Tuesday, 24th November, 2015

The House Met at 1430 hours
    
[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER
___________

ANNOUNCEMENTS BY MR SPEAKER

FREE EYE SCREENING EXERCISE BY DR AGARWAL’S EYE HOSPITAL

Mr Speaker: I have authorised Dr Agarwal’s Eye Hospital to conduct a five-day free eye-screening exercise for interested hon. Members of Parliament and staff. The exercise is aimed at creating awareness of the dangers of diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of visual loss and blindness in working-age populations. 

The screening exercise will run from today, Tuesday, 24th to Friday, 27th November, 2015, and will be conducted in Committee Room No. 5, here at Parliament Buildings.

All interested hon. Members are urged to visit the medical practitioners at their convenient time, but between 0900 hours and 1600 hours of each day.

FUTURE SEARCH PROJECT

I have also authorised the Future Search Project, a Government initiative, to set up an information desk in the main reception area here at Parliament Buildings from today, Tuesday, 24th to Friday, 27th November, 2015. During this period, officers from Future Search Project will provide hon. Members with brochures containing information on various subjects, including the following:

(a)    identification of business opportunities and selection of profitable and sustainable projects by their constituents;

(b)    preparation and writing of bankable business proposals; and 

(c)    implementation of business projects, monitoring and evaluation.

In this regard, I wish to urge all hon. Members to find time to visit the information desk and interact with officers from the Future Search Project so that you may acquire information for the benefit of your constituents.

Thank you.

__________

RULING BY MR SPEAKER

RULING BY THE HON. MR SPEAKER ON A POINT OF ORDER RAISED BY HON. STEVEN KAMPYONGO, MP, MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND HOUSING AGAINST UPND MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT ON THURSDAY, 19TH OCTOBER, 2015

Mr Speaker: Hon. Members will recall that on Thursday, 19th October, 2015, when the House was considering Question for Oral Answer No. 179, and the Member of Parliament for Kasempa Parliamentary Constituency, Mr Kabinga Pande, MP, was about to ask a supplementary question, the Minister of Local Government and Housing, Mr S. Kampyongo, MP, raised a point of order against the Member of Parliament for Monze Central Parliamentary Constituency, Mr. J. J. Mwiimbu, MP, the Member of Parliament for Kalomo Central Parliamentary Constituency, Mr R. Muntanga, MP, and, generally, hon. Members on the United Party for National Development (UPND).

In his point of order, the Minister of Local Government and Housing, Mr S. Kampyongo, MP, asked the following:

(a)    whether the Member of Parliament for Monze Central, Mr J. J. Mwiimbu, MP, was in order to storm out of Parliament before I delivered my ruling on his point of order on Wednesday, 18th October, 2015;

(b)    whether the Member of Parliament for Kalomo Central, Mr Muntanga, MP, was in order to storm out of Parliament immediately after I delivered my ruling on the point of order on Thursday, 19th October, 2015;

(c)     whether the rest of the hon. Members from the UPND were in order to come into the House to register their presence and then walk out of the Chamber.

In my immediate response, I reserved my ruling to a later date to enable me to render a measured ruling on the several issues that the hon. Minister had raised. I have since studied the point of order and now render my ruling. 

Hon. Members, the point of order raises the following issues:

(a)    breach of parliamentary etiquette and decorum with regard to an hon. Member leaving the Chamber immediately before or after the ruling of the Speaker on a point of order; and

(b)    the ethical conduct or morality of hon. Members of Parliament merely registering their presence in the House and walking out immediately thereafter. 

Hon. Members, with regard to an hon. Member leaving the Chamber immediately before or after the ruling of the Speaker on a point of order, Rule No. 14, under Chapter 5 of the National Assembly Members’ Handbook, 2006, under the rubric, “Conduct of Members of Parliament and Parliamentary Etiquette,” is instructive in this regard. It provides as follows:

“Members should not leave the House immediately after delivering their speeches in the House. Courtesy to the House requires that after finishing their speeches, Members resume their seats and leave the House only afterwards, if necessary.”  

Hon Members, it is evident from the foregoing provision that parliamentary etiquette demands that an hon. Member who has concluded speaking resumes his or her seat before leaving the Chamber. This is to ensure that such an hon. Member personally receives the response from the Chair or follows the debates of other hon. Members on the matter or subject that the hon. Member may have raised in his or her speech on the Floor of the House. Failure to do so is a total display of discourteous behaviour on the part of the hon. Member not only to my office, but also to the House as a whole. This conduct also amounts to a breach of etiquette.  

Hon. Members, let me now address the specific issues raised above in relation to the conduct attributed to the individual members in the point of order. 

(a)    Mr J. J. Mwiimbu, MP  

As hon. Members will recall, on Wednesday, 18th October, 2015, Mr J. J.  Mwiimbu, MP, rose on a point of order relating to the alleged attack of the UPND offices in Kitwe by suspected Patriotic Front (PF) cadres. However, and unfortunately so, before I could respond and render my ruling on the point of order, Mr J. J. Mwiimbu, MP, stormed out of the Chamber. Hon. Members, his conduct of storming out of the Chamber after raising a point of order and before I could render my ruling was utterly disrespectful and discourteous not only to my office, but also to the entire House. It is also conduct not expected of not only a senior hon. Member of the House and Counsel, but also a Member of the Committee on Privileges, Absences and Support Services, charged with the responsibility of inter-alia, maintaining the discipline and decorum of the House. In this regard, Hon. J. J. Mwiimbu, MP, contravened Rule No. 14 of the National Assembly Members’ Handbook, and accordingly, was out of order.

(b)    Mr R. Muntanga, MP

Hon. Members will recall that on Thursday, 19th October, 2015, Mr R. Muntanga, MP, rose on a point of order which essentially repeated the same issue or issues that Mr J. J. Mwiimbu, MP, sought to raise the previous day. However, after raising his point of order, Mr R. Muntanga, MP, resumed his seat and allowed me to render my ruling. Mr R. Muntanga, MP, walked out of the Chamber long after I had rendered the ruling.  

Hon. Members, it is self-evident that Mr R. Muntanga, MP’s conduct complied with Rule No. 14 of the National Assembly Members’ Handbook, and did not as a matter of fact, storm out of the Chamber. Thus, he was not out of order.

Hon. Members, I will now address the ethical conduct or morality of hon. Members of Parliament merely registering their presence in the House and walking out immediately thereafter, and never to return to the House for the rest of the day for whatever reasons or cause. Let me hasten to point out, from the outset, that while it is conventional for hon. Members to walk out of the Chamber for political or other reasons, this practice, nevertheless, has the unfortunate tendency of denying the electorate their representation in the House. As hon. Members are obviously aware, we are currently engaged in the midst of very earnest business of considering and passing the National Budget. It is, therefore, very unfortunate for hon. Members to elect to absent themselves from the House on this very important occasion, which has a direct and serious bearing on the lives of the citizens. Needless to mention that hon. Members owe it to their constituents, who elected them, to always attend to the Business of the House and contribute actively and constructively. 

As regard the specific practice of hon. Members registering their presence in the House, and immediately thereafter leaving the Chamber and never return to the House for the rest of the day, such conduct is not only dishonourable and dishonest, but is also unbefitting of the status and dignity of an hon. Member. Worse still, this action is also tantamount to obtaining pecuniary advantage by false pretences, contrary to section 309 A, of the Penal Code Act, Cap. 87 of the Laws of Zambia. In essence, it amounts to a criminal offence for which a Member may, on conviction, be liable to imprisonment for five years.

Hon. Opposition Members: Question!

Mr Speaker: That is the Law. 

I, therefore, urge all hon. Members to refrain from conducting themselves in such a dishonest and dishonourable manner. Consequently, I hereby and forthwith, direct the Clerk’s Office to take note of any such Member or Members, who merely register their names and purport to be present, yet abscond from the House so that appropriate action may be taken without further notice or recourse to such a Member or Members.

As regards Mr J. J. Mwiimbu’s, MP, conduct, which I have already found to be out of order, I wish to seize this opportunity to remind the House that parliamentary etiquette and decorum demands that hon. Members behave in a manner which is befitting of their status in society. Hon. Members of Parliament are expected to carry out their representative functions in a respectful, courteous, honourable and orderly manner. The rules of parliamentary etiquette and decorum are not only contained in the National Assembly Members’ Handbook, but are also, from time-to-time, promulgated through rulings by us, presiding officers. I, therefore, urge all Members to familiarise themselves with the Handbook and precedents of the House.

I now wish to address Mr J. J. Mwiimbu, MP. Your conduct of leaving the House, immediately after you raised your point of order, was extremely disrespectful not only to my Office and the House, but also to the people you represent.  

As a long-standing Member of this House and a Member of the Committee on Privileges, Absences and Support Services, your conduct is expected to be exemplary and above reproach.  Indeed, you are expected to be familiar with the rules of etiquette of this House, which require you to be courteous to my Office and the House, as a whole. It is, therefore, my earnest hope that you will not repeat such conduct and that henceforth, you will carry yourself with the dignity expected of you as an hon. Member, more so as a Member of the Committee tasked with ensuring that the discipline and decorum of the House is upheld. 

I thank you. 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
_____

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

KELONGWA/NYOKA/KALULUSHI ROAD

182. Mr Pande (Kasempa) asked the Minister of Local Government and Housing:

(a)    when the rehabilitation of the Kelongwa/Nyoka/Kalulushi Road in Kasempa Parliamentary Constituency would be completed; and

(b)    what action had been taken against the contractor who abandoned the project. 

The Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing (Mr N. Banda): Mr Speaker, the project was procured by the North-Western Provincial Administration, under the Rural Roads Unit (RRU), in its 2012 Budget. The RRU contracted out these works to Lunga Resources Limited which was only paid …

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

Mr N. Banda … K348,000. 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Minister, pause for a minute. Let us have some order, please. 

Continue, hon. Minister.

Mr N. Banda: The contractor, however, abandoned works, claiming non-payment by the RRU. The ministry has since requested the provincial engineer to go on the ground and assess what has to be done. The technical officers will provide the ministry with recommendations on whether the works have to be done by the Zambia National Service (ZNS) or the Ministry of Local Government and Housing, through the local authority.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Pande: I thank you, Mr Speaker, …

Mr Livune: On a point of order, Sir. 

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised. 

Mr Livune: Mr Speaker, for ten plus years of my life, before I came to this House, I spoke passionately on behalf of workers in this country. As I stand here today, teachers, nurses and the many hardworking civil servants have not yet been paid their salaries, yet their known legal day on which to receive salaries has passed. Is this Government in order to mistreat our hardworking civil servants, yet …

Interruptions

Mr Livune: Sir, I know that we are not supposed to debate ourselves, but they have paid themselves. 

Hon. Government Members: Aah!

Mr Livune: Is the Government in order to mistreat the workers of this country who labour so much? I need your serious, Mr Speaker.

Laughter 

Mr Milambo: Serious ruling. 

Mr Livune: I need your serious ruling, Sir.

Laughter 

 Mr Speaker: Hon. Member for Katombola, file-in a Question and I will get your response. Hon. Member for Kasempa, you may proceed. 

Mr Pande: Mr Speaker, this road was abandoned by the contractor almost two years ago. The last time this matter was raised on the Floor of this House, under the Ministry of Works and Supply, it was said that …

Mr Musonda: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Kambwili: On a point of order, Sir. 

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised. 

Mr Pande: Yafula shani?

Mr Musonda: I thank you, Mr Speaker, and I wish to …

Mr Speaker: No, I have allowed the hon. Minister. 

Laughter 

Mr Kambwili: Mr Speaker, thank you for according me this opportunity to rise on this very serious point of order which borders on the integrity and etiquette of this House.

Sir, we are reminded, in this House, according to the provision of Cap. 12 of the Laws of Zambia, that we must speak the truth and nothing, but the truth. Is the hon. Member of Parliament for Katombola in order to mislead the House and the nation that Government hon. Ministers have paid themselves before they have paid civil servants when we have not received our salaries? Is he in order to make such wild and serious allegations? I need your serious ruling on why he should not be referred to the Committee on Privileges.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!

Mr Speaker: My ruling is short. The hon. Member of Katombola raised a point of order and I made a ruling.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: I directed what steps he should take in order to exact a response from the Right. Therefore, it would not be competent, in light of that point of order, to raise another point of order on the same point of order.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: Let us wait for the right to respond and clarify ...

Muntanga: Seminar.

Laughter 

Mr Speaker: ... the issues that have been raised. 

Interruptions 

Mr Speaker: Order!

Let us give the hon. Member for Kasempa an opportunity to complete his question.

Mr Pande: Mr Speaker, the contractor abandoned this road almost two years ago and I wonder what the Government has been doing all this time only to act when I raised this question on the Floor of the House. The hon. Minister has not clearly stated what will happen. Is everything being pushed or left to the Rural Roads Unit (RRU) like it is an independent body apart from the Government? When will the RRU move on site? Will it complete the works on this road or has it abandoned them like the contractor did?

The Minister of Local Government and Housing (Mr Kampyongo): Mr Speaker, the delay, as the hon. Member is aware, is as a result of the fact that the Rural Roads Unit (RRU) has been put under the Ministry of Defence, specifically under the Zambia National Service (ZNS). Indeed, it is regrettable that the contractor abandoned the site before he could carryout significant work on the project after being paid the advance payment.

Mr Speaker, to assure the hon. Member, we did not only move after we received the question, but were waiting for the merger between the RRU and the ZNS to be consolidated so that some of the works that the RRU was working on could be pushed forward to the new working arrangement. We are waiting for the technical team to come and when it does, we shall quickly decide whether to work on the road through the local authority or ask our colleagues from the ZNS to work on the road.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Kazabu (Nkana): Mr Speaker, ...

Mr Mwiimbu: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, I would like to thank you most sincerely for according me this opportunity to raise this procedural point of order that is anchored on the integrity of this House and the rulings that have been made by the presiding officers of this House.

Sir, you have, on several occasions, guided this House and instructed it that the use of certain words is not allowed in this House. I am aware that you have specifically castigated us, especially those of us on your Left, on the usage of certain words. 

Mr Speaker, when the hon. Minister of Information and Broadcasting was winding up his ministry’s budget, he uttered words which were not acceptable as parliamentary on the Floor of this House. For his own reference, I have a verbatim report of the statement issued by Hon. Kambwili on the Floor of the House and it reads:

“Mr Chairperson, Hon. Muntanga said that The Post Newspaper was a darling to the Patriotic Front (PF) when it was in the Opposition. Maybe, The Post Newspaper was a darling to some PF Members, and not to me. I stood up against the newspaper while I was in the Opposition and while in the Government. I have been consistent with this. When I was in the Opposition, I said that The Post Newspaper was a very stupid newspaper.”

Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!

Mr Mwiimbu: He further went on to state that The Post Newspaper is full of words like ‘stupid’ and ‘idiot’.

Sir, is it procedural for us to import insults which were made outside into the House and repeat them without the House sanctioning the one who is insulting? Is the hon. Member for Roan in order to insult in this House ...

Hon. Government Members: Aah!

Mr Mwiimbu: ... by uttering those words on the Floor of this House?

I need your serious ruling.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: Order!

That invitation is extended to me.

Laughter 

Mr Speaker: I will reserve my ruling because I need to study the record in question and also reflect on the queen’s language.

Hon. Government Members: It is not procedural.

