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Debates - Tuesday, 17th June, 2014
DAILY PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES FOR THE THIRD SESSION OF THE ELEVENTH ASSEMBLY
Tuesday, 17th June, 2014
The House met at 1430 hours
[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]
NATIONAL ANTHEM
PRAYER
__________
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY MR SPEAKER
ACTING LEADER OF GOVERNEMNT BUSINESS IN THE HOUSE
Mr Speaker: Hon. Members, I have received a communication to the effect that, in the absence of His Honour the Vice-President, who is attending to other national duties, Hon. Yamfwa Mukanga, MP, Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication, has been appointed Acting Leader of Government Business in the House, today, 17th June, 2014.
APPOINTMENTS TO SESSIONAL COMMITTEES
Mr Speaker: Hon. Members, I further wish to inform you that, in accordance with the provisions of Standing Order 131, the Standing Orders Committee has made the following appointments to Sessional Committees to fill the vacancies that have arisen:
Committee on Youth and Sport – Mrs S. T. Masebo, MP;
Committee on Estimates – Mrs A. Mwamba, MP.
I thank you.
__________
BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
The Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication and Acting Leader of Government Business in the House (Mr Mukanga): Mr Speaker, I rise to acquaint the House with the Business it will consider this week. However, before I do that, let me welcome all hon. Members to the Third Meeting of the Third Session of the Eleventh National Assembly.
Sir, as can be seen from the Order Paper, today, Tuesday, 17th June, 2014, the Business of the House will comprise Questions.
Mr Speaker, tomorrow, Wednesday, 18th June, 2014, the Business of the House will begin with Questions for Oral Answer. This will be followed by presentation of the Zambia Institute of Logistics and Transport Bill, N.A.B 1/2014. The House will, then, consider Private Member’s Motions, if there will be any. Thereafter, the House will consider a Motion to adopt the Report of the Parliamentary Select Committee Appointed to Scrutinise the Presidential Appointment of Honourable Justice Roydah Mwanakulya Chinungi Kaoma and Mr Mumba Malila, SC., to Serve as Supreme Court Judges, and the Honourable Judge Mwamba Chanda, Mr Lishomwa Nawa Muka, Ms Yvonne Chembe and Mrs Mwila Chibwe-Kombe to Serve as High Court Judges.
Mr Speaker, on Thursday, 19th June, 2014, the Business of the House will commence with Questions for Oral Answer. This will be followed by presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. Thereafter, the House will consider Motions to adopt the following reports:
(a) Report of the Committee on Estimates; and
(b) Report of the Committee on Economic Affairs, Energy and Labour.
Sir, on Friday, 20th June, 2014, the Business of the House will begin with His Honour the Vice-President’s Question Time. This will be followed by Questions for Oral Answer. That will be followed by presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. Thereafter, the House will consider Motions to adopt the following reports:
(a) Report of the Parliamentary Select Committee Appointed to Scrutinise the Ministerial Appointment of Mr Duncan Mbazima and Dr Faustina Chibobela Chela to Serve as Directors of the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) Board; and
(b) Report of the Committee on Agriculture.
Mr Speaker, the House will, then, deal with any outstanding business.
I thank you, Mr Speaker.
________
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER
MOTOR VEHICLE FOR KABWE DISTRICT POLICE COMMAND
432. Mr Kapyanga (Kabwe Central) asked the Minster of Home Affairs when the Kabwe District Police Command would be provided with a motor vehicle.
The Deputy Minister of Home Affairs (Mr Kampyongo): Mr Speaker, the Kabwe District Police Command and other police commands countrywide will soon be provided with vehicles. The ministry has signed a contract with a supplier to provide various equipment as well as vehicles. In the allocation of the vehicles, priority will be given to police commands in dire need of transport to make sure that their operations are conducted effectively.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Kapyanga: Mr Speaker, …
Mr Mwila: On a point of order, Sir.
Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.
Mr Mwila: Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order that is very important to the nation.
Sir, you will recall that the Government, through the hon. Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development, had appointed a committee headed by Dr Sixtus Mulenga to look into the operations of Konkola Copper Mines (KCM). However, the report of that committee has not yet been sreleased to the public. In addition, the Chairman of KCM has issued a statement in India regarding the performance of the company, boasting about how he makes a profit of US$500 million annually from a company he bought at the cheap price of US$25 million.
Sir, is the hon. Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development in order to remain mute on the problems surrounding KCM?
I need your serious ruling.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Speaker: Hon. Members, in fact, the relevant hon. Minister had, prior to this meeting, informed my office that he desires to issue a statement on the subject of this point of order. Sooner than later, the House and the nation at large will be apprised of the current situation regarding this matter.
May the hon. Member for Kabwe Central continue, please.
