.

Mr Speaker, I am very grateful for the unanimous support of this Bill by this august House. This Bill is straightforward and I commend it to the House.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Question put and agreed to and the Bill read a second time.

Committed to a committee of the Whole House.

Committee on Wednesday, 25th March, 2015.

THE ANTI-TERRORISM (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2015

The Minister of Home Affairs (Mr Mwila): Mr Speaker, I propose that this Bill be deferred to a later date for us to undertake further consultations on critical issues.

I thank you, Sir.

Question put and agreed to. Leave granted.

The debate on the Bill, by leave, accordingly deferred.

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MOTION

ADJOURNMENT

The Vice-President (Mrs Wina): Mr Speaker, I beg move that the House do now adjourn.

Question put and agreed to.

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The House adjourned at 1225 hours until 1430 hours on Tuesday, 24th March, 2015.