Laughter 

Mr Kazabu: Mr Speaker, the contractor in this case of Kelongwa ....

Mr Musonda: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised. Hon. Members we need to make progress.

Mr Musonda: Mr Speaker, I want to apologise to the hon. Member for Nkana who was on the Floor.

Sir, the security of this nation is being compromised. We have experienced a lot of violence in the country recently. Over the weekend, the home of Her Honour the Vice-President in Nalolo was attacked and her relatives were brutalised by United Party for National Development (UPND) cadres ...

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Musonda: ... in full view of their leaders. Is the Government in order to remain quiet and not tell us what is being done to curb this violence, especially for the poor politicians like myself and others, who have no protection? I need your serious ruling. 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order! 

I will ask the hon. Minister of Home Affairs to respond.

Mr Kazabu: Mr Speaker, the contractor of the Kelongwa/Nyoka/Kalulushi Road disappeared about two years ago. Considering the fact that public funds were involved, what measures has the Ministry of Local Government and Housing or, indeed, the Government put in place to find this fugitive contractor so that he can account for his misdeed?

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, indeed, it is regrettable that the local contractor abandoned the project. The Government is trying to empower the local contractors who complain about not being given an opportunity to prove themselves. However, when given an opportunity, they fail to perform. 

Mr Speaker, I want to assure the hon. Member that a report will be tendered. I am eagerly waiting for our technical team to come back to give a report. We shall know how much work was done in comparison to the advance payment which the contractor was given. Abandoning a site for a period of more than thirty days is an abrogation of contract terms. So, I am eagerly waiting for the report and I will ensure that if there is a need to recover part of the money which was paid to this contractor, that will be done.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Chipungu (Rufunsa): Mr Speaker, I am interested in this particular road. I am sure some hon. Members are aware that I was once an employer in that province. I would like to know the directors of this particular …

Hon. Government Members: Aah!

Mr Chipungu: Mr Speaker, I said that I am interested in this particular road.

Mr Speaker: What is your question?

Mr Chipungu: Mr Speaker, I would like to find out who the directors of Lunga Resources Limited are.

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, the information I currently have is that the contractor is Lunga Resources Limited. I do not have the details of who the directors of this particular company are at my fingertips. However, we may need to carry out a research to find out. Since this is a registered entity, the Patents and Companies Registration Agency (PACRA) will be able to provide us with this information.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Mbulakulima (Chembe): Mr Speaker, I am interested in the procedure that was followed .I thought the Road Rural Unit (RRU) was supposed to work on force account. However, it contracted these works to Lunga Resources Limited. Was that not an anomaly and was the contract which was signed binding?

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, the contract was procured under the controlling officer of the province, the Permanent Secretary, and the RRU probably supervised the works. However, like I have stated, I have dispatched a team of technical experts who will give us further details, including the procedure that was followed in contracting these works.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Muchima (Ikeleng’i): Mr Speaker, it has been two years since the contractor abandoned the project. Could it be that the hon. Member’s question prompted the ministry to make a follow up and what would have happened had this matter not been raised? Was this contract not secured by a performance bond that should work against the money that was paid in advance?

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, in my earlier response, I dispelled the assertion that the ministry only took interest in this particular contract after the question was posed by the hon. Member. As regard whether the contractor had provided a performance bond, there is a procedure that must be followed. There are a number of conditions which a contractor is supposed to meet before he even moves on site. These include the provision of the performance bond and the advance payment guarantee which secures the advance payment which is given to the contractor. However, all these are details that we will receive from the team that I have sent to the province. So, we can only assume that before the money was paid, there must have been bankable documents which could have been provided by the contractor.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Mbewe (Chadiza): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister is very good and he is my friend although he should stand up as he answers questions.

Laughter

Mr Mbewe: Sir, is the Government …

Mr Speaker: If he was seated, I would have ordered him to stand.

Laughter

Mr Mbewe: Sir, from this angle, he looks like his responding to questions whilst seated.

Mr Speaker: I am assuring you.

Laughter

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, there are a lot of contractors who have abandoned projects and the hon. Minister has not come out clearly on what the Government has done about this. Does the Government have any intention of blacklisting those contractors who have abandoned projects?

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, I am sure you are able to see that I am standing upright …

Laughter

Mr Kampyongo: … and that the hon. Member who posed the question is in the same bracket of my height.

Laughter

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, with specific reference to this contractor, there was a breach of contract. I earlier stated that a contractor who abandons a site for than more thirty days without officially notifying the client breaches a contract. The contract has conditions that both the client and contractor must adhere to and those are the conditions that we need to revert to in a situation where a contractor fails to perform because they are clear.

There are also charges that accrue to a defaulter in the contract from both sides. Therefore, the Government is committed to ensuring that it follows all the contractual obligations on both sides, whether it is the contractor or the client, which is the Government in this case. We will not do anything outside the contract to ensure that we deal with the defaulting contractors because there a number of provisions that we are supposed to enforce. So, that is what we do.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mweetwa (Choma Central): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has given an assurance to this House and to the nation at large that should there be a need to recover funds, such funds will be recovered. Why should the House take this assurance seriously when the Ministry of Local Government and Housing has given the same assurances, on several occasions, on its intention to recover money from defaulting contracting parties. 

For example, Sir, Techmiya Commercials Limited swindled many councils out of huge sums of money and the hon. Minister’s predecessors, including my former lecturer, Hon. Dr John Phiri, have had assured this House that the ministry has been making efforts to recover the money. The hon. Minister is now talking about penalties that will be applied to non-performing contractors. So, why should the House take this assurance seriously when the ministry has not acted on a number of things that it has promised before?

 Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, my assurance to the House should not be doubted. I would have loved the hon. Member for Choma Central to declare interest in the other part of the question because it is substantive. I may need to come back to the House at an appropriate time with more details because I would not want the hon. Member to take advantage of the question by the hon. for Kasempa to deal with the pertinent issue which has attracted the attention of the House.

Sir, the hon. Member for Choma Central is part of the council, which is one of the councils that procured the machines that have never been delivered. I do not think that it will be appropriate for me to respond to this matter because this is a comprehensive matter. It is not only Choma Central which is involved, but also Kalomo Central, Mazabuka Central and a few other councils that paid for the machinery that has not been delivered.

 Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

Mr Kampyongo: Sir, the Government cannot allow money to go to waste. The Constituency Development Fund (CDF), which is also Government’s money, was used to procure this machinery. I will wait for the information from the affected councils on what sort of contract they had gotten into because it is about the contractual obligations. If the money is being paid, it is supposed to be secured before it is released so that the other party is obliged to ensuring that it plays its part in the contract.

Mr Speaker, I would like this matter to be addressed amicably and, therefore, I will come back to this House with a comprehensive statement on how the ministry intends to proceed because such sums of money cannot be allowed to go to waste when our people are grappling in poverty in the areas where the machines are supposed to be used. 

Mr Speaker, that is the response I have for the hon. Member for Choma Central. He should not doubt the assurance that I have given to this House. The hon. Member is supposed to help the ministry recover that money and I need information from them on that.

 I thank you, Sir.  

RRU NON-MILITARY PERSONNEL TRANSFER TO ZNS

183. Mr Miyutu (Kalabo Central) asked the Minister of Defence:

(a)    whether the Government had any plans to integrate the non-military personnel who were working under the Rural Roads unit (RRU) following the takeover of the RRU by the Zambia National Service (ZNS); and

(b)    what the benefits of transferring the RRU to the ZNS were.

The Deputy Minister of Defence (Mr Mulenga): Mr Speaker, the Government is already in the process of integrating non-military personnel who were working under the Rural Roads unit (RRU) into the Zambia National Service (ZNS).

Sir, the benefit of moving the RRU to the ZNS is that the pooling together of resources such as skilled human resource, machinery and funds will enhance efficiency and effectiveness in the construction of feeder roads in a timely manner.

I thank you, Sir.

 Mr Miyutu: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has said that the Government is in the process of integrating the non-military personnel into the Zambia National Service (ZNS) Field. 

Sir, the ZNS is a purely military field while the RRU Department has civilian personnel. Since some of these civilians are above fifty years, will they be subjected to military training and fitness training so that they can become soldiers in the ZNS or what type of integration is the Government talking about?

 Mr Mulenga: Mr Speaker, …

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Can we have order on my right.

Mr Mulenga: Mr Speaker, the lower ranks in the RRU have already been integrated because their establishment and their payrolls have already been transferred to the ZNS by the Public Service Management Division (PSMD). We are now looking at the engineers whose integration is still being considered by the Cabinet Office. Whether those that are being integrated will go for military training, the ZNS, especially the Land Development Branch, had civilians whom it was working with even before the integration of the RRU took place. Therefore, the question of undergoing military training is voluntary. Those who would want to go for training when they are integrated will have to apply to be integrated into the ZNS military and those who will not want to go for military training will continue working as civilians.

 I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Hamudulu (Siavonga): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has indicated that the workforce from the Rural Roads Unit (RRU) will be integrated into the Zambia National Service (ZNS). May I have clarification on whether the integration will be holistic in the sense that all the workers from the RRU will be taken up by the ZNS or there will be specific positions that will be taken up by the ZNS. If that is the case, what will happen to those that will be left behind?    

Mr Mulenga: Mr Speaker, I have already answered that question by stating that the integration will be holistic. Everyone will be taken on board.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Lufuma (Kabompo West): Mr Speaker, my assumption is that the integration seeks to enhance discipline and efficiency in the manner projects are executed and that this is why the two units have been merged. It is a well-known fact that the army is disciplined and efficient. The hon. Deputy Minister has just told us that the Rural Roads Unit (RRU) personnel may not necessarily be trained as soldiers. In other words, there will be a disbalance between the two, and so, the efficiency that we seek may not be there. Is it not prudent, ...

Hon. Government Member: Disbalance?

Mr Lufuma: Can you just shu ...

Hon. UPND Member: It is English, the queen’s language.

Mr Speaker: Hon. Member, are you through?

Mr Lufuma: You have a problem, Sir.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: No. hon. Member for Kabompo West. Are you through?

Mr Lufuma: Mr Speaker, I am talking about that man (pointing at an hon. Government Member).

Mr Speaker: No, you cannot address anybody directly. It is not possible. I have just been addressing issues to do with that.

Mr Lufuma: Mr Speaker, thank you very much for your guidance. Is it not prudent for us to ensure discipline and efficiency? The civilian workers must, by necessity, be trained so that we derive the best out of them.

Mr Mulenga: Mr Speaker, the purpose of the synergy between civilians from the RRU and the ZNS is for funds and human resource to be brought together so that the challenges of constructing roads in rural areas, especially the feeder roads, are overcome. The merger was not necessarily for the civilians from the RRU to put on uniform, carry guns and go to war, but for them to provide a service to this country by constructing roads in the rural areas. This is why it is voluntary for them to go for military training and become regular soldiers is voluntary or remain as civilians. So, this is not an issue that the hon. Member can fail to understand.

Sir, discipline will still be maintained because these people will be under the supervision of their superiors, some of whom may not be fully trained soldiers. Some of the civilians working with the ZNS officers are qualified engineers. So, those are the people who will be supervising the works alongside the uniformed officers. In fact, as I am speaking, the engineers from the RRU and the ZNS officers are working together and they are performing very well.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Muntanga (Kalomo Central): Mr Speaker, the hon. Deputy Minister has answered part of the question, although I still want him to clarify the authority or hierarchy in the Zambia National Service (ZNS). The officers there have ranks such as major and lieutenant colonel, among others, and they work with orders. Will a qualified engineer be given a position higher than the rank of major and be allowed to supervise a ZNS officer? Or will these qualified people such as engineers be given temporary ranks so that the officers in the ZNS can obey their orders?

Mr Mulenga: Mr Speaker, earlier, I said that the integration of the engineers is still being looked at by the Cabinet. For this reason, I will refer the hon. Member to this response. The engineers from the RRU are qualified personnel although they found the ZNS officers already supervising the road works in the branches. So, the integration means that the Cabinet will look at the issues of hierarchy so that it is clearly stated who should supervise who.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mr Mtolo (Chipata Central): Mr Speaker, from the onset, I want to say that this is a very good move. Zambia needs discipline, order and efficiency. So, the Government should train others so that they also know what discipline is. When is the Government going to incorporate ZNS officers into sectors such as agriculture, construction and procurement so that we can have discipline in these fields? A lot of money has been misapplied because of this civilian indiscipline. This country needs order. So, when is the Government going to extend this to other sectors to ensure efficiency?

Mr Mulenga: Mr Speaker, this is just the beginning. The Ministry of Defence, through the ZNS, is fully involved in agriculture. The hon. Minister of Agriculture will agree with me that the ZNS is doing very well as far as agriculture is concerned.

Sir, I agree with the hon. Member on the issue of discipline. In fact, that was one of the reasons His Excellency the President thought of merging the RRU with the ZNS. In the beginning, the RRU staff would ask to be paid their allowances before they even did the work. This time around, things have changed. Allowances are only paid to them after they have completed their work, and these allowances are equivalent to the work done.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Pande: Mr Speaker, while we appreciate that the people working with the Zambia National Service (ZNS) in this project will not undergo military training, we need to be mindful of the fact that they are moving from a civilian to a military environment. Is the hon. Minister, therefore, saying these people will not even undergo some orientation in the operations of the ZNS?

Mr Mulenga: Mr Speaker, obviously, the people working with the ZNS officers will be oriented before they continue with their works. Some of them have already been oriented. One thing that the hon. Members should know is that this is not strange. There is nothing peculiar about the integration of civilians into the ZNS. We also have civilians working with the Zambia Army officers as well as the Zambia Air Force (ZAF). So, as I said earlier, we have civilians in the ZNS under the Land Development Branch and there is nothing peculiar about it. The civilians will be oriented, and so, they will work well with their colleagues who are in uniform.

I thank you, Sir.

MKUSHI DISTRICT HOSPITAL

184. Mrs Mphande (Mkushi North) asked the Minister of Health:

(a)    when the construction of Mkushi District Hospital would be completed and opened to the public;

(b)    what had caused the delay in completing the project; and

(c)    who the contractor for the project was.

The Deputy Minister of Health (Dr Chilufya): Mr Speaker, construction of Mkushi District Hospital is being done in three phases and the works are expected to be completed in July, 2016, as planned. The hospital will be opened to the public soon after completion. 

Mr Speaker, Phase I of the construction of Mkushi District Hospital has been completed. Phase II is currently on-going and the contractor is on site. Works are at approximately 90 per cent complete. The Ministry of Health noted the delay in completing Phase II and in an effort not to delay the overall project implementation timeline, my ministry resolved to simultaneously implement Phases II and III. Therefore, Phase III was awarded this year and work commenced in June. The project is on course and expected to be completed in July, 2016.

Mr Speaker, the contractor for Phase II is Zafeck Investments Limited of Kitwe, while Phase III is being carried out by African Contractors.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Mrs Mphande: Mr Speaker, considering that there has been congestion of patients at the old Mkushi District Hospital, what assurance is the hon. Minister giving me that the new hospital will be operational and opened to the public soon?