Mr Kapyanga: Mr Speaker, the crime rate in Kabwe is rising. Therefore, what immediate measures are being put in place to alleviate the transport problems faced by the police in the district?
Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, I assure the hon. Member that we are aware of the crime trends in Kabwe. The fact that the contract for the procurement of vehicles has been signed is enough evidence that the ministry is doing something to make the operations of our police officers more effective.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Mbewe (Chadiza): Mr Speaker, the time that the Patriot Front (PF) Government borrowed from Zambians has almost ran out. It is almost in the second half. Can the hon. Minister …
Mr Mbulakulima: On a point of order, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.
Mr Mbulakulima: Mr Speaker, I rise on a very serious point of order.
Sir, as you know, over 70 per cent of the population in the Third World depends on agriculture, and Zambia is not an exception. Further, there have been many pronouncements made with regard to the maize floor price. The price has been static for the past four or five years, and the people of Zambia, especially the farmers, anxiously want to know this year’s maize floor price, but that the PF Government has remained mute. It has moved from the poor distribution of inputs to the poor announcement of the floor price of maize.
Hon. Government Members: Question!
Mr Mbulakulima: Sir, farmers have been ordered not to sell maize anyhow. However, how can they not sell their produce when the Government is not going to their rescue? Is that PF Government in order to remain silent and expose Zambian farmers to poverty and misery while its members drink cold water in this House? Are its members in order not to announce this year’s maize floor price to Zambians?
I need your very serious ruling, as this matter is of concern to millions of people in this country.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Speaker: My short ruling is that the relevant hon. Minister is, this Friday, 20th June, 2014, already scheduled to issue a statement on the subject. This was scheduled even before this point of order was raised.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Speaker: The hon. Member for Chadiza may continue.
Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, the borrowed time is running out. Can the hon. Minister inform me, through you, …
Interruptions
Mr Mbewe: I am glad to hear that a contract was signed ...
Mr Speaker: Hon. Member for Chadiza, continue with your follow-up question.
Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister should not give us an open-ended answer. When will the vehicles be given to the police commands throughout the country?
Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for his follow-up question, although I could not understand what he meant by “borrowed time” because of his usual tendency to be dramatic. However, that aside, …
Laughter
Mr Kampyongo: … my response is that procurement processes have stages. The contract has been signed and there will be issues of deliveries, which are technical. However, if I start giving him dates, I will not be doing justice to him and the public out there. What I can say is that, once these vehicles have been received, the schedule of delivery to the various police commands will be issued.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Katuka (Mwinilunga): Mr Speaker, how many vehicles does the Government intend to procure? Further, how does it intend to distribute them?
Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, I regret to inform you that I do not have a bonus answer to that question. If time allows, we will avail the House the number of vehicles that will be procured.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Ntundu (Gwembe): Mr Speaker, if I heard the hon. Minister correctly, he said that a contract has been signed. If that was done, the time for the delivery of the vehicles must have been stated in the contract. So, when will the vehicles be delivered?
Mr Speaker: I am not sure whether I heard any question.
Mr Ntundu: Mr Speaker, in the contract that was signed, there should be a time frame in which the supplier should deliver the vehicles to the Government. Was that the case or not?
Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, the hon. Member’s follow-up question is not different from that of the hon. Member for Chadiza.
Sir, the details will be given to the hon. Members in due course. The contract has just been signed but, like I indicated, it is not only about vehicles. There is other assorted equipment that is covered in the contract.
I thank you, Sir.{mospagebreak}
SECONDARY SCHOOL FOR KATONDO-LUANSANSE
433. Mr Kapyanga asked the Minister of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education when the Government would build a secondary school in the Katondo-Luansanse area in Kabwe Central Parliamentary Constituency.
The Deputy Minister of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education (Mr Mabumba): Mr Speaker, currently, the Government is constructing 118 secondary schools countrywide, one of which is in Makululu Compound of Kabwe. In addition, the Government plans to upgrade twenty-two strategically-located basic schools in Central Province into secondary schools, two of which are also in Kabwe Town. One of them is the Mine Basic School. Given this context, it is difficult for the Government to start a new project before a considerable number of ongoing projects are completed. However, we take note of the concern of the hon. Member of Parliament for Kabwe Central.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, …
Mr Shakafuswa: On a point of order, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.
Mr Shakafuswa: Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to raise this point of order.
Sir, I think, you will agree with me that this is the first point of order I am raising in this House. An experienced and capable beloved political leader in this country once said in his native language that, “Ubulwele bwa mfumu, litenshya chalo”. This means that, when a chief is sick, the chiefdom is also sick.
Interruptions
Mr Speaker: Order!
Mr Shakafuswa: Mr Speaker, …
Mr Speaker: Order!