Dr Chilufya: Mr Speaker, the Government assurance being given today is that Mkushi District Hospital will be opened to the public as soon as it is completed, which is in July, 2016. As I have stated, for now Phase I is complete. Phase II is at an advanced stage with 90 per cent works completed and Phase III is under progress. Recruitment of human resource has been done and the procurement of equipment is ongoing. So we are confident that by July, 2016, or even before that, the hospital will be opened to the public.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Muntanga: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has accepted that there was a delay in the completion of Phase I and II. Similarly, that is the problem that the ministry is facing with the construction of other hospitals around the country. Therefore, has the ministry now completely resolved the cause of these delays so that we can be assured that the same problem will not recur in the third phase of construction of this particular hospital in Mkushi? 

Dr Chilufya: Mr Speaker, we handle each contract on a case-by-case basis. As things stand, we have already explored the reasons and have taken remedial measures with the hospitals that have had challenges in completion. In this particular case, in order to avoid the delay in completing the overall project in Mkushi, we decided to merge the last two phases. In other hospitals like in Kalomo, the problem was the capacity of the contractor and we have already rectified the challenge. At the moment, we are back on course with that hospital in Kalomo and many other hospitals.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Milambo (Mwembeshi): Mr Speaker, for us to appreciate the hon. Minister’s response, is he able to tell us the works which are being undertaken in every phase from I to III?

Dr Chilufya: Mr Speaker, in Phase I, we built the service block for the radiology department (theatre and x-ray), maternity ward and other related external works. In Phase II, what is under construction is an orthopedic (OPD) block, administration block and male ward. We also have four medium cost houses that are being built in Phase II. In Phase III, we have the female and children’s wards, six low cost houses and walkways under construction. 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

____________ 

BILLS

HOUSE IN COMMITTEE

[THE CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES in the 
Chair]

THE PROPERTY TRANSFER TAX (Amendment) BILL, 2015

Clauses 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Title agreed to.

THE VALUE ADDED TAX (Amendment) BILL, 2015

Clauses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Title agreed to.

THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2015

Clauses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and ordered to stand part of the Bill.

First, Second, Fourth and Ninth Schedules ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Title agreed to.

THE INCOME TAX (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2015

Clause 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 ordered to be part of the Bill.

Title agreed to.

THE LANDS (AMENDMENT BILL, 2015

Clause 1 ordered to be part of the Bill.

CLAUSE 2 – (Amendment of section 3)

The Minister of Finance (Mr Chikwanda): Mr Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 2, on page 3:

On page 3, in line 6 to 10

by the deletion of Clause 2.

Amendment is agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

Clause 2, as amended, ordered to stand of the Bill.

CLAUSE 3 – (Amendment of Section 4)

Mr Chikwanda: Mr Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 3, on page 4:

(a)    in lines 2 and 3

by the deletion of subparagraph (i);

(b)    in line 4

by the deletion of the item “(ii)” and the substitution therefor of the figure “(i)”; and

(c)    in line 7

by the deletion of the item “(iii)” and the substitution therefor of the item “(ii)”.

    by the renumbering of clauses 3 and 5 as clauses 2 and 3, respectively.

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

Clause 3, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 5 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Title agreed to.

THE INSURANCE PREMIUM LEVY BILL, 2015

Clauses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Long title agreed to.

________

HOUSE RESUMED

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

The following Bills were reported to the House as having passed through Committee without amendments:

The Property Transfer (Amendment) Bill, 2015

The Value Added Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2015

The Customs and Excise (Amendment) Bill, 2015

The Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2015

The Insurance Premium Levy Bill, 2015

Third Readings on Wednesday, 25th November, 2015.

The following Bill was reported to the House as having passed through Committee with amendments:

The Lands (Amendment) Bill, 2015
Report Stage on Wednesday, 25th November, 2015.

___________ 

COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY

[THE CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES in the 
Chair]

VOTE 33 (The Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry – 318,300,884).

(Consideration resumed)

The Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry (Mrs Mwanakatwe): Mr Chairperson, I thank you for allowing me this opportunity to wind up debate for the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry. 

Sir, let me start by commending the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) and Patriotic Front (PF) hon. Members of Parliament …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mrs Mwanakatwe: … for taking time to stay in the House, listen to my debate …

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Hon. Government Member: Bwekeshapo!

Mrs Mwanakatwe: … and give me very valuable contributions.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Hon. Government Member: Ema MP ayo!

Mrs Mwanakatwe: I want to appreciate the contributions of the three hon. Members of Parliament who debated and made some very interesting observations. Their contributions can only enrich what my ministry is doing.

Let me start with Hon. Victoria Kalima and appreciate her knowledge on co-operatives. Her main concern was the process and delay in the registration of co-operatives. Sir, the current law is such that a co-operative will take six months to come into being. We call this a study period where we teach the co-operators to be good ones.

Mr Chairperson, the Co-operative’s Act is under review and the process of registration will be reviewed. We want it to be as streamlined as possible and work like the Patents and Companies Registration Agency (PACRA). We want the registration process for co-operatives to take a maximum of seventy-two hours.

Mr Chairperson, Hon. Namulambe made some excellent contributions. The first one was a point of clarity. He wondered whether the company that is setting up operations in the Lusaka South Multi-Facility Economic Zone (MFEZ) is actually Zambia Metal Fabricators Limited (ZAMEFA), moving from Luanshya to Lusaka. Hon. Namulambe, it is not ZAMEFA. It is a brand new company that is, at least, a US$100 million worth of investment. It is a partnership between a Zambian and foreign investor. This company is a cable manufacturing company. We are very serious about value-addition and that is why this type of investment is being promoted. 

Sir, Hon. Namulambe’s second contribution concerned reservation schemes. He was magnanimous enough to congratulate this Government for putting through the first phase of the reservation scheme. All I would like to say on this matter is that we are serious about economic empowerment and about involving the citizenry in the development of this economy. We will carry out this programme in a very measured and orderly fashion. We will also ensure that all legislation which is required to put through these reservation schemes passes in this House. We want to make sure that jobs and investment are protected. As such, we welcome foreign investors and further welcome local business people who would like to partner with foreign investors. I want to stress that reservation schemes will be implemented in a very orderly manner. Before we implement any of these schemes, we will ensure that we will carry out thorough research to make sure that any sector of the economy that we will reserve for locals is very viable. 

Mr Chairperson, Hon. Namulambe also lamented Zambia being landlocked. We have stopped calling it landlocked, Hon. Namulambe. We call it land-linked because we know that this positioning of Zambia is very advantageous. We want to make sure that we open up business for Zambians and that is why we are signing bilateral agreements with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Angola to make sure that we are properly land-linked. 

Sir, Hon. Muchima commented on our lack of pride in being Zambian because we do not support local products. I would like to invite all the hon. Members here to support local products. This week, we have officially launched the “Proudly Zambian” week. We are unveiling the logo, “Proudly Zambian” and encourage local produce. Three weeks ago, I was in the United Kingdom (UK) and was amazed to find Zambian honey being sold in Harrods Department Store. Therefore, we will continue to showcase our products either locally or internationally. 

Mr Chairperson, Hon. Muchima also lamented the lack of a cannery in Ikeleng’i. I can assure the hon. Member that a cannery for pineapples will come. He also lamented the lack of sugar plantations in most parts of the country. I can assure this House that we will ensure that investment in this sector is registered. We are going to encourage competition in this sector. 

Sir, with those few words, I would like to thank you and the House for giving me an opportunity to present my budget.

I thank you, Sir. 

VOTE 33/01 – (Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry – Headquarters – K228,028,047). 

Mr Milambo (Mwembeshi): Mr Chairperson, may I have clarification on Programme 1182, Activity 009 – Motor Vehicle Insurance – K350,000 ...

The Chairperson: Order!

Business was suspended from 1615 hours until 1630 hours. 

[THE CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES OF COMMITTEES in the 
Chair]

Mr Milambo: Mr Chairperson, may I have clarification on Programme 1182, Activity 009 – Motor Vehicle Insurance – K350,000 ...

Mr Mwiimbu: On a point of order, Sir. 

The Chairperson: Order!

A point of order is raised.

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Chairperson, is it procedural for the hon. Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry, who is supposed to present her Vote on the Floor of the House, which we are considering, not to be present? The rules of this House state that if the mover of a Motion and his deputy are not in the House, the Motion lapses.

Mr Chairperson: Order!

Well, the hon. Deputy Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry is here, but that notwithstanding, let me seize this opportunity to advise hon. Members to be on time from the tea break because that is the only way we will be able to make progress. Definitely, the hon. Minister should have been here. 

Mrs Mwanakatwe walked into the Assembly Chamber. 

Mr Milambo: Mr Chairperson, may I have clarification on Programme 1182, Activity 009 – Motor Vehicle Insurance – K350,000. The premium for insurance has been kept constant. Does this mean that even the insured value has also been kept constant? 

The Deputy Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry (Mr Mpundu): Mr Chairperson, Programme 1182, Activity 009 – Motor Vehicle Insurance – K350,000, has remained constant because when calculating insurance premiums, the equated annual payments formula is used. This means that the amount of the premium is supposed to be constant. 

I thank you, Sir. 

Mr Mutelo (Lukulu West): Mr Chairperson, normally, when we are here, they complain. 

Laughter

Mr Mutelo: Sir, may I have clarification on Programme 1137, Activity 028 – Tender Evaluations – K123,400. In 2015, the allocation was K91,201. May I know why there is an increase in the allocation for this activity when all other allocations seem to be reducing? 

Mr Mpundu: Mr Chairperson, aah!

The Chairperson: The activity is on Page 504.

Mr Mwiimbu’s phone rang.

Laughter 

Mr Mwiimbu left the Assembly Chamber.

Laughter 

The Chairperson: Maybe, I should give the hon. Member for Lukulu West an opportunity to repeat his question. 

Mr Mutelo: Sir, I seek clarification on Programme 1137, Activity 028 – Tender Evaluations – K123,400. Why is there an increase in the allocation? 

The Chairperson: Why has the amount increased in Programme 1137, Activity 028 – Tender Evaluations – K123,400? 

Mr Mpundu: Mr Chairperson, the increase in Programme 1137, Activity 028 – Tender Evaluations – K123,400 is due to an expected increase in costs associated with advertisements. This is an on-going programme.

I thank you, Sir.

Vote 33/01 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. 

VOTE 33/02 – (Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry – Planning and Information Department – K44,782,989). 

Mr Mutelo: Mr Chairperson, may I have clarification on Programme 1133, Activity 062 – Review of Commerce, Trade and Industry Related Legislation – K300,000. This review has been done this year. However, it has also been budgeted for in 2016 and the amount has increased from K160,000 to K300,000. Why is this so? 

Mr Mpundu: Sir, the hon. Member did not mention the activity.  

The Chairperson: No, he did. He mentioned Activity 062 – Review of Commerce, Trade and Industry Related Legislation – K300,000, whose amount has increased from K160,000. Why has the amount increased? 

Mr Mpundu: Mr Chairperson, the increase in Programme 1133, Activity 062 – Review of Commerce, Trade and Industry Related Legislation – K300,000 is as a result of the increased number of Bills to be reviewed. 

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Milambo: Sir, may I have clarification on Programme 1217, Activity 004 – Entrepreneurship Development (3) – K29,820,000. In 2015, there was no budget for this activity. May I know whether this is a new activity.

The Chairperson: Hon. Minister, is Programme 1217, Activity 004 – Entrepreneurship Development (3) – K29,820,000 a new activity?

Mr Mpundu: Sir, 1217, Activity 004 – Entrepreneurship Development (3) – K29,820,000 is a project financed by the African Development Bank and will focus on value-chain development under the Citizen’s Economic Empowerment Fund (CEEF). It is a new programme. 

I thank you, Sir. 

Mr Mtolo (Chipata Central): Mr Chairperson, may I have clarification on Programme 1192, Activity 016 – Production of Annual SNDP Progress Report – K270,000. Is it the mandate of this ministry to plan for this activity?

Mr Mpundu: Mr Chairperson, Programme 1192, Activity 016 – Production of Annual SNDP Progress Report – K270,000 is a component relating to commerce and it is supposed to be budgeted for under this ministry. 

I thank you, Sir.

Vote 33/02 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

VOTE 33/04 – (Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry – Industry Department – K11,532,294). 

Mr Mutelo: Mr Chairperson, may I have clarification on Programme 1217, Activity 029 – Promotion of MSMES Access to Finance(1) – K4,970,000. The increase from K100,000 is tremendous. Even if increasing these amounts is commendable, what necessitated this increase?

Mr Mpundu: Mr Chairperson, the provision in Programme 1217, Activity 029 – Promotion of MSMES Access to Finance(1) – K4,970,000 will cater for the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises’ access to finance. The increase is due to the expected support from co-operating partners such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). This is an on-going activity.

I thank you, Sir. 

Vote 33/04 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

VOTE 33/05 – (Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry – Domestic Trade Department – K2,509,406).

Mr Mutelo: Mr Chairperson, may I have clarification on Programme 1180, Activity 010 – Street Based Trade – K10,000. 

Sir, the constant response that has been given to explain increments is that programmes are on-going. I suppose that this activity is also on-going. However, the allocation for this particular activity has reduced from K229,000 to K10,000. Why the reduction when it is also on-going? 

Mr Mpundu: Mr Chairperson, the decrease in Programme 1180, Activity 010 – Street Based Trade – K10,000 is due to the reduction in the scope of work in 2016. Indeed, it is also an on-going activity. 

I thank you, Sir. 

Vote 33/05 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. 

Vote 33/06 ordered to stand part of the Estimates 

Vote 33/10 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. 

Vote 33/16 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

Vote 33/17 ordered to stand part of the Estimates 

Vote 33/18 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. 

Vote 33/20 ordered to stand part of the Estimates 

Vote 33/21 ordered to stand part of the Estimates 

Vote 33/22 ordered to stand part of the Estimates 

Vote 33/23 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. 

Vote 33/24 ordered to stand part of the Estimates 

Vote 33/25 ordered to stand part of the Estimates 

Vote 33/26 ordered to stand part of the Estimates 

Vote 33/27 ordered to stand part of the Estimates 

Vote 33/28 ordered to stand part of the Estimates 

VOTE 33/29 – (Ministry of Commerce Trade and Industry – North-Western Province – District Agriculture Co-ordination Office – K450,000).

Mr Mutelo: Mr Chairperson, may I have clarification on Head 33/29 ...

Hon. Government Members: Page?

Mr Mutelo: Page 541.

Mr Muntanga: On a point of order, Sir.

The Chairperson: A point of order is raised.

Mr Muntanga: Mr Chairperson, notwithstanding the fact that our hon. Members are actively looking at the Budget, are the Back Benchers at the corner, who are disturbing you, in order to hold a caucus meeting ...

Hon. Opposition Member: PF Back Bench.

Mr Muntanga: ... against the approval of the Budget when the hon. Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry gets concerned when other people are not participating?

The Chairperson: They are definitely not in order. Actually, I am just ignoring or pretending not to hear the noise, but they are not in order, particularly right at the back. You can imagine what would happen if I sent all of you out. There is that possibility, but I do not want to.

Laughter 

Mr Mutelo: Mr Chairperson, may I have clarification on Unit 01, Programme 1048, Activity 008 – Conduct Co-operative Inspections, Arbitration and Investigations – K22,000, Unit 02, Programme 1048, Activity 008 – Conduct Co-operative Inspections, Arbitration and Investigations – K27,000, Unit 03, Programme 1048, Activity 008 – Conduct Co-operative Inspections, Arbitration and Investigations – K22,000, Unit 04, Programme 1048, Activity 008 – Conduct Co-operative Inspections, Arbitration and Investigations – K22,000, Unit 05, Programme 1048, Activity 008 – Conduct Co-operative Inspections, Arbitration and Investigations – K27,000 and Unit 06, Programme 1048, Activity 008 – Conduct Co-operative Inspections, Arbitration and Investigations – K22,000. Why has the figure for Co-operative Formation and Registration been alternating between K22,000 and K27,000 while the figure for Co-operative Promotion has remained constant at  K18,000? 

Mr Mpundu: Mr Chairperson, the figures represent the ceilings they were given at head quarters.

I thank you, Sir. 

Vote 33/29 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. 

Vote 33/30 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

VOTE 33/31 – (Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry – Luapula Province – District Agriculture Co-ordinating Office – K880,000).

Mr Mutelo: Mr Chairperson, may I have clarification on Unit 15, Programme 1048, Activity 008 – Conduct Co-operative Inspections, Arbitration and Investigations – K40,000. Why has the amount for this activity in Luapula Province increased, yet it is K27,000 and K22,000 the North-Western Province?

Mr Mpundu: Mr Chairperson, Unit 15, Programme 1048, Activity 008 – Conduct Co-operative Inspections, Arbitration and Investigations – K40,000 is meant for more activities that will be undertaken in Luapula Province.

Thank you, Sir.

Vote 33/31ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

Vote 33/32 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

VOTE 33/33–(Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry – Lusaka Province – District Agriculture Co-ordinating Office – K393,981).

Mr Mutelo: Mr Chairperson, may I have clarification on Unit 01, Programme 1048 – Activity 014 – Co-operative Formation, Registration, Arbitration and Investigation – K14,404. Does it mean there are fewer activities in Lusaka Province and more activities in Luapula Province?

Mr Mpundu: Mr Chairperson, Unit 01, Programme 1048 – Activity 014 – Co-operative Formation, Registration, Arbitration and Investigation – K14,404 is meant for co-operatives since they differ from district to district, hence different amounts being budgeted for under each district.

Thank you, Sir.

Vote 33/33 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

Vote 33/34 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

Vote 33/36ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

Vote 33/37ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

VOTE 46 – (Ministry of Health– K4,436,592,856).

The Minister of Health (Dr Kasonde): Mr Chairperson, thank you for allowing me to present my statement in support of my ministry’s 2016 Budget.

Sir, perhaps, you will allow me to preface my remarks by sharing with the previous speaker my disgust and dismay at the violence that was unleashed on the habitat of Her Honour the Vice-President of the Republic and Minister of Development Planning.

Ms Kapata: Shame! UPND!

The Chairperson: It is previous debater because when you say previous speaker, it might refer to the hon. Speaker.

Laughter

Dr Kasonde: Thank you, Sir.

Mr Chairperson, His Excellency the President, in his visionary and futuristic address to this august Assembly, articulated the policy basis for the continued development of health care in our country. He provided guidance on the structural changes that would be needed to ensure a focused and co-ordinated …

Interruptions

The Chairperson: Order, on my right, please! 

I think you have gotten used to making a lot of noise when somebody is speaking. You can consult each other from the corridor.

Continue, hon. Minister.

Dr Kasonde: … response to the challenges of tomorrow. Specifically, he announced the realignment of the function of the mother and child health to my ministry. On his part, the hon. Minister of Finance in his candid, innovative and highly responsive treatise on the economic and fiscal realities drew attention to the need to set priorities for cost-effective management. He identified elements of the strategic plan which deserve priority attention, namely service delivery, construction, drug supply, human resources and social protection. I shall elaborate on these priorities in the context of our mission to provide equitable access to cost-effective quality health care services to the people of Zambia as close to the family as possible in a clean, caring and competent environment.

Therefore, Mr Chairperson, in my submission, I shall begin by giving an outline of our broad strategic directions and specific priority areas for action. This will be followed by a brief analytical description of the budgetary envelope in its global and national context. I shall conclude by pointing to key features of my proposal which are common to most budget lines.

Sir, the broad sector strategic directions include:

Merging of the sector

Mr Chairperson, following the presidential announcement to transfer the functions of mother and child health from the Ministry of Community Development to my ministry, we will prioritise, with great effort, the design of the re-entry of the mother and child health component into the Ministry of Health. In practical terms, this means the Ministry of Health will take back these functions to strengthen further the continuum of primary to tertiary care.

Universal health coverage

Sir, achieving universal health coverage implies implementing policies that will ensure that all people access health services they need without suffering financial hardship. More importantly, universal health coverage is a critical element in any strategy to address poverty and social exclusion. It is for this important reason that universal health coverage has been included and forms a key pillar in the Post 2015 Sustainable Development Agenda.

 Health Care Financing – National Social health Insurance

Mr Chairperson, as way of bridging the current financing gap and moving towards the attainment of the universal health coverage, the Government has put emphasis on the establishment of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NSHIS). Although the development of the NSHIS has long reached an advanced stage, its implementation still awaits the finalisation of the Social Protection Bill and submission to Parliament. For 2016, K6.3 million has been allocated towards the establishment of this scheme. 

 Procurement, Storage and Distribution of Drugs 

Sir, the improvement of essential medicines supply and logistical systems remain a priority for the health sector. In order to ensure drug security, the following measures have been taken:

(a)    establishment of an Emergency Drug or Strategic Fund for essential medicines. The purpose of the fund is to ensure that there are no stock-outs of essential drugs;

(b)    facilitation of the establishment of drug manufacturing companies in Ndola and in Lusaka;

(c)    streamlining the procurement of essential drugs and medical supplies to enhance efficiency. A cardinal element in this exercise is the transfer of the procurement function to one dedicated entity, currently the Medical Stores Limited, starting immediately and proceeding cautiously; and

(d)    implementing our proposal to establish a multi-sectoral unit for the monitoring the monitoring and control of pilferage.

Sir, within the framework of the supply chain strategy, the ministry has established the Choma, Chipata and Mongu hubs to address the last mile distribution of drugs and other essential commodities. It is our intention to establish more hubs in the coming year. So, let us briefly look at the past performance and priorities for 2016.

Disease Control

Mr Chairperson, the human immuno-deficiency virus/ acquired immuno-deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), malaria and tuberculosis (TB) remain a priority of the health sector in Zambia. Overall, the main focus, in 2016, will be to reduce incidents of both communicable and non-communicable diseases. Although the HIV prevalence rate has reduced from 14.3 per cent to 13.3 per cent, between 2007 and 2013, it is still high compared to some sub-Saharan Region average of 5 per cent. With regard to its programming, the Anti-retroviral Therapy (ART) Programme has made tremendous strides since the introduction of free ARVs in our public health institutions by the Government. Currently, there are 47,769 children and 625,546 adults on treatment. 

Sir, adult ART coverage increased from 25 per cent for those in need, in 2005, to 90 per cent, in 2015. However, there is still a lot to be done in order to improve the coverage of children on ART, which is still low at only 32 per cent.

 Mr Chairperson, in 2016, the ministry will prioritise prevention specifically to:

(a)    achieve zero mother-to-child transmission by increasing access to services for prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT); 

(b)    increase the information flow on dangers of multiple sexual partners; and

(c)    increase the proportion of people testing HIV, including self and voluntary; and 

(d)    provide initiated HIV testing. 

In addition to prevention, the ministry will also focus on scaling up advanced treatment centres in various parts of our country.

Malaria

Mr Chairperson, malaria still remains a major public health challenge. In an attempt to reduce a high incidence and prevalence of malaria in Zambia, the Ministry of Health, through the National Malaria Control Programme, has been implementing and will scale-up the following measures towards malaria elimination:

(a)    scaling up the distribution and use of insecticide-treated nets ;

(b)    increasing indoor residual spraying;

(c)    enhancement of intermittent preventive treatment (IPT) during pregnancy; 

(d)    improving surveillance and reporting at clinic level; 

(e)    implementing mass screening and treatment (MSAT) campaigns in most districts; and     

(f)    increasing diagnosis and treatment of cases at health facilities and community levels.

Sir, with these actions, I have no doubts that the attainment of the malaria free Zambia is possible.

Tuberculosis (TB)

Mr Chairperson, TB remains one of the top priority diseases for Zambia. According to recently released results of the TB prevalence survey in Zambia, the TB prevalence rate for all ages is at 455 per 100,000. However, the total number of TB cases has declined from 48,594, in 2013, to 42,716, in 2014. The ministry will continue to work towards further reduction of the prevalence rate. Moreover, the ministry will continue to work with co-operating partners and other stakeholders to prevent the outbreaks of diseases such as cholera and typhoid and Ebola. 

Non-Communicable Diseases

Sir, with regard to non-communicable diseases, the ministry is concerned about the rising incidence of non-communicable diseases, including cancer hypertension, diabetes and trauma. These are all a reflection of the changing life styles, including smoking, increased alcohol consumption, bad diets and physical inactivity. The focus, therefore, will continue to be on promoting healthy life styles.

Neglected Tropical Disease 

Mr Chairperson, Neglected Tropical Disease such as Filariasis, commonly as elephantiasis, trauma and bilharzia need to be controlled. In order to achieve this, a robust monitoring system and disease surveillance has been commenced to track progress and to identify any new health threats.

Sir, I am proud to announce that Zambia has been nominated by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to establish the Africa Regional Centre for Disease Control. This is a major opportunity, honour and responsibility. In partnership with the United States of America Centre for Disease Control, the ministry is training a co-group of public health specialist and setting up a Zambia National Public Health Institute (ZNPHI), which will form the foundation for the African Regional Centre for Disease Control. My ministry has already secured commitment for the National Public Health Institute to be based at the National Institute of Scientific and Industrial Research campus.

Service Delivery and Modernisation of Health Services

Mr Chairperson, the ministry is committed to providing quality health services as close to the people as possible. The services include both static and mobile health services. 

Sir, with regard to mobile health services, a total of 44,602 clients have been attended to and 1,494 operations conducted countrywide, in 2015. This was during routine mobile outreach to the provinces. Further, specialist outreach services were provided in four provinces, namely the Southern, Luapula, Muchinga and the Northern provinces. In 2016, my ministry will extend the service to unreachable areas and broaden the scope of work, especially in primary health care.

 Mr Chairperson, in line with the hospital modernisation programme and the effort to improve access to specialised treatment locally and reduce the referrals abroad, my ministry has procured and operationalised several high-tech imaging services at various levels of care. Such service includes the introduction of computerised tomograpgy (CT) scan services at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) Cancer Diseases Hospital, Ndola, Kitwe and Livingstone, Chipata, Mansa and Kasama General hospitals. 

Interventional Imaging, (Catheterisation Laboratory) which is important in cardiac disease diagnosis has been introduced at the UTH and installations are being finalised.

Mr Chairperson, to promote early detection of breast cancer, ten mammography x-ray machines are now operational in ten hospitals around the country. I am happy to inform the House that a helicopter has been procured to ease the transportation of patients.

Infrastructure Development

Sir, with regard to infrastructure, the Ministry of Health, in 2015, continued to rehabilitate, upgrade and create new facilities in order to improve service delivery as well as increase access to cost-effective health care services. Other major development programmes include the process of modernising the UTH, Kitwe Central Hospital, Ndola Central Hospital and the Livingstone Central Hospital. The upgrading of hospitals is aimed at improving the quality of care and hospital services.

Maternal and Child Health

Mr Chairperson, I wish to inform the House that Zambia achieved the millennium development goal (MDG) No.4 on reducing child mortality by 2015. Thanks to our colleagues in the Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child Health. This achievement is very much to their credit. We reached the set target of 60 per thousand live births. This was achieved through various interventions such as the introduction of pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccines and the measles second dose. This year, the ministry procured and distributed electric and solar vaccine fridges to ensure that we give our children optimal quality vaccines. In order to eliminate polio, we will introduce injectable vaccines, in 2016, in all districts. 

Sir, the ministry will continue to scale up interventions that promote maternal health and these include; emergency obstetric and neonatal care, focused antenatal care, family planning and ensuring availability of adequate human resources.

Human Resources for Health

Mr Chairperson, in 2015, the ministry has continued to address the human resources needs in order to meet the current demand for health services. In this regard, the Ministry of Health, in 2015, has continued to prioritise training of health personnel such as frontline workers and specialists in community health assistance. All this is meant to address the overall objective of ending the human resource challenge in the health sector and improve access to quality of health services by 2020.

Mr Chairperson, the Ministry of Health increased the human resource staff establishment from 13,147, in 2014, to 14,391, in 2015. This is against an agreed and approved establishment of 18,110.

Budget Analysis

Sir, the budget allocation to the Ministry of Health is K4,436,592,856. Out of this allocation, K2.7 billion will cover personal emoluments, including the net recruitment of 2,500 health personnel, which will receive K73,863,532. The remaining amount of K1.7 billion will cover all sector programmes, which include K754,000,000 million for drugs and medical supplies and K387 million for medical infrastructure and equipment. A sum of K15.1 million has been allocated to settle staff debt.

Mr Chairperson, in 2016, infrastructure development has been allocated a total of K340.7 million and the main focus will be towards the completion of on-going projects, which are under construction. Focus will also be placed on:

(a)    completion of first level hospitals under construction and construction of first level hospitals in districts that are currently not served with first level referral facilities;

(b)    extension and rehabilitation of already existing  health facilities;

(c)    upgrading of secondary level institutions to provide tertiary level health care;

(d)    completion of construction of 650 health posts countrywide, and

(e)    continued rehabilitation of health facilities and training institutions.

Sir, this year’s sector budget allocation, I must note, is at 8.3 per cent of the total Government Budget for 2016. Therefore, in the budget, hon. Members should expect to note three features, which are:

(a)    general reduction in the allocation to individual budget lines;

(b)    protection of essential services such as drugs, district services, vaccines and utilities; and

(c)    pooled procurement and partner support in specific areas such as anti-retrovirals (ARVs), malaria, maternal and child health.

In conclusion, let me reiterate the Government’s commitment to universal health coverage, through which we shall attain, on the one hand, access to all communities, rural and urban, to quality health care, and on the other hand, the highest level of clinical care in a clean, caring and competent environment. 

Sir, it is with these overall objectives in mind that my ministry shall give priority to:

(a)    an elimination strategy for selected conditions such as mother-to-child transmission of HIV to malaria and to trachoma and syphilis;

(b)    preventive and promotive services;

(c)    improvements in the quality of medical care with emphasis on caring;

(d)    universal access to medicines and related supplies; and

(e)    stable financial support to health care.

These priorities inform the allocation of resources while providing for significant overall shrinkage in the budgetary envelope.

Mr Chairperson, I seek the unreserved support of hon. Members for the budget that I now submit.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Pande (Kasempa): Mr Chairperson, thank you for giving me an opportunity to debate the Ministry of Health Budget. I will be very brief. Before I go into my debate, I want to state that I support the budget line and that the hon. Minister of Health and the hon. Deputy Minister are good examples of hon. Ministers that are responsive when issues are brought to their attention.

Sir, having said that, I would like to say that service delivery, particularly in rural areas, is below par. The reason is probably because the hon. Minister does not get this information. The hon. Minister is supposed to be fed with information from the districts and provinces.

Mr Chairperson, I will talk about Kasempa, whose state of affairs may be the general pattern in the province. The staffing levels in the district hospitals are very low. In some instances, some health centres have absolutely no one to attend to the patients.