The Speaker is speaking. You see, these are the problems that go with having a preface to a point of order. I would urge the hon. Member to avoid raising controversies by his interpretation of his folklore and just get to the point of order.
Mr Shakafuswa: Mr Speaker, in the past, when we had a President who fell ill whilst in office, a leading newspaper, in its editorials, questioned why the then Government and the hon. Minister of Health had remained quiet on the matter, noting that they had kept information on a national asset’s health confidential. Further, one leading politician, because he had knowledge of what was wrong with the then President, Dr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa, SC., may his soul rest in peace, once stated publicly that doctors in India had found that the then President’s brain was not co-ordinating with his …
Mr Speaker: Hon. Member of Parliament for Katuba, I know you joined us very recently. So, I would like to inform you that I have previously issued guidelines on how points of order should be raised. One thing that I have repeatedly stated is that points of order relate to procedural matters. However, we have also gone further to accept points of order that are justified by certain situations. My anxiety about your point of order is that it is being prefaced by what appears to be events that occurred in the distant past.
Mr Shakafuswa: Okay, I will forget the history.
Mr Speaker: I think, a point of order, by definition, should be specific …
Mr Shakafuswa: Okay, Sir.
Mr Speaker: … and to the point. That is why it is called a point of order. I do not think that we should engage this precious time in going into the histories of all those issues that you want to project. Either you have a point of order or you do not.
Mr Shakafuswa: Mr Speaker, is the Government in order to keep quiet on the health of our beloved Republican President, His Excellency, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata?
Hon. Members: Charles Katongo.
Mr Shakafuswa: Mr Speaker, recently, journalists from a radio station were warned and cautioned by the police over a story they ran on this subject. This has lead to speculations that there is something wrong with the Head of State.
Mr Speaker, in this House, a former hon. Minister of Health, Brig-Gen.. Dr Chituwo was compelled by Opposition leaders to issue a comprehensive statement on the health of the then Head of State, the late Dr Levy Mwanawasa, SC., and his ability to lead the country. Is the Government in order to allow speculations on the capability of our beloved leader, …
Hon. Opposition Members: Charles.
Laughter
Mr Shakafuswa: … Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, …
Hon. Opposition Members: Katongo.
Mr Shakafuswa: … to lead this country? Are its members in order not to issue a comprehensive statement that can be debated in this House?
I need your serious ruling.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Speaker: My ruling is simply that, if the hon. Minister of Health deems it fit, he will advise the House and the nation at large on that subject at an appropriate time.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Speaker: However, I can also take judicial notice of the public statement that the President has made on it and, if you have been following the events, you know what his position is. If you have not been following the matter, you can ask for back copies of the newspapers. In short, if the hon. Minister has not seen the need to make a statement on His Excellency the President’s health, I do not see why I should compel him to do so.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Speaker: The hon. Member for Chadiza may continue.
Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, I heard the hon. Minister correctly when he said that the Government will not embark on new projects until it completes the outstanding ones. So, what will happen to the 220 secondary schools that were upgraded, but are still using classrooms meant for primary level classes? When will the Government start constructing classrooms for those secondary schools?
Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, money for the construction of classrooms for the 220 primary schools that are earmarked to be upgraded into secondary schools has already been provided for in the Budget. Hon. Mbewe may be aware that K320 million has been set aside for this purpose. We are currently only waiting for our colleagues in the Ministry of Finance to release that money. Once it has been released, between now and December, 2014, the project will begin.
I thank you, Sir.
UPGRADING OF SOLWEZI WEST FEEDER ROADS
434. Mr Mwanza (Solwezi West) asked the Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication when the upgrading of the following feeder roads in Solwezi West Parliamentary Constituency would commence:
(a) Wamafwa/Ifumba in Senior Chief Musele’s area;
(b) the road linking Senior Chief Mukumbi’s Palace and Mangala Basic School;
(c) Jiwundu/T5/Mwinilunga;
(d) Kisasa/Chovwe;
(e) Kyansununu/Kamiba Basic School;
(f) Kipona Village/Senior Chief Mujimanzovu’s Palace; and
(g) Chief Matebo’s Palace/Meheba Refugee Camp via Mwafwe and Meheba Rivers.
The Deputy Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication (Mr M. H. Malama): Mr Speaker, the Wamafwa/Ifumba Road in Senior Chief Musele’s area was not prioritised by the relevant local roads authority, hence its exclusion from the 2014 Road Sector Annual Work Plan (RSAWP). However, it might be considered under the 2015 RSAWP depending on the order of priority to be submitted by the responsible local road authority.
Sir, the 15km road linking Senior Chief Mukumbi’s Palace and Mangala Basic School has been planned for rehabilitation by the Rural Roads Unit (RRU) under the 2014 Budget, starting September, 2014, and ending by November, 2014. The works will involve heavy grading and gravelling.