Sir, the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) has facilitated the creation of more than four clinics in the district and, to date, only one is operational due to a shortage of staff. I was advised by the ministry headquarters and the hon. Minister that what should happen after the completion of these clinics is for medical staff at the district to be informed or hand over the facilities to the Ministry of Health. That has been done. Unfortunately, we still do not have staff in these various clinics.

Sir, the people of Kasempa and the North-Western Province in general do not understand why we should have a shortage of health staff at these clinics because there is Mukinge, Kalene and Solwezi nursing schools in the province. Trained nurses graduate from these institutions every year and, therefore, it is difficult to understand none of these are deployed to the local clinics. 

Mr Chairperson, I would like the hon. Minister to take keen interest in the operations of health staff at the district level. Unlike the Ministry of Health, other ministries, such as the Ministry of General Education, are very responsive to our programmes under the CDF. It is like workers in the Ministry of Health are being forced to work. I think this should not be the case. They are the ones who should be pushing for improved health facilities, instead of the hon. Member of Parliament and community. Further, sometimes, a clinic is constructed from the beginning to the end without a single visit by anybody from the Ministry of Health Headquarters. The only time that the ministry participates in the CDF projects is when the designs are being done. We request that ministry officials be present so that they know our ideal structure for a given facility. 

Mr Chairperson, the other issue I want to bring to the attention of the hon. Minister is on maternity facilities in rural areas. As you may be aware, Kasempa is the biggest constituency in this country. It is a district and constituency. In size, it is 21,000 sq. km. It is only smaller by 1,000 sq. km to Malawi, but bigger than Swaziland. Therefore, you can imagine how many women need to be attended to if we are to reduce maternal mortality rate in the area. However, most health facilities in the constituency have no maternity wards. It is only through the CDF that we have been putting up structures to help mothers deliver. Even then, the issue of staffing comes in. Therefore, as we approve this budget, the hon. Minister should consider what can be done for the rural areas in this regard. We have concentrated on improving health services along the line of rail too much.

Mr Chairperson, let me come to the health posts which were mentioned by the hon. Minister. In Kasempa, only two foundations for these health posts have been laid put to date. With the onset of the rains, the construction sites have now been flooded with water. We do not even know when these projects will finally come to fruition. We do not know whether the contractor has abandoned the work or there is another reason these projects have not been completed. We have been talking about these facilities since 2011 and we expected that by now, they should have been operational. As the hon. Minister comes to wind up, I would like him to explain what is happening to these facilities.

Mr Chairperson, public administration at district level leaves a lot to be desired. Maybe, it is because some officers have been in some places for too long. They do not pay attention to our appeals. For example, there was a time when the ablution block at Kasempa District Hospital collapsed. It stayed for months without being rehabilitated. It is only when the Republican President visited Kasempa that works on fixing this ablution block started. However, when he left, the works were abandoned. I do not think that is the right way of operating. As I said, the hon. Minister and his deputy have, at least, been helpful to Kasempa Constituency. Therefore, even as I state these things, I am hoping that they will come to rescue the people of Kasempa.

Mr Chairperson, I had indicated that I will be very brief and, therefore, let me come to my final remarks. In 2014, the Ministry of Health indicated that Kasempa District Hospital would be built in 2016. I hope the ministry’s 2016 budget has money for that project. As councillors, we sat down and decided to allocate a very big portion of land to this purpose so as to even cater for future expansion. At the moment, Mukinge Mission Hospital is overwhelmed with patients. As a result, there is a need to have a Government-owned district hospital in the area. I hope the hon. Minister will recall the promise he made in this regard, bearing in mind that what we say on the Floor of this House must always come to fruition.

Mr Chairperson, with those few words, I support the budget for this ministry and appeal to the hon. Minister to attend to the administration bottlenecks at district level so that the health facilities can reach the people of Kasempa, as per the ministry’s desire.

Thank you, Mr Chairperson.

Mr Mufalali (Senanga): Mr Chairperson, thank you for giving me an opportunity to add a few words to the discussion on the Floor. From the outset, may I indicate that I support the Vote for the Ministry of Health. However, I have a few areas that I want the hon. Minister to pay attention to as he tries to improve the health services in this country.

Mr Chairperson, to start with, let me refer to my constituency, Senanga. We are grateful that Senanga District Hospital has been upgraded. I think that, very soon, it will be one of the general hospitals. The upgrade is welcome. However, to meet the standard of being a district hospital, it needs matching equipment. At the moment we are lagging behind in this regard. 

Mr Chairperson, the upgrade has come with its own challenges and I think the hon. Minister is aware of that. Since the district hospital was upgraded, and the district headquarters moved from Shang’ombo, some departments such as the out-patient and maternal health services had to be moved to small clinics like Senanga Health Centre. I think this has seriously affected many people who have to walk long distances because Senanga Health Centre is the only urban clinic within the constituency. We would like to ask the hon. Minister to consider opening another clinic, maybe, up north, far from the district hospital because the urban clinic is seriously congested. 

Mr Chairperson, I also think that Litambya Rural Health Centre, in Senanga, has its own challenges. My request is that it be upgraded to an urban clinic because, at the moment, its challenges are quite huge. As I have indicated, the majority of the people in the constituency, from even as far as Litambya are receiving maternal health care from one urban clinic, which is almost about 10 km away in some instances.

Mr Chairperson, the challenge that we notice in Senanga is that of staff establishment. The hon. Minister has just indicated that there is expansion of staff establishment, which is most welcome. I think that Senanga has not been spared from the shortage of manpower. Even as we upgrade Senanga General Hospital and other clinics around it, I think we are severely affected for we do not have enough manpower. We have two doctors, but need more. One doctor, I think, is helping the Director at the district while the other one was brought in from Congo. According to the promises made in 2013, extra doctors were to be provided, but we have waited enough. So far, we have not received any doctor.

Mr Chairperson, the hon. Minister has indicated that there is a helicopter that will help in moving patients. This helicopter must be stationed in Senanga.

Hon. Government Members: Hmmmm!

Mr Mufalali: Yes!

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: Mr Chairperson, the hon. Minister has indicated that there is a helicopter coming and I am the first one to request that it should be stationed in Senanga …

Mr Mutelo: Hear, hear!

Mr Mufalali: … so that it can help other nearby places in the Western Province. The flooding situation we have poses a challenge in the movement of patients by ambulances. So, the helicopter should be stationed in Senanga to help the people in the Western Province.

Mr Chairperson, I want to also urge the hon. Minister to move away from the traditional way of management of the health sector. The traditional way has been that the Ministry of Health procures equipment and maintains it. I think we need to start moving away from that management style. Technologies are advancing and I do not see us managing to maintain this equipment. I think the better way to get this equipment which will be able to help us run our hospitals effectively is to lease. We can get the equipment from the manufacturers and lease it so that the manufacturers can maintain the equipment themselves and we just pay for the services that they will provide. I think that is what they do in Europe. They lease the equipment while the owners maintain it. 

Mr Chairperson, being a Member of the Committee on Health, I have seen that there is a lot of equipment that has failed to function or not being maintained properly. The only way out of having equipment that is not functioning is to lease it. I think if we leased the equipment, the providers of the equipment would be able to provide the equipment even in Senanga where we have a shortfall of machinery that we could use in the many areas of health management. I want to implore the hon. Minster that since we cannot satisfy all the hospitals with the necessary equipment, if it is leased, the manufacturers will be able to provide the needed equipment. 

Mr Chairperson, the modern way of managing hospital wards is by outsourcing services. I spoke to the hon. Minister on a model that is used in South Africa and other parts of the world where linen is being maintained by a hired company and not the hospital. The company is able to clean the linen and the wards. If we can go into that direction and try to sample how this can be done, I am sure we can reach the standard which we really require in our hospitals.

Mr Chairperson, on the 650 hospitals, I know the hon. Minister has scratched this issue. I think we have waited for these 650 hospitals …

The Chairperson: Health posts.

Mr Mufalali: Health posts, I mean.

Mr Chairperson, even as the ministry expands the establishment, the health posts need to start working for our people. I think the waiting of these health posts has been long. Speaking for Senanga, the construction of only one health post has been completed, for others, only foundations have been laid while in other places there is nothing happening. We are told the contractor must have been on site, but this contractor is nowhere to been seen. 

Mr Chairperson, we need the ministry to be proactive and follow up on this contractor so that something can be done about this. We are almost in 2016 and these health posts are nowhere near the people. 

Mr Chairperson, the other thing is that we want to thank the hon. Minister for the nursing school, but we need equipment and much more. As we open this nursing school, we still need your support to ensure that it is functional.

Mr Chairperson, I thank you.

Mr Muchima (Ikeleng’i): Mr Chairperson, the hon. Minister needs our support. We all cannot pretend for we all end up in clinics or hospitals. Economic development actually depends on three aspects which are road infrastructure, health and education. 

Mr Chairperson, I listened to the objectives of the hon. Minister for quality service delivery and that is the way to go. However, we need that quality service delivery in the rural parts of the country where poor people are. As my colleagues have mentioned, we used some Constituency Development Fund (CDF) money to put up health posts, but we were told by technocrats from your offices that they are not built according to agreed upon standards. We now invite them to replace the health posts we built with the ones of acceptable standard because what we need is a health post, the standard can come later. 

Mr Chairperson, in my constituency I put up a lot of these health posts that is why they have allocated very few health posts out of that 650. The ones I built in every ward have not been opened for five years now. There is one which is opened in a place near Angola called Chiyokolo. We were told, on the Floor of the House, that the ministry is coming up with a formula on how to reduce the shortage of staff by involving community workers, who will be paid somehow. We received that message from your predecessors with both hands, hon. Minister. However, today that programme has not taken off. 

Mr Chairperson, we have health posts without medical staff let alone medicine. These health posts need even community workers who should be motivated in one way or another. The mothers in the villages who help in delivering children, I do not know how you call them, previously, were helped with bicycles and other things. They used to do a commendable job. Hon. Minister, I thought, we needed to improve on that. In the rural areas, the communities are so organised in a manner that if you put in a bit of effort from here, you will be amazed at what degree of service delivery we can achieve.

Mr Chairperson, on the construction of the hospital in Ikeleng’i, let me thank the hon. Minister of Works and Supply for sending your hon. Deputy Minister to see what I have been talking about. The hon. Deputy Minister was on radio saying that he only found a foundation and overgrown grass at the hospital site. I hope that our hospital, which is being built there, will not end in the situation which the Deputy Minister of Works and Supply, Hon. Dr Mwali, found. 

The situation is chaotic because projects that are being started are being abandoned. There is nothing that is happening. The hon. Deputy Minister of Works and Supply went there and confirmed this. I salute him and urge him to go everywhere and prove what we are talking about. The truth is that people are just playing out there, but the House is being given different information. I congratulate the hon. Minister for having started his tour with Ikeleng’i. He must also reach Jimbe and inspect the progress on the road works. 

Mr Chairperson, I am connecting the issue of good road infrastructure to the Ministry of Health because it is necessary for a person to move to a good health facility. Otherwise, people may be dying on their way to health institutions. This is why I said that economic development depends on good road infrastructure and education if people are to understand situations and be healthy. 

Mr Chairperson, we also need the Government to sympathise with us and drill boreholes in the same manner it is putting up health posts. I have noted two or three foundations for health posts in my area although I do not know where the contractors are. However, we hope that their construction will be completed.

Mr Chairperson, boreholes and electricity are needed. For example, we have a hydropower station in my constituency, courtesy of the missionaries who are in the area. This power can be easily connected. This is the social responsibility of the Government to its people. 

Sir, the population is growing, yet the supply of essential drugs is dependent on Kaleni Mission Hospital. This mission hospital is offering the people of Zambia a service, but we also need to come in and meet the shortfalls.

Sir, like Hon. Pande put it, we produce nurses and, therefore, should not run short of staff within our area. The problem is that our nurses want to work in urban and not rural areas. However, when there are college places available, they want to train in our areas and later run away to find jobs in urban areas. There should be restrictions to make people serve, at least, even for two years in rural areas before they go to urban areas.
Sir, I got wind of a rumour. I do not know how true it is that some Congolese doctors serving in our hospitals in the North-Western Province, who are so committed to work, will be laid off. It is causing a lot of anxiety. If the few doctors that we have will be laid off, is the Government promising us that more doctors will be deployed? 

Mr Chairperson, we are happy with the way the hon. Deputy Minister of Health tours the country. This is what we want. We want him to visit rural areas of the country, especially. We need this kind of commitment so that the Government is abreast of situations.  

Mr Chairperson, there is one place called Kerondu, as you go to Ikeleng’i, near the source of the Zambezi River. This place was cited for the construction of a clinic, but was omitted. I checked and found that it is on the ministry’s programme, but has never been considered at all. This clinic is near a tourist site, which is the source of the Zambezi River. I have tried to fight for its inclusion on the ministry’s plans to no avail. I have now just opted to use my own money to help with the construction of a clinic. However, before that, I need to exhaust the Government’s options.

Dr Phiri: Constituency Development Fund (CDF).

Mr Muchima: The CDF for 2015 is nowhere to be seen to date. Even if it was, there are a lot of encumbrances from the Ministry of Local Government and Housing. It is no longer what it used to be where an hon. Member of Parliament could direct its use. 

Mr Chairperson, we welcome the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). However, we do not know how an old lady in the village will access. It is a very good idea, especially if it will capture the poorest of the poor. It is most welcome because our people fail, at times, to access medical facilities. They have no means to go to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) or anywhere else. However, if a scheme like this is extended to them, it will be most welcome. This is what is being done in most countries. We need it to be modelled in a manner that captures the poorest of the people so that they can also access health services.

Mr Chairperson, at one time, I was admitted to the UTH and was amazed that there was no medicine. There was a prescription every now and then for medication that I had to buy. Meanwhile, the House is being told that we have plenty of medicine. If there can be no medicine at the UTH, how about in Ikeleng’i and Shang’ombo? Where do the drugs which we keep saying are available go? 

Mr Chairperson, we need mobile clinics. When the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) procured mobile clinics, it was condemned. However, I have seen that they are being used effectively. They move from one place to another doing a very good job and the staff are looking after the equipment very well. This facility should continue. I stood at some point observing how medical personnel in charge of these mobile clinics were treating people without them recognising me. They went deep into the villages. This is how it is supposed to be. For those of my colleagues, such as Hon. Mukanga, who were in the House when the mobile clinics were procured and condemned, I want to say to them that the mobile clinics are doing very well. I urge the hon. Minister to continue with them.

Mr Chairperson, I would like the hon. Minister to address the issue of the remuneration of community workers. It is either they give us workers who are trained or motivate community workers who can help us. We do not segregate in our delivery of health services in our area. We have our brothers and sisters from Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) who all come to the Zambian side. They are also attended to. Therefore, we need more kits to be available.

Mr Chairperson, we also need houses for our workers wherever there is a hospital regardless of whether it is a missionary one. We built three houses using the CDF at Kaleni. We cannot continue to pour into the projects related to the Ministry of Health. We also need to go into other areas. 

Sir, the hon. Minister looks kind. We need him to look at us with a lot of sympathy. We need to be healthy.

Mr Namulambe: Cry.

Mr Muchima: I cannot afford to cry. I will leave it to my son, Hon. Namulambe, to cry for services in Mpongwe. 

Mr Namulambe laughed.

Mr Muchima: Sir, we need critical attention in rural areas. Otherwise, we support the ministry of Health.

Mr Chairperson, I thank you.

Mr Hamudulu (Siavonga): Mr Chairperson, I thank you for the opportunity to add my voice to the debate. From the outset, I want to state that I support the Vote though I expected the hon. Minister to lament the paltry figure that his ministry is receiving. However, from his policy statement, he sounded satisfied with the figures and I differ with him on this one.

Mr Chairperson, health is a cross-cutting issue. Therefore, my debate may sound cross country due to this nature.

Sir, most of my colleagues have spoken about the need for the ministry to improve on the quality of service. I want to tackle the debate from a different angle.

I am glad that I am speaking to a knowledgeable person in the area that I am going to talk about. I am a lay person in health matters. We have preventable diseases in Zambia that are giving us a burden in our health centres. I wanted to see strategies for addressing preventable diseases allocated funds in your budget so that we do not overburden our healthcare system. 

Lifestyle plays an important role in the health of a person. Good health is what I crave for, before I crave for anything else in my life. As such, I expected the policy statement of the hon. Minister to focus on strategies to help us change our lifestyles. Some of the diseases that are afflicting our society should not be in our midst. For example, what are our eating habits? Some people can afford to buy good quality, nutritious foods, but they use their money to buy unhealthy foods which make their health deteriorate. Some people do this because of a lack of knowledge about healthy foods. I plead with the hon. Minister to put in place some programmes that will help our society to eat healthy foods so that we can reduce the prevalence of some of the preventable lifestyle associated diseases. 

Mr Chairperson, I remember that when I was a child, my mother used to bath me every morning and I knew that no matter where I was playing from, I had to be home by 16 hours because it was time for bathing. If I missed this time even for a minute or two, I would be scolded at by my mother. That lifestyle is not with us anymore. I go to public places and meet children who make me wonder whether they bath. I am not insulting anyone here. I am just stating facts. I do not know whether it is the Ministry of Health which is supposed to be concerned with the matter of hygiene in our society. However, we must inculcate attributes of good hygiene into our children. We could just prevent some diseases by doing this. 

Sir, let me talk about nutrition. Good nutrition could help us improve the health of the nation tremendously. I did not hear the hon. Minister speak about nutrition in his policy statement. How much is the Government investing in nutrition programmes? I thank God that most nutritious foods in our midst are cheaper than junk food. Junk food is expensive, but because it looks fashionable and stylish, children and adults go for it at the expense of good food. I wanted the hon. Minister to address this issue and to show us that his budget was going to tackle it. 

Mr Chairperson, refuse collection in our compounds is a challenge. We have litter everywhere. How do we expect to be healthy with all this trash or filth in our compounds? I wanted a portion of the budget of the Ministry of Health to go towards awareness campaigns on the importance of cleanliness so that we can reduce the disease burden caused by filthy surroundings. 

Sir, I also want to talk about water and sanitation. I know that it is not the hon. Minister of Health’s responsibility to address water and sanitation issues. However, the hon. Minister emphasised, here, the need for our people to have good, clean water for drinking and good sanitation facilities so that some diseases in our society can be prevented. When I get back home from visiting some markets, I always wash my hands not because I feel that there are diseases in those markets, but because the markets are very dirty. At the Lusaka City Market, meat is sold in open places with flies flying around. How do we expect to prevent diseases like that? The hon. Minister of Health, with his counterpart from the Ministry of Local Government and Housing, should look at these issues. They should compare notes and make sure that these challenges are resolved. It looks like we are comfortable with the diseases that we have in this country. All we are talking about is how to treat them when we could actually prevent them. I thought that I should bring this issue before the hon. Minister of Health. 

Mr Chairperson, earlier, the hon. Minister boasted of reduced child mortality in the country. I do not know whether the Government has done a study to understand why we have had this reduction. If it did, then, it should make sure that it invests more in that regard so that we can score better results in that area. 

Sir, the hon. Minister also talked about introducing the National Social Health Insurance Scheme. That is a very brilliant idea. I have heard a number of brilliant ideas from this Government. However, the devil is in the implementation. That is where we have problems. Earlier in this sitting, we talked about introducing information communication technology (ICT) learning in our schools. That was a brilliant idea, but there was total confusion when it came to implementation of this idea. I just hope this will not be the case for this insurance scheme. I am looking forward to hearing the nitty-gritty of this scheme and how it will help our people, especially in the rural areas, because it looks like when planning, we only look at the people in urban centres. We forget that even the people in the rural areas are just as Zambian as all of us who are in urban areas. The K6.3 million which has been allocated for this scheme is a drop in the ocean. I expected the hon. Minister to lament this figure, but he did not. There is always a beginning point to something, and so, I hope that this is just a beginning point and much more money will be allocated to this budget line. 

Mr Chairperson, I want to talk about procurement and distribution of drugs. The hon. Minister also talked about the rampant pilferage of drugs in health institutions. Has the hon. Minister put in place systems that will ensure that the people these drugs are intended for actually receive them? I would like to know how the hon. Minister will tackle this issue of pilferage because it is an open secret that drugs meant for Government health institutions are sold at private drug stores, at the expense of the public health centres for which they are intended. 

Sir, I also want to talk about the traditional birth attendants. Traditional birth attendants are a very important component of our health care system and I urge the hon. Minister to beef up their number. These are the people we see doing the work of midwives in rural areas. We do not have well-trained midwives in rural areas. Therefore, traditional birth attendants should not be neglected. Those who have been trained are not with us in the rural areas. So, as the hon. Minister looks at areas of emphasis in his ministry, he should not forget to keep the traditional birth attendants abreast of new technologies in their line of work. 

Mr Chairperson, the hon. Minister also talked about the Computerised Tomography (CT) Scan  services now being offered at the UTH. Two weeks ago, I was at the UTH and this machine was not yet in place. I am sure that the hon. Minister is looking at this issue because I heard him talk about the installation process. I heard, through the grapevine, that the procurement of this machine was not concluded and that there were some components missing. However, I stand to be corrected. The sooner we have this service at the UTH, the better. I hope that with the coming in of the NHIS, all of us will be able to access this service.  

Mr Chairperson, I wish to repeat that I support the Vote, even though it is short of my expectations. 

Sir, with these very few words, I thank you. 

Mr Namulambe (Mpongwe): Mr Chairperson, from the outset, I want to state that I support the budget for the Ministry of Health even though it is not adequate. I do not usually praise people, but I am compelled to praise the hon. Minister of Health, his hon. Deputy Minister and the Permanent Secretary for one simple reason. They act promptly when a complaint is advanced or they are written to. They do not take time to respond. 

Mr Livune: Question!

Mr Namulambe: Mr Chairperson, Speaking for myself, …

Mr Ng’onga: Hear, hear!

Mr Namulambe: … and the people of Mpongwe, whom I represent, the ministry has responded to a letter that I wrote to it. 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Namulambe: When we urgently needed some equipment at Ibenga Hospital, it was quickly bought and delivered. 

Mr Chairperson, I would also like to thank the medical personnel, in general, who are able to offer services to our people under difficult conditions. Medical personnel in Mpongwe are few in number, and so, they have to work long hours. They attend to patients without complaining. Even when one has worked during the day, he or she will still meet the people’s needs when called upon at night. It is for this reason that I request the Ministry of Finance to give more money to the Ministry of Health so that more medical staff is employed to beef up the few that are operating under difficult conditions in rural areas. 

Mr Chairperson, I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the medical personnel at Levy Mwanawasa Hospital for keeping a boy, an accident victim, for close to two years now. The boy, who has no relatives, is in critical condition. Staff at the hospital has been taking turns to ensure that he is well taken care of, perhaps, better than his parents or relatives could. If this boy’s relatives are around, but have decided to neglect him so that he is looked after by the medical personnel, shame on them. 

Mr Chairperson, the hon. Member of Parliament for Senanga raised an important issue regarding equipment. Indeed, we need various diagnostic machines or equipment to be bought for our hospitals to avoid the huge costs that we incur when we evacuate people for treatment abroad. I, however, do not support the idea of leasing this equipment because it would be more expensive for us. I would like to suggest that we instead buy this equipment, but maintain a contract for servicing it because we may not have the immediate expertise to do so. We need this medical equipment to be distributed to all our hospitals in Zambia, especially to St. Teresa and Mpongwe Mission Hospital, in my constituency. 

Mr Chairperson, I had raised a question on whether the Government had any plans to build a hospital in Mpongwe. The hon. Minister responded that there were no immediate plans to build one. This being the case, I am requesting the Ministry of Health to ensure that the medical equipment required at the two mission hospitals in my constituency …

Interruptions

Mr Namulambe: The people of Mpongwe are very thankful for the equipment that was given to St. Teresa, but there are many other pieces of equipment that we need. I am certain that the letter that you received from Mpongwe − mind you, hon. Minister, I praised you −

Laughter 

Mr Namulambe: So, let the people of Mpongwe see that my commendation has yielded more positive results ... 

Laughter 

Mr Namulambe: … by giving us the equipment that is so desired by the two mission hospitals. 

Sir, we appreciate the fact that the Government is constructing seven health posts in Mpongwe. However, like my colleagues debated, the slow pace of the contractors is worrying. I do not know if there was any form of planning, but the positioning of the structures is even worse. It is like they are simply being told where to build without any measurements. The way they have placed the structures is not looking good at all. 

Mr Chairperson, if I may, what is the actual cost of the construction of these health posts? If the figures are those that were mentioned not long ago and they have not been revised, there is a need to revisit the bill of quantities. The cost is too high compared to the benefits we will get. 

Mr Chairperson, further, we had constructed some health posts using the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). I would like to appeal to the ministry to consider equipping them so that they service the people in those areas. For instance, there is one health post in Mpongwe, which is about 60 km from the nearest health post. We construed it in 2010, but to date, it is not operational. Now, I am sure that the hon. Minister will find it prudent to help us, the people of Mpongwe, considering that we will continue to thank him and praise him for what he has been doing for us. 

The Chairperson: Order!

Business was suspended from 1815 hours until 1830 hours. 

[THE CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES in the 
Chair]

Mr Namulambe: Mr Chairperson, when business was suspended, I realised that people in Mpongwe were listening to my debate and have reiterated that I should convey their message to the hon. Minister of Health that they are grateful for the equipment that was given to St Theresa Hospital, but they are requesting for some more. 
    
Laughter 

Mr Namulambe: Sir, let me talk about user fees.

Mr Sing’ombe: On a point of order, Sir.

The Chairperson: A point of order is raised.

Mr Sing’ombe: Mr Chairperson, this is my first point of order this year. 

Sir, is Hon. Miyutu in order to come into the Chamber wearing gumboots?

Laughter 

Mr Sing’ombe: I seek you very serious ruling.

The Chairperson: The problem that I have is that I cannot see the type of shoes he is wearing. So, it is very difficult to make a ruling.

Interruptions 

The Chairperson: Hon. Miyutu, take that point of order into account the next time you come into the House. 

Laughter 

The Chairperson: However, if you are properly dressed, then, he himself is out of order.

Mr Namulambe: Mr Chairperson, since the abolition of user fees, the Government has not increased grants to hospitals that used to use them to mitigate some challenges they faced. These user fees used to mitigate some of the challenges that hospitals are facing. Therefore, it is important that the ministry undertakes to understand what was happening with the user fees and appreciate the fact that they actually helped in the provision of health services. 

Interruptions

The Chairperson: Order, on my left!

Mr Namulambe: Since the abolition of these user fees, there are a lot of challenges being faced by medical personnel in institutions where these used to apply. Whilst it is commendable that people do not pay anything, the challenges being faced ought to be looked at. Let there be some compensation of some kind by the upward adjustment of the grants that are given to institutions where the user fees were abolished. 

Sir, the issue of shortages of drugs in hospitals and health posts can be attributed to the lack of planning by the people who are supposed to. It is important to carry out a study to establish what drugs are mostly required in some of these health posts so that you know which drugs have a higher consumption rate. Sometimes, it is a sheer waste of money to procure certain drugs which are not used as much as others such as pain killers and malaria drugs. It is not good to be sent to buy pain killers by a health post when certain drugs even expire. I request the hon. Minister to take stock of what drugs are essential in our health centres so that we can buy more of those as opposed to buying other drugs to cure diseases that may not be prevalent in some of our areas.

Mr Chairperson, the hon. Member of Parliament for Senanga was saying that he wants a helicopter to be based in Senanga. Let all the ambulances that are in Senanga come to Mpongwe since the hon. Member for that area wants a helicopter. The constituency cannot have both. So, let us have the ambulances because we need them.

Sir, I speak for the people of Mpongwe, Masaiti and Lufwanyama who have difficulties getting places when they want to train as nurses. Can there be a slot for youth in rural areas who would want to train as nurses because they find it difficult to be admitted to train as nurses because we do not have a training institution in the rural part of the Copperbelt. I appeal that this should be a special case because they also want to treat their relatives. 
I also appeal that you provide more funds to the Tropical Diseases Research Centre. That institution is very important and I think the allocation that I have seen in the Yellow Book is the same as last year’s, but we should invest in research more.

Mr Chairperson, last, but not least, I was told that the computerised tomograpgy (CT) scan at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) was being serviced when my niece was involved in an accident was last week. Can they quickly service it so that can people access the services so that people do not have to go to Levy Mwanawasa Hospital for CT Scan services. We should quickly attend to that.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mutelo: Mr Chairperson, it is with great pain that I stand here. Poor people suffer in comparison to the well-to-do when it comes to health matters. 

Sir, go into a private hospital or clinic and, then, go into a Government hospital and compare the smells.

Mr Hamududu: Compare them.

Mr Mutelo: Compare the smell at a private hospital to that of a Government hospital.

Laughter 

Mr Mutelo: Establish the majority of people in private hospitals and public hospitals, you will realise that lesser souls are always at a disadvantage.

Mr Hamududu: Lesser souls.

Muntanga: Do not cry.

Mr Mutelo: Apart from that, getting a referral hospital is a challenge. It is painful.

Those who are able to go not only to private hospitals, but also abroad to seek medical attention are at an advantage. However, it is unfortunate that those from rural places are not able to access health care. So, when the people of Mitete heard that the Government would construct 650 health posts countrywide, they danced to that.

Laughter

Mr Mutelo: Sir, however, the viguor in the dance is slowly dying because not even one health post out of the six health posts that were supposed to be constructed in Mitete has been built. Not even a borehole has been drilled in Mitete or Washishi, which is near the Angolan Border. We are now in the rainy season and there is no hope that any of these health posts will be constructed. Why does the Government treat the people of Mitete like this? Are they not human beings like any other? So, I hope the scheme the hon. Minister talked about will work. 

Sir, hygiene in public hospitals should be worked on. When one is taken to a hospital devoid of odours, the healing process begins.

Laughter

Mr Mutelo: Sir, I am sorry to mention prisons, but the stench in public hospitals is like that in prisons. It should not be like that.

Sir, let me talk about the realignment of the function of mother and child health to the Ministry of Health. In the past, there was total confusion …

Laughter

Mr Mutelo: … and I am glad the right thing has been done although belatedly.

Laughter

Mr Mutelo: Mr Chairperson, when advice is given, it must be taken there and then. The reason we are here is to help one another for the benefit of this nation. I am glad that the confusion has been sorted out. The Government realised that the function of mother and child health belongs to the Ministry of Health and I commend it for that.