Mr Speaker, my answer to parts (c), (d), (e), (f) and (g) of the question is that the roads were not prioritised by the respective local roads authority, hence their exclusion from the 2014 RSAWP. However, the roads may be considered under the 2015 RSAWP, depending on the order of priority to be submitted by the responsible local road authority.
Mr Speaker, I thank you.
RESURFACING OF CHIKWA ROAD
435. Mr Mwanza asked the Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication when the uneven stretch on Chikwa Road between Addis Abba and the High Court Roundabout in Lusaka would be resurfaced.
Mr M. H. Malama: Mr Speaker, the Road Development Agency (RDA), through the local roads authority, the Lusaka City Council (LCC), is considering including the reconstruction of this section of the road under the Lusaka Urban Roads Programme (LURP) in the 2015 RSAWP.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Mwanza: Mr Speaker, will the RDA also take care of those big trees whose roots have disturbed the surface of the road?
Mr M. H. Malama: Mr Speaker, now that we know the cause of the problem, we will start by cutting the roots that are causing the unevenness of that section of the road.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Speaker: I am surprised that there was a follow-up question.
Laughter
Mr Mweetwa (Choma Central): Mr Speaker, in view of the response by the hon. Deputy Minister, has he assumed the role of the engineers, who must determine what should happen on that road?
Laughter
Mr Mweetwa: Has he become an engineer?
Laughter
Mr M. H. Malama: Mr Speaker, I will forgive the hon. Member because he has never been an hon. Minister.
Laughter
Hon. Government Member: And will never be.
Mr M. H. Malama: My response to his question is that, even if I am not an engineer, I am responsible for answering this question on behalf of the Ministry of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication.
I thank you, Sir.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
ENHANCING JOB CREATION, INCREASED TAX REVENUES AND FOREIGN EXCHANGE EARNINGS IN THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR
436. Mr Mutale (Kwacha) asked the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock what plans the Government had to achieve the following in the agricultural sector:
(a) job creation;
(b) increased tax revenues; and
(c) increased foreign exchange earnings.
The Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock (Mr Monde): Mr Speaker, in order to enhance job creation, increased tax revenues and foreign exchange earnings in the agricultural sector, the Government has embarked on various programmes aimed at creating an enabling environment for public and private sector investment in the sector. These include the National Agriculture Investment Plan (NAIP) of the Comprehensive Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) and the Sixth National Development Plan (SNDP).
Sir, the Government has made significant investments in the development of farming blocks, irrigation schemes, agro-processing, recapitalisation of the Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) Plant, livestock and animal health services, and the promotion of aquaculture. Some of these investments include ginneries in Mumbwa, Mwembeshi and Chibombo, milling plants in Solwezi, Kasama and Kabwe, and irrigation schemes in various parts of the country.
Mr Speaker, there are also plans to facilitate the development of sugarcane production and processing. These initiatives will contribute to increased revenue collection through taxes. The country is also expected to earn foreign exchange, through exports of agricultural products, such as sugar, cotton, tobacco, soya beans, wheat and livestock and livestock products, such as hides, day-old chicks, goats, pigs and eggs, which have been targeted for increased production.
Mr Speaker, I thank you.
Mr Mutale: Mr Speaker, will the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock work in partnership with the millers, who consume a lot of the maize grown by the farmers? Will the Government partner with the millers in growing maize?
Mr Monde: Mr Speaker, yes, the Government is working with the private sector, including the millers, and other relevant institutions.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, I heard the hon. Minister say that agricultural products can earn this country foreign exchange. Tobacco is one of the crops that can earn this country some foreign exchange.
Mr Speaker, as a tobacco farmer, …
Hon. Government Members: Aah!
Mr Mbewe: … I know that the price of the crop is extremely bad.
Mr Mwale: Pathetic!
Mr Mbewe: In fact, I foresee a situation in which tobacco farmers stop growing the crop next year. Therefore, what is the Government doing …
Mr Speaker: Order!
Mr Mbewe: … to entice more farmers to grow the crop in order for this country to earn foreign exchange?
The Minister of Agriculture and Livestock (Mr Simuusa): Mr Speaker, let me start by commending the hon. Member and other tobacco farmers for the good job they have done because there has been an increase in tobacco production this year, compared to last year.
Mr Speaker, I wish to categorically state that the price of tobacco, this year, is alright ...
Mr Mbewe: Aah!
Mr Simuusa: … in terms of the price matrix.
The price matrix, Sir, just to educate the House and, maybe, the hon. Member, gives the prices for tobacco in their different classifications and grades. It varies from about US$5 per kilogramme for the very high grade and 20¢ per kilogramme for the low grade.
Mr Speaker, the challenge we have, and I think that the hon. Member is aware of it, is not in the price, but in the classification of the tobacco. There have been challenges between the farmers and the merchants in agreeing on the classification of tobacco. Where classification has been done properly, a farmer can get as high as US$3 to US$4 per kilogramme of tobacco.
Sir, I encourage the hon. Member and other farmers to be present when the tobacco is being classified so that there is an agreement between them and the merchants on the right classification. That way, they will get the right price for their tobacco.
Mr Speaker, I thank you.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Brig-Gen.. Dr Chituwo (Mumbwa): Mr Speaker, I am surprised that the hon. Minister of Agriculture and Livestock is congratulating the hon. Member of Parliament for Chadiza on growing tobacco. Can he tell this House what he intends to do about the ever-increasing problems arising from tobacco-smoking since he seems to be promoting the growing of tobacco when we are party to the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHOCTC)? Can he seriously balance the two?
Mr Simuusa: Mr Speaker, the serious answer is that, as a Government, our policy is to increase crop production as part of diversification from maize. However, the production of all crops should also be increased. There are different statutes and regulations that control the buying and selling of tobacco, and that is in response to market conditions, to which Zambia is signatory. Even the tobacco that is being sold currently is controlled. However, the Government’s perspective is that we should continue promoting agriculture and crop production. Therefore, I would like to congratulate our farmers who have responded to the Government’s encouragement and have increased the production of both the regulated and regular crops, which has led to the maize bumper harvest that has been forecast.
I thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Belemu (Mbabala): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister said that, in comparison with last year’s tobacco prices, this year’s prices are alright. What does he mean by that?
Mr Simuusa: Mr Speaker, I will repeat my earlier answer.
Sir, the marketing of tobacco is guided or controlled by what is known as the price matrix, which, this year, is, incidentally, almost the same as last year’s. Like I said earlier, the price matrix goes according to the grade or classification of the tobacco, ranging from US$5 per kilogramme to as low as 20¢ per kilogramme.
Sir, the problem is in how the grading of the tobacco is done. It is from that perspective that I said that the prices are okay because some farmers are getting as much as US$4 per kilogramme. I even saw a farmer in Chipata get over US$4.2 per kilogramme. I also saw some farmers get as low as 20¢. This variation is because of the grading. The price matrix, which gives the different price grades, is okay even by international standards.
I thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Shakafuswa (Katuba): Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Minister for the answers he is giving us.
Sir, have we thought of adding value to our produce so that we maximise foreign exchange earnings from the nations around us, such as Botswana? Has the Government considered using the large capacity of the millers in this country, which is being under-used because of low demand for their products in Zambia, and taking advantage of the high demand in other countries? For example, there is high demand for fish in Botswana and mealie-meal in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Zimbabwe. It seems that the Government is encouraging the export of raw materials …
Mr Speaker: Order!
I think, the hon. Member has asked his question.
Mr Simuusa: Mr Speaker, the Government policy is to encourage value addition wherever we are able to, particularly to agricultural products. I have been having discussions with the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry and other stakeholders over this subject.
Sir, firstly, we are currently encouraging the increased production of crops. Later, as we proceed on that path, we will get to value addition. We are encouraging that in all agricultural products, such as maize, tobacco, soya beans and cotton. We have just officially opened a cotton ginnery. As a Government, we are moving in that direction.
Mr I. Banda (Lumezi): Mr Speaker, the classification of tobacco has discouraged many farmers because it does not faithfully reflect the value of the tobacco that the farmers grow. What is the ministry doing to ensure that the classification matches the value of the tobacco?
Mr Speaker: I am not sure that we are not going around in circles.
Mr Simuusa: Mr Speaker, the measure taken is that it has been made mandatory for the farmer, the merchant, the regulator, such as the Tobacco Board of Zambia (TBZ), and the floor manager, to all be present at the time of grading so that an acceptable classification for the tobacco is arrived at. In terms of the price of between US$5 to 20¢ per kilogramme, it is what is obtaining internationally.
I thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Matafwali (Bangweulu): Mr Speaker, it is quite evident that the agricultural policies of the PF Government have started working positively.
Mr Livune: Question!
Laughter
Mr Matafwali: It can be seen in the increased productivity for the current agricultural season.
Mr Mwila: Hear, hear!
Mr Matafwali: However, does the hon. Minister have any plans to review the trade protocols that we have with the DRC, which provides a very big market potential for our agricultural products?
Mr Simuusa: Mr Speaker, measures are already in place to encourage trade, especially between the DRC and Zambia. A conference was recently held to review and enhance the trade between the two countries under the umbrella of Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). In short, the answer is, yes, we would like to encourage trade between the two countries. However, we are not only looking at the DRC, but also at countries like Angola, Kenya and even South Sudan.