Sir, we were told that the ambulance at Mitete Health Centre was involved in a road accident and insurance money from the Zambia State Insurance Corporation (ZSIC) was being awaited. However, when will the hon. Minister provide a positive answer?

Laughter

Mr Livune: When they are voted out.

Mr Mutelo: Mr Chairperson, we had a speed boat that we would use during the rainy season, but it was taken away. Often times, the boat would be in Lukulu and when there was a maternal case in Mitete, it would be called for. By the time it reached Mitete, a pregnant woman would have died during labour. Things should not be done like that. No.

Sir, the newly-constructed Lukulu Hospital was prematurely opened.

Mr Livune: Aah!

Mr Mutelo: Everything was placed, where it should not be. A theatre and laboratory were built where they are not supposed to be, yet the construction went on the next phase. The hospital should be built in phases and be commissioned when it is completed. However, old curtains were put in a newly-constructed building.

Laughter

Hon. UPND Members: Aah!

Mr Mutelo: Mr Chairperson, things should not be done like that. It would be better to build the hospital in phases. By the way, since the Government has opened the hospital, where are will the kitchen and laundry services be offered? The Government should just do things the right way and at the right time. Similarly, if a pregnant woman decided to have a baby at three months, that would be a miscarriage.

Laughter

Mr Livune: Hear, hear!

Mr Mutelo: Sir, it would be better for her to wait for eight or nine months to have the baby. So, why did the Government open the hospital?

Interruptions

Mr Mutelo: Mr Chairperson, we are happy that a hospital is being constructed, but what was the haste in commissioning it about?

Hon. UPND Members: Kupesula.

Mr Mutelo: Sir, let me borrow Her Honour the Vice-President and Minister of Development Planning’s words and say that is, “sipesu,” which means over diluting to a point where something loses taste, value or direction. The same can be said about how the function of mother and child health had been taken to the Ministry of Community Development. So, the Government should do things in the right way …

Mr Livune: At the right time.

Mr Mutelo: … and at the right time.

Sir, a building which was constructed using the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) in Lutebwe was supposed to be a health post, but the ministry decided otherwise. When a building is not occupied, it tends to look aged before time and I have heard some hon. Members of Parliament also complain that some buildings take about four to five years to be completed.
Why can this Government not allow community health workers to administer medicines from the buildings that were constructed using the CDF?

Sir, the hon. Minister mentioned something on the human immune-deficiency virus/acquired immune-deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). How far has the Government gone with the Sondashi Formula?

 Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mutelo: Mr Chairperson, when I just came to this House, this formula was given some attention, but I hear that the momentum is slowly going down. I would like to hear the hon. Minister’s comment on this issue. Is it that we do not want to promote the efforts of our people and their medicines? What is the problem with the Sandashi Formula? If this formula has the potential to cure HIV/AIDS, why is the Government failing to accept it?

Sir, the things that assist us in the rural areas are the herbal medicines like the Sondashi Formula. When the conventional medicines are not available, we still go back to the same roots and to some extent, they still help us even now. We still need to do more research on the Sondashi Formula. Somehow, we are trying to run away from what our elderly people in this House used to administer, yet it made them grow and become strong. Nowadays, our children are falling sick almost every day because of a lack of the herbal medicines. 

Mr Chairperson, when people like Hon. Lawrence were growing, things were …

Laughter

Mr Lawrence: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Mutelo: Mr Chairperson, I am sorry to have mentioned his name, but that is reality.

Laughter

Mr Mutelo: Sir, when the conventional medicines were not available, what were the people who are now beyond fifty, sixty or eighty years using?

Hon. Government Members: Tell us!

Laughter

Mr Mutelo: Mr Chairperson, as I support this Vote, I would like the hon. Minister to consider my request on herbal medicines. Everything is bound to collapse without a healthy nation. Only a healthy nation with a healthy people can progress …

Interruptions

Mr Mutelo: Even what they are talking about are problems.

I thank you, Mr Chairperson.

 Laughter

The Chairperson: Order!

I had ruled that Hon. Mutelo was the last debater. It will be difficult for me to go back although I know that Hon. Brig-Gen. Dr Chituwo is looking at me seriously. I will allow him to only debate for ten minutes.

 Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Brig-Gen. Dr Chituwo (Mumbwa): Mr Chairperson, I am most grateful. Certainly, I will be very brief because these are the issues that we have been talking about for a long time. 

Sir, as usual, let me congratulate the hon. Minster of Health for a very well-articulated statement, but we have to go beyond just very good statements because what is on the ground needs a lot of effort.

Sir, the hon. Minister talked about non-communicable diseases, the increase in hypertension, diabetes, high blood pressure and cancers of all sorts. Many times, I have whispered in his ear on the issue of diabetes mellitus which is commonly known as sugar disease. Can we have a direction at what level our health care givers can diagnose sugar disease and this relates to the issue of the availability of glucometres. We know that this disease is no longer a disease for the affluent because there are many causes. We need to have a direction whether it is the regional centres that should have glucometres or only hospitals. What about the distances that our patients have to cover? By the time the diagnosis is made, quite a lot of damage might have been done.

Sir, along the line of equipment, many times that I have been to the University Teaching hospital (UTH), the computerised tomography (CT) scan and the laboratories are out of order. I can afford to go to town and pay for the laboratory tests, but how many of our people can manage to do that? Obviously, if our patients are not diagnosed following investigation, certainly, we are going back to just issuing tablets or assume that someone may be suffering from this and that, yet not. Therefore, there is a lot that needs to be done. This is why we cannot wait to have the National Social Health Insurance Scheme (NSHIS) in place. With the increasing population in this country, the money that has been allocated to this ministry is not adequate. 

Mr Chairperson, with the increase in the population, there is deterioration in the environment, that is, the social determinants of health such as access to clean water, sanitation and nutrition. When these are not taken care of, people end up in the corridors of hospitals and clinics when it can be prevented. This is where the hon. Minister needs to be supported by the application of efficient services, for instance, good agriculture policies in the local government. Otherwise, we will continue just treating and surely, that will be a symptom that will result in the overcrowding of our hospitals. For example, somebody goes to the hospital at 0700 hours in the morning, but is only attended to at 1500 hours. Surely, many of these things can be prevented.

Sir, human resource is a very important factor. We have been told about the Government’s plans to expand the training facilities in our nursing schools and clinical officers at Chainama, but I wish to urge the hon. Minister that the ministry must embrace Apex Medical University and other private institutions because there is a role that the private sector can play in training as long as we strengthen the regulatory authority. In so doing, they will be assisting in increasing the much-needed human resource. 

Sir, owing to the shortage of human resource, the issue of floor beds is slowly coming back. There are instances where one nurse will be on duty attending to a number of patients. I will not mention a district hospital where I had found one enrolled nurse with a maid in charge of the entire hospital. They have to be beyond magicians to look after those patients efficiently. Already, that is a challenge on their part.

Mr Chairperson, the last contribution that I would like to make is on the issue of drug supply chain. I hope the hon. Minister will clarify this issue and assure this House that we shall have sufficient essential drugs next year. Is the issue of procurement still at the Ministry of Health because I am aware that the Permanent Secretary in this ministry had appeared before the Parliamentary Health Committee to make an undertaking that the procurement function of drugs and medical supplies would revert to the Medical Stores Limited? What is the difficulty when the ministry has enough on its plate? In my view, when you have an agency to do that, it must be a relief. We know of the hubs which have been created. However, if there are no drugs and medical supplies, then, those hubs in Choma, Chipata and Mongu will be empty. Can we, please, have an assurance from the hon. Minister that everything is under control so that our patients can be treated timely.

Sir, I am grateful for having been given this opportunity. I just thought I should mention a few of these things that need attention to better our health care.

Mr Chairperson, I thank you.

Dr Kasonde: Mr Chairperson, thank you for allowing me to wind up this debate. I was to thank, most sincerely, those who have contributed to this very important debate on a very important subject. In fact, there were actually seven speakers, who included, Hon. Pande, Hon. Mufalali, Hon. Muchima, Hon. Hamudulu, Hon. Namulambe, Hon. Mutelo and Hon. Brig-Gen. Dr Chituwo.

Sir, I would hope that hon. Members will excuse me if I refer only to a few of the issues that have been raised because many of them are sound constructive suggestions, which my ministry has to take into account, in particular, the issues of how diabetes should be controlled and at what level, about which we have discussed approaches. Allow me, therefore, to just refer to these few issues which I regard to be of general interest.

Mr Chairperson, with regard to the NSHI, I want to assure hon. Members that, that is on course and that the concerns about the possibility that even that is not going to solve the problem are very much shared by us. However, we appreciate that in this first phase, we are dealing with the formal sector only. We anticipate that thereafter, there will be the informal sector and that thereafter, there might even be a community sector so that this is a continuing process which we are bound to follow, and without which we cannot maintain our services.

Sir, reference has been made to human resources for health care. Again, I cannot agree more that this is a major concern. I have, however, mentioned the increase in the numbers of staff who have now been trained particularly, nurses and, of course, doctors. Their concerns of the future are not so much of a numerical contribution as of the diversity and expertise of those who are joining the service. By this, I mean that the plan that has already started working is such that the increase will take place rapidly and that the achievement of the required numbers is now in sight. As the hon. Member for Mumbwa Parliamentary Constituency has mentioned, this will be achieved with the support of the private sector. Therefore, in 2016, we are going to begin the process of diversifying the expertise so that we have specialists whether they are nurses or doctors in cardiology, orthopaedics and all other disciplines.

Mr Chairperson, we will also concentrate on how we cover the rural areas, which have, so far, been disadvantaged by the fact that our staff are definitely of a tendency to prefer the urban areas. That is a tendency we appreciate because we all have had that experience. Nevertheless, that is a tendency we have to deal with.

Sir, the issue of health posts has been raised, and I want to assure hon. Members that our promise to deliver by April, 2016, continues to be our promise. I admit that we have had some difficulties when there were differences of opinion with the contractors a few months ago, during which an interval had to be tolerated and construction was discontinued. This interval is over after appropriate discussions and we now believe that we can resuscitate the speed at which we were proceeding and, indeed, achieve and attain the completion by April, 2016.

Mr Chairperson, the issue of drugs has also been raised, and I have been at pains explaining that an approach to this issue has become even stronger. In our four strategies that I have mentioned, we are saying that first and foremost, we shall need money that has been protected from the various demands that we have to cope with. Therefore, we are creating this strategic fund with the agreement of our experts in the Ministry of Finance. The strategic fund for essential medicines is a cardinal development. We are also continuing with our proposal to transfer the procurement function to the Medical Stores Limited. I agree that this is something we already decided some time ago. I think, if I may be excused, there are internal consultations as well as works that have to be done in a very complex issue as pharmaceutical delivery. I think that we have now overcome these. I hope that this will now become a reality.

Sir, I have also mentioned our embracing of the private sector in manufacturing and beginning to show that by manufacturing within our country, there is advantage, both for the manufacturer and the Zambians.

Finally, I have mentioned that with the hubs that have been developed, so far, and the ones that we will develop during the course of 2016, the last mile of delivery will be taken care of.

Mr Chairperson, the issue of the Sondashi Formula comes up from time-to-time, and I can say that progress is at last at hand. You may notice the absence of the hon. Minister of Higher Education because he is receiving, with colleagues from the Tropical Disease Research Centre (TDRC), the first batch of capsules of the Sondashi Formula, which have been necessary in order to start the research necessary as a clinical way of finding out whether it works or not. Without this scientific basis, the idea of just putting medicine in someone’s hand and saying, “Take this and you will be alright,” is not scientifically sound. So, now we have a basis for scientific research. We must thank our colleagues at universities who have worked very hard to come to this stage, in collaboration with their colleagues at the University of Cape Town, in South Africa.

In addition, this month, we have established a register of herbal medicines in Zambia. That register will enable us to harness the research capacity of our country and to apply minds to all that we have been told about, the things that work and those that do not work, according to reports, which have never been clearly shown either way. That register has now given us an opportunity to know exactly what we have in our country and what our menu for research is. This, I think, is a promising line.

Sir, I think that I have mentioned those areas which I believe are of common interest. I have not concerned myself with those of individual constituency interest, like the posting of certain officers and the location of a helicopter. These are matters which I think I should leave for individual consultation.

Mr Chairperson, let me thank you, and my colleagues, and hope that with this summary, I shall get the support that I have requested.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

VOTE 46/01 – (Ministry of Health – Human Resource and Administration – K413,563,077).

The Minister of Finance (Mr Chikwanda): Mr Chairperson, I beg to move the following amendment:

(i)    Under Unit 01 Administration, Programme 5001: General Administration, Activity 040: Utility Bills by the deletion of K490,448.00 and the substitution therefor of K11,540,448.00; and

(ii)    Under Department 01 Human Resource and Administration, by the deletion of department total of K413,563,077 and the substitution therefor of K424,613,077.

Amendment agreed to. Vote amended accordingly.

Mr Milambo: Mr Chairperson, I have two observations. The first one is on Programme 5001, Activity 003 – Office Administration – K181,934. What has warranted such a reduction in the location for this activity from K909,663 in 2015? Secondly, there is Unit 05, Programme 5026, Activity 015 – Uniforms for Health Workers − Nil. In 2015, this activity was allocated K10,006,389, but there is nothing for next year. Can the hon. Minister confirm that there will be no uniforms purchased for the health workers next year?

The Deputy Minister of Health (Dr Chilufya): Mr Chairperson, the reduction in Programme 5001, Activity 003 – Office Administration − K181,934 is because of the shrinkage in the budget. We expect to place resources towards service delivery which entails reprioritising. We have to ensure that we focus more on service delivery, hence that reduction.

Mr Chairperson, the reason is the same for Unit 05, Programme 5026, Activity 015 – Uniforms for Health Workers − Nil.

Interruptions 

The Chairperson: Just continue, hon. Minister.

Dr Chilufya: We are reprioritising resources because of the shrinkage in the budget and, therefore, activities with higher impact have been focused on.

Mr Chairperson, I thank you.

Mr Lufuma (Kabompo West): Mr Chairperson, I seek clarification on Programme 5026, Activity 029 – Expatriate Health Workers – K485,919. This year, there was an allocation of K2,429,597, but next year, the allocation has been reduced to less than a quarter of the previous amount. Is this confirmation that the ministry is no longer going to maintain expatriate medical doctors, as was alleged in the debate of Hon. Muchima?

Dr Chilufya: Mr Chairperson, under Programme 5026, Activity 029 – Expatriate Health Workers – K485,919, we are not getting rid of expatriate doctors, as alleged. The reduction in the figure for that activity is due to shrinkage in the budget. It is also important for us to note that in building capacity in our own practitioners, as we focus on modernisation, we are sending them for specialisation in short courses. That negates the need for more and more expatriates. However, we are not dismissing any expatriates as at now.

Mr Chairperson, I thank you.

Mr Mutelo: Mr Chairperson, every activity under Programme 5005 has been allocated the same amount in 2016 as was the case in 2015. Is this a typical copy-and-paste situation because even the programme total is the same? 

Dr Chilufya: Mr Chairperson, as we have said, there has been a budget shrinkage. There are certain budget lines that have not been adjusted. So, we expect the programme total to be the same and the variance to be zero. This is a matter of prioritisation. Service delivery areas have been prioritised and we do not want to see the budget shrinkage reflected in these areas, hence this scenario. 

Mr Chairperson, I thank you.

Vote 46/01, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

Vote 46/02 – (Ministry of Health – Policy and Planning – K 155,582,426).

Mr Chikwanda: Mr Chairperson, I beg to move the following amendment:

(i)    Under Unit 02 Planning and Budgeting, Programme 5011: Infrastructure Development, Activity 264: Construction of a National Training School by the deletion of K39,984,494.00 and the substitution therefor of K18,733,109; and

(ii)    Under Department 02 Policy and Planning, by the deletion of the department total of K155,582,426 and the substitution therefor of K134,371,041.

Amendment agreed to. Vote amended accordingly.

Vote 46/02, as amended, is ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

Vote 46/05 – (Ministry of Health – Disease Surveillance Control and Research – K10,089,986).

Mr Miyutu (Kalabo Central): Mr Chairperson, I seek clarification on Unit 01, Programme 5132, Activity 011 – Surveillance and Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases – K796,363. Why is there such a reduction?

Dr Chilufya: Mr Chairperson, under Unit 01, Programme 5132, Activity 011 – Surveillance and Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases – K796,363, we have adequate partner support. So, we will leverage resources with partners to ensure that we focus on that activity.

Mr Chairperson, I thank you.

Mr Mwiimbu (Monze Central): Mr Chairperson, I am aware that even when the partners provide money in the budget, it is budgeted for. How come that funding from the partners is not being reflected?

Dr Chilufya: Mr Chairperson, partner support comes for various programmes and it is not disaggregated at this particular time. We do engage our partners in sector advisory group meetings and we talk about our performance indicators and areas of focus. Then, we agree on where to focus their support on. We are actually right in talking about the resources that the Government has put on the table. What partners bring on board is a subject of round table discussions with the partners over many programmes.

Mr Chairperson, I thank you.

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Chairperson, if you look at the Yellow Book, the support from the donor community is reflected. There is no way you can say we will get support from co-operating partners when it is not being reflected in the Yellow Book. How come that some of the Votes are reflected? There is a line for donor support.

Dr Kasonde: Mr Chairperson, may I continue to elaborate on what the hon. Deputy Minister has said. In our donor support, there are two distinct modes. In the first one, an amount which shall be made available is agreed upon and that is definitely contained in the Yellow Book. In the second kind, health being such a multi-sectoral activity, there will be programmes which are multi-sectoral in nature. These are regarded as project support in which the Ministry of Health participates and it is in those that it is impossible to say the quantity of participation. I think that is what the hon. Deputy Minister was trying to explain and that is the reality.

I thank you, Sir.

Vote 46/05 is ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

Vote 46/06 – (Ministry of Health – Mother and Child Health – K 13,346,397).

Mr Mutelo: Mr Chairperson, I seek clarification on Programme 5071, Activity 011 – Fistula Prevention − K100,000. May I know how this fistula prevention shall be done in this coming year.

Dr Chilufya: Mr Chairperson, the budget line under Programme 5071, Activity 011 –  Fish Prevention − K100,000 was initially under the Ministry of Community Development Mother and Child Health, but has now been shifted to our ministry.

Mr Mutelo: Mr Chairperson, my question is: How will this prevention be done? Not where it was and how it has come back, no. How will you carry out this prevention which is better than cure?

Dr Chilufya: Mr Chairperson, I said this programme was budgeted for under the ministry that is now disbanded. So, as we sit to consolidate, these are the figures that shall come through under the Ministry of Health.

I thank you, Mr Chairperson.

Vote 46/06 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

Vote 46/07 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

Vote 46/08 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

Vote 46/09 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

Vote 46/10 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

Vote 46/11 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

Vote 46/12 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. 

Vote 46/13 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

Vote 46/14 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

Vote 46/15 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

Vote 46/16 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

Vote 46/17 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

VOTE 46/18 – (Ministry of Health –Western Province – K196,722,251).

Mr Mutelo: Mr Chairperson, may I seek clarification on why Mitete is not listed anywhere from Pages 694 to 800? I have seen Mwandi, Mongu, Kalabo, Sikongo, Nalolo and others except Mitete.

The Chairperson: What page?

Mr Mutelo: Mr Chairperson, from Page 694 to 800 under the Western Province. Why have I not seen Mitete? 

The Chairperson: I am not sure whether we enquire on why a particular district is not indicated. Anyway, the hon. Minister may respond.

Dr Chilufya: Mr Chairperson, I am not sure about the page he is referring to. Could he clarify the page and the programme he is referring to. Where does he want Mitete to be?

I thank you, Sir.

Laughter

Mr Mutelo: Mr Chairperson, I have not seen Mitete, but all the other districts, old and new, listed from Page 694 to 800. I am asking why Mitete is not listed. I have seen Nalolo, Mwandi and all the other districts except Mitete. Why is this so?

Dr Kasonde: Mr Chairperson, I appreciate the need for the hon. Member to recognise his own constituency and district. I will just mention that it depends entirely on the function that is involved. If the hon. Member is looking at all the pages, some of them will have nothing to do with Mitete. However, if he looked at, say, Page 801, he will find Mitete because of the function. So, you have only two choices, hon. Member. 

Mr Mutelo: Yes, I have found it.

Laughter

Dr Kasonde: Mr Chairperson, I was going to suggest that the hon. Member either has to read all the pages thoroughly, or not raise any questions at all. That is the only possibility.

I thank you, Sir. 

Vote 46/18 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

Vote 46/19 ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

VOTE 18 – (Judiciary – K350,552,482) and VOTE 31 – (Ministry of Justice – K244,264,167).

The Minister of Justice (Dr Simbyakula): Mr Chairperson, thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to present a brief policy statement with respect to the Estimates of Expenditure for the Judiciary and for the Ministry of Justice for 2016. 

Sir, the Judiciary is one of the three arms of the Government, which draws its mandate from the Constitution of the Republic of Zambia. 

Interruptions

The Chairperson: Order!

Can I have order at the back of the hon. Minister debating. 

Dr Simbyakula: Mr Chairperson, the mandate entails the administration of justice through interpreting the Constitution and the laws of Zambia, promoting the rule of law and upholding democratic principles.

Review of Past Performance, 2012 - 2015

Mr Chairperson, during the year under review, the Judiciary discharged its mandate of administering justice in accordance with its mission statement of providing effective and efficient administration of justice accessible to all people in Zambia through impartial and timely adjudication without fear or favour. 

COURT SESSIONS

Supreme Court 

Mr Chairperson, during the period under review, the Supreme Court received 247 cases as at June, 2015, and 318 cases were brought forward, giving a total of 565 cases. 252 cases ...

Interruptions

The Chairperson: Order!

I think that hon. Members on my right and those on my left, but seated on my right, have to give the hon. Minister an opportunity to be heard. You cannot consult across the desks. 

You may continue, hon. Minister.  

Dr Simbyakula: Mr Chairperson, I was saying that the Supreme Court received a total of 565 cases, out of which 252 cases were disposed of, leaving 312 cases pending. 

    High Court

The High Court held sessions in the provincial capitals and the total number of sessions during the period under review was fifty-eight. The High Court received 2,152 civil cases as at June, 2015, while 4,567 cases were brought forward from the previous year, giving a total of 6,719 cases, out of which, 1,515 were disposed of, and 5,204 are pending. 

Commercial List Court 

Mr Chairperson, the Commercial List Court, which was introduced at Lusaka High Court in 2000, has continued to handle most commercial related litigation. During the period under review, the court received a total of 963 cases, out of which 429 were disposed of, leaving 534 cases pending. 

Industrial Relations Court 

Mr Chairperson, a total of 464 complaints were lodged in the Industrial Relations Court at Ndola and Lusaka. While 275 complaints were heard and disposed of while 379 are still pending. 

Subordinate Court

Mr Chairperson, a total of 15,092 criminal and civil cases were filed in the Subordinate Court as at June, 2015 while 11,845 cases were brought forward from the previous year. The combined total of cases was 26,937.13,340 cases were disposed of, leaving 13,597 pending. 

Small Claims Court 

Mr Chairperson, in the period under review, the Small Claims Court in Lusaka, Kitwe and Ndola had 1,472 cases filed and 2,855 brought forward. The combined total of cases was 4,327. Out of these, 699 were disposed of and 3,628 are still pending.  

Local Courts

Mr Chairperson, local courts held sessions in all districts and sub-districts of the country. They heard a total of 54,216 cases as at June, 2015, out of which 34,132 were disposed of, while 29,685 are pending. 

Mr Chairperson, apart from its core function of adjudication, the Judiciary also carried out capacity building and continuous professional development activities in order to develop its human resource to meet its challenges. 

The 2015 budget for the Judiciary was K361,774,078, of which K12,542,393.67 was supplementary funding. The budget was apportioned as follows:

    Emoluments    Amount

Personal    226,772,682 

Non-personal    111,347,186
 
Others    23,653,210 

Funds for non-personal emoluments were spent on court sessions, court circuiting, general administration, construction and rehabilitation of court infrastructure. 

Mr Chairperson, the 2016 budget allocation for the Judiciary is K350,552,482. Key issues to be addressed in the 2016 budget include:

(a)    court sessions and execution of court processes in order to enhance access to justice; 

(b)    court circuiting, which entails judges going to sit in places where there are no resident judges. Further, magistrates have to circuit where resident magistrates have no jurisdiction or have limited jurisdiction; and

(c)    mediation settlement weeks programmes will be undertaken and sensitisation of the public about the importance of mediation.  

Mr Chairperson, priorities for the 2015/2017 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework period will include programmes aimed at improving access to justice by the majority of citizens through intensifying court circuiting in areas without resident judges and magistrates.

The judiciary will continue to prioritise in the improvement of its infrastructure and particular emphasis will be placed on the following:

(a)    completion of on-going projects; and 

(b)    completion, rehabilitation and partitioning of the old National Housing Authority Buildings into courtrooms and chambers to accommodate judges and other members of staff.

Sir, the Judiciary shall also embark on some capacity building programmes in order to develop its human resource. This shall entail the development of a training policy, capacity building strategy and an undertaking of training needs analysis.

Mr Chairperson, in closing, the judiciary will continue upholding justice and the rule of law asserting the independence and autonomy of the judiciary, providing equal access to justice for all, ensuring transparency and accountability in the use of judicial resources and maintaining zero-tolerance to corruption. It is my sincere hope that this august House will support the Estimates of Expenditure for the Judiciary for 2016. 

Sir, I now turn to the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry of Justice is mandated with the responsibility of facilitating the administration of justice and promotion of the observance of the rule of law. Its goal is to achieve improved dispensation of justice and delivery of legal services and increased adherence to good governance principles. In this regard, the Ministry of Justice has continued implementing initiatives aimed at actualising its mandate. 

Mr Chairperson, during the period under review, the Ministry of Justice was allocated K288, 545,698 to carry out its mandate. The major programmes implemented during this period include:

(a)    facilitation of the constitution review process which commenced in 2011. The Government has since presented to this august House, the Constitution Amendment Bill;

(b)    commencement of the legal and justice sector reforms in 2014. The commission has been tasked to undertake a comprehensive review into the state of the legal and justice sector in Zambia in order to develop strategies and mechanisms to facilitate its transformation and modernisation. The commission has, so far, held public sittings in seven provinces. The remaining activities include holding public sittings on the Copperbelt, Luapula and the North-Western provinces; and 

(c)    implementation of the Access to Justice Programme with the support of co-operating partners, chief among them the European Union. The Government greatly values the contribution of co-operating partners in uplifting the livelihood of Zambians. This programme was key in enhancing the capacity of key governance institutions in the country such as the judiciary, prison service, police and the Ministry of Justice, among others.

Sir, other interventions implemented during this period include:

(a)    decentralisation of the National Prosecution Authority to provinces. Currently, the authority has its presence in four provinces which are Central, Copperbelt, Lusaka and the Southern. The authority will open offices in the remaining six provinces in the course of 2016;

(b)    enhancing the capacity of the Legal Aid Board. The board opened provincial offices in Chinsali and Choma districts respectively. The Legal Aid Board now has presence in all provinces in the country. This has helped to increase access to justice and legal services to the indigent; and  

(c)    implementation of the case flow management system to improve co-ordination amongst legal and justice sector institutions.

Mr Chairperson, the Government is fully aware of the numerous concerns raised by stakeholders with regard to enforcement of the Public Order Act. It is against this background that His Excellency, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, directed the ministries of Justice and Home Affairs to facilitate the review of the Public Order Act. The two ministries are working actively on the review of the Public Order Act. All stakeholders are encouraged to fully participate in this process by making submissions on their observations and recommendations on the review of the Act.

Sir, the Government is committed to the reform process of the legal and justice sector so as to address various challenges such as lengthy pre-trial detention periods for suspects, high congestion in prisons and long distance to courts, especially in rural areas. The reforms which we commenced in 2014 are aimed at undertaking a comprehensive review of the sector and this is expected to be concluded soon.

Mr Chairperson, the Government remains committed to enhancing the capacity of the National Prosecution Authority (NPA) in order to facilitate the efficient and effective discharge of prosecutorial duties as espoused in Article 56 of the Zambian Constitution. This year, the Government facilitated the recruitment of 111 members of staff with a view of enhancing the staff complement of the authority. 

Sir, the activities in the 2016-2018 medium-term period will include scaling up decentralisation of the operations of the NPA to provinces and districts. Specifically, the NPA will incorporate 158 public prosecutors into its structures in 2016. A total of K51.9 million has been allocated in the 2016 Budget to facilitate the operations of the NPA.

Mr Chairperson, the ministry is also in the process of reviewing the Legal Aid Policy and Strategic Plan so as to respond to the emerging challenges and enable the board to discharge its mandate more effectively and efficiently. The ministry will continue expanding its capacity to defend cases against the Government by progressively recruiting and retaining lawyers. This would result in the reduction of compensation and claims against the Government. Currently, the ministry has a critical shortage of lawyers which often results in a lack of representation in some cases against the Government. Further, the ministry will facilitate recruitment and placement of legal personnel in key line ministries in order to improve service delivery to its clientele. This will reduce the work load, improve effectiveness and efficiency in the manner the Ministry of Justice carries out its work.

Sir, the Government is concerned with the emerging culture of political intolerance amongst the political players in the country. This could be partly attributed to the lack of a mechanism to facilitate on-going political dialogue amongst key players. The Government is committed to the promotion of the rule of law and good political governance. In view of the aforementioned, the Cabinet at its fourteenth meeting held on 27th July, 2015, accepted, in principle, the need for the Zambia Centre for Inter-party Dialogue (ZCID) to be supported financially in order for it to discharge its function of promoting good governance. A total of K1 million has been allocated to this cause in the 2016 Budget.

Mr Chairperson, as I conclude, I wish to emphasise that during the 2016/2018 medium-term period, the ministry has prioritised allocation of funds to programmes whose implementation would contribute to the attainment of the core mandate of the ministry, as outlined in its strategic plan and other Government supporting documents. It is my sincere hope that this august House will support the Estimates of Expenditure for 2016 for the Ministry of Justice.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Chairperson: Order!

(Debate adjourned)

_________

HOUSE RESUMED

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

(Progress reported)

__________

The House adjourned at 1957 hours until 1430 hours on Wednesday, 25th November, 2015.