I thank you, Mr Speaker.{mospagebreak}
Ms Imenda (Luena): Mr Speaker, the response from the hon. Minister on the issue of the health ramifications of tobacco was that the Government’s interest was in earning revenue. Considering the latest breakthroughs in medical research, would he consider legalising the growing of dagga?
Laughter
Mr Simuusa: Mr Speaker, I will not answer that question on the Floor of this House but, instead, ask the hon. Member to direct it to the relevant authorities.
I thank you, Mr Speaker.
REHABILITATION OF ROADS IN CHANTEBE WARD
437. Mr Mutale asked the Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication when the Government, through the RRU, would rehabilitate the roads in Chantebe Ward in Kwacha Parliamentary Constituency.
Mr M. H. Malama: Mr Speaker, the RRU will work on some roads in Kitwe under the 2014 RSAWP. However, the roads in Chantete Ward have not been captured for 2014 because the resources could not allow for all wards to be catered for simultaneously. That said, the office of the Rural Roads Engineer plans to carry out condition surveys in consultation with the local authorities on priority roads, including those in Chantete Ward, for inclusion in the 2015 RSAWP.
Mr Speaker, I thank you.
MUMBWA/BLUE LAGOON ROAD
438. Mr Hamusonde (Nangoma) asked the Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication when the Mumbwa/Blue Lagoon Road would be rehabilitated.
The Deputy Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication (Col. Kaunda): Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Local Government and Housing is currently carrying out periodic maintenance on 80km of the Mumbwa/Blue Lagoon Road. The scope of works includes road formation, grading, gravelling and the drainage system. The contractor, Pine Roads and General Dealers, was awarded the contract at a contract sum of K13,496,137.60. The works commenced in September, 2013, and are expected to be completed in December, 2014. The contractor has, so far, completed 60km.
Mr Speaker, I thank you.
Mr Hamusonde: Mr Speaker, how regularly does the Government inspect the road works?
Col. Kaunda: Mr Speaker, the inspection of works is part of the conditions of the contract between the contractor and the ministry. So, as long as we know what is supposed to be done, it will be done.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Milambo (Mwembeshi): Mr Speaker, is the hon. Minister aware that the works on that road have stalled?
Mr Mbewe: On a point of order, Sir.
Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.
Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, I rarely stand on points of order, ...
Laughter
Mr Mbewe: … but this one is very compelling.
Sir, is the hon. Minister of Agriculture and Livestock in order to keep quiet, instead of giving us the roadmap for the independent farmers whose tobacco is not being bought? Is he in order not to tell those farmers what will happen to their tobacco?
Sir, I need your serious ruling.
Mr Speaker: My ruling is simple. Obviously, this seems to be quite a complex industry and, I think, in order for the House and the nation to benefit from whatever underlying issues are involved, I urge the hon. Member for Chadiza to file a specific question, which we will direct to the hon. Minister of Agriculture and Livestock to respond to accordingly. This is because I am at sea over what the problem is. So, if there is a specific issue, please, file a question and we will forward it to the hon. Minister.
Hon. Member for Mwembeshi, you may continue.
Mr Milambo: Mr Speaker, before the point of order was raised, I was asking whether the hon. Minister was aware that the works on the road have stalled.
Col. Kaunda: Mr Speaker, as of this morning, we were not aware. However, we are grateful for that information. We will go and check the works to see if the information given is correct.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Mwiimbu (Monze Central): Mr Speaker, I am aware that the able former Government, the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD), used to give us annual work plans for the RDA.
Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Mweetwa: On a point of order, Sir.
Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.
Mr Mweetwa: Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me the opportunity to raise my first point of order of this sitting. My apologies to my elder brother who was on the Floor for disrupting his thought process.
Sir, I rise on a very serious point of order bordering on the human rights situation in this country, particularly those rights enshrined in the Bill of Rights under Articles 20, 21 and 22, which concern freedom of expression, freedom of assembly and association and freedom of movement. This is as a result of the recent diabolic and horrendous …
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Mweetwa: … violation of human rights by the police under the PF administration.
Sir, not too long ago, the police allowed our colleagues in the MMD to conduct rallies in the Eastern Province and the party went to visit all the districts in the province. Whilst there, the police decided to cancel the rallies that they had already authorised and sent hundreds of officers to hound the MMD leadership out of Vubwi District, stating that all those constituencies where there were pending by-elections were no-go areas for political leaders. This happened again when the MMD wanted to hold rallies in Kabwe.
Sir, before I come to what has really compelled me to speak, I am reminded that, in your earlier ruling, …
Mr Speaker: Hon. Member for Choma Central, …
Mr Mweetwa remained standing.
Hon. Members: Sit down.
Mr Mweetwa resumed his seat.
Mr Speaker: … I counselled your colleague, the hon. Member for Katuba Constituency, against making long prefaces or winding preambles to what should be short points of order. What is the issue? What is your point? I am sure that, as a lawyer, you can get to the point.
Mr Mweetwa: Mr Speaker, thank you for your guidance.
Sir, is the hon. Minister of Home Affairs in order to remain mute in the face of the violations I mentioned, especially that they are continuing? Yesterday, the United Party for National Development (UPND) leader, …
Mr Nkombo: Our leader.
Mr Mweetwa: … our president, was blocked …
Mr Shakafuswa: Incoming president.
Mr Mweetwa: … by the police from visiting the Litunga to commiserate with him over the death of his wife. Pictures of the incident have been carried in today’s edition of the Daily Nation Newspaper and on social media. Further, the police commissioner in the province has written to Radio Liseli instructing it to cancel all the paid-for and scheduled programmes that the UPND leader was supposed to feature on last evening.
Hon. UPND Members: Dictatorship!
Mr Mweetwa: The letter was copied to the other radio stations, which have been similarly instructed and threatened that their licences would be withdrawn if they did not comply.
Sir, in your ruling on Hon. Mucheleka’s point of order, you indicated very clearly that human rights are so fundamental that they must be respected, and that a Government should be seen to respect human rights instead of being seen to be giving the rights to the people. The hon. Minister of Home Affairs is even busy consulting Hon. Kambwili, instead of addressing the nation on this very serious matter.
Sir, I need your serious ruling.
Mr Speaker: There are two problems with this point of order. The first and paramount one is that you have debated your point of order, which you are not supposed to do. Secondly, and I have counselled on this before, you do yourselves a disservice sometimes, instead of asking a specific question, with specific details to the hon. Minister, you want to raise a point of order and expect this to be resolved ex tempore. It cannot. If you have concerns, present them in writing and we will not shy away from forwarding them to the hon. Minister, who will be compelled to respond. In the course of the hon. Minister answering your question, you will also have an opportunity to engage him. So, why should you raise such a complex issue in that fashion? Put a question in writing.
That is my ruling.
Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, I was about to rise on a point of order on myself.
Laughter
Mr Mwiimbu: Sir, before the point of order, I was stating that the MMD considered it an obligation to provide the annual work plans of the RDA to this House. As a result of that, very few questions were raised on which roads would be worked on in the country. Will the present Government emulate the good conduct of the MMD …
Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Mwiimbu: … by providing the annual work plans so that all of us know what programmes are being implemented in our constituencies?
Col. Kaunda: Mr Speaker, we have different parties and systems. So, we really do not have to follow what others have done.
Hon. Opposition Members: Question!
Col. Kaunda: Mr Speaker, for those who care to read our papers, we provide work plans from time to time. Similarly, there is a pamphlet on the Link Zambia 8,000 Project, which shows the plans for all the roads earmarked for works this year and in subsequent years.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Nkombo (Mazabuka Central): Mr Speaker, following up on the question by the hon. Member of Parliament for Monze Central, and going by the answer that we have received from Hon. Col. Panji Kaunda, that parties have different styles of management, I want him to confirm, at this juncture, that our colleagues’ style of management has withdrawn one of the three functions of hon. Members of Parliament, namely, that of oversight on the way the Government conducts State affairs. In other words, is he withdrawing that function of oversight from us so that we cannot engage the Government to give us advance information on what it plans to do for this country?
Col. Kaunda: Mr Speaker, the answer is no.
I thank you, Sir.
Laughter
MOBILE SCIENCE LABORATORY SERVICES IN KABWE
439. Mr Kapyanga asked the Minister of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education:
(a) when the mobile science laboratory service would start operating in Kabwe; and
(b) whether there were enough teachers for the mobile laboratory service.
Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, the supply of mobile laboratory units in Central Province, and Kabwe in particular, commenced in April, 2014.
Interruptions
Mr Speaker: Order, on the right!
Your colleague is hardly audible.
Mr Mabumba: Mr Speaker, the science teachers in existing secondary schools are the ones who will be teaching in the mobile science laboratories. So, we will not use different teachers for that purpose.
I thank you, Sir.
ROAD BLOCKS
440. Mr Kapyanga asked the Minister of Home Affairs:
(a) whether the increase in the number of police road blocks did not inhibit the development of tourism in the country; and
(b) what the standard distance between road blocks was.
Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, there are basically two types of road blocks conducted for security reasons and to promote road safety, which are:
Security Road Blocks
Security road blocks are normally permanent and may be operated by different stakeholders from time to time, including the Zambia Police Force, local councils, the Immigration Department and the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA). These checkpoints are strategically located at places like borders and exit and entry points of towns or provinces.
Traffic Snap Road Blocks
Traffic snap road blocks are not permanent and do not have a specific location. They can be mounted at any strategic point and their durations vary from thirty minutes to one hour. The main purpose of snap checks is to enforce road traffic regulations and pursue criminals, in some cases.
Sir, the ministry is equally not satisfied with some of the road blocks and has since engaged the Zambia Police command to see how the number of road blocks the police can mount be reduced.
Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, further, the concerns about the effects of road blocks on tourism have been taken on board. As a Government, we are part of the efforts to promote a sustainable tourism industry and are aware that we cannot have sustainable tourism in the absence of security. So, in as much as we would want to open up our various routes in the country, we have to be mindful that the security of the State is not compromised at any time.
Sir, there is no standard distance in the placement of road blocks. The Officers-in-Charge of given areas can use their discretion depending on the security and safety circumstances.
Mr Speaker, I thank you.
Mr Nkombo: Sir, when the PF just won the last general elections, it is on record as having done away with virtually all road blocks in the country. Therefore, I want the hon. Minister to tell us the point at which the party realised the importance of these road blocks.
Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Member for that follow-up question. However, I wish to correct the impression he is trying to create. There has never been a situation in which we got rid of all the road blocks. That would have been recklessness. We know that our country is land-linked to other countries. There was no way we could have made such a reckless decision to remove all the road blocks from our roads.
Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Kampyongo: The importance of the road blocks is very clear. As a land-linked country, we cannot allow our roads not to have any check points. We have to ensure that our travelling members of the public are also safeguarded as they use our roads.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Ng’onga (Kaputa): Mr Speaker, is there any training in public relations given to our officers who man the road blocks so that, as people are stopped, they are able to know what nature of road block is being mounted and what they are looking for?
Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, the officers are from the Road Traffic Section of the Zambia Police, but we have been receiving complaints from members of the public. So, to address some of the issues raised by our tourists, we have requested the Zambia Police Command to engage the Zambia Tourism Board (ZTB) and other stakeholders to address specific complaints about the conduct of our police officers manning the check points. We do not encourage them to ill-treat the members of the public. Any professional police officer is supposed to deal with the travelling public with respect. That is what we expect. Where we have specific complaints, we have addressed them appropriately.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Muchima (Ikeleng’i): Mr Speaker, I have a cough …
Mr Mwiimbu: On a point of order, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.
Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, I rise on a procedural point of order pertaining to the dignity of this House and the accuracy of the statements we make on its Floor. I do recall that the late former hon. Minister of Home Affairs, Mr Kennedy Sakeni, made a statement on the Floor of this House banning road blocks in the country.
Mr Belemu: Yes!
Mr Mwiimbu: The directive was effected. After some time, arising from a question raised by Hon. Nkombo, the road blocks were reinstated.
Is the hon. Deputy Minister of Home Affairs in order, Mr Speaker, to mislead this House and agree that it was recklessness on their part to have abandoned the road blocks?
Mr Speaker: I think, the best that we could do to put this matter to rest is to raise it in a question.
Mr Mwiimbu: But this is procedural.
Mr Speaker: What you have stated … In fact, I have gone beyond your point. It is common knowledge that all statements made on the Floor of the House must be factually correct. There is no debate about that and I did not want to address the obvious. If you would like to engage the Executive on this call, put a question.
The hon. Member for Ikeleng’i may continue.
Mr Muchima: Mr Speaker, I have a cough (coughs), ...
Mr Livune: Air lock.
Mr Muchima: … but I will try by all means ...
Mr Simfukwe: Tell them, my brother.
Mr Nkombo: On a point of order, Mr Speaker.
Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.
Mr Nkombo: Sir, I salute you for the ruling you just made. My point of order is in line with our system of work here in this Chamber, which demands that, when questions are asked, regardless of how reckless the Executive might seem to be, the questions should be answered.
Sir, the core of my question to the hon. Deputy Minister about when the PF Government realised the need to reinstate the road blocks and what had triggered that realisation, was regardless of whether or not the Government had actually made that reckless decision on which, as per your counsel, we will raise a question. My question was about what made them realise that the road blocks were an essential component of our national security. Therefore, is the hon. Deputy Minister in order not to give me the answer?
Mr Speaker: I will give the hon. Deputy Minister an opportunity to respond to that question as this discourse continues.
Hon. Minister, please, take note of that.
Mr Muchima: Mr Speaker, before I was interrupted, I was saying that I had a cough and that I would, nevertheless, try by all means …
Laughter
Mr Muchima: … to be heard.
Interruptions
Mr Livune: Air lock.
Mr Speaker: He is excusing himself.
Laughter
Mr Muchima: Mr Speaker, why is the Department of Road Traffic in the Zambia Police Force so attractive that police officers at times even volunteer …
Mr Miyutu: On a point of order, Mr Speaker.
Mr Muchima: … to use their personal vehicles in their operations, which does not happen in the other departments? When crimes are being committed in other sectors, and the police is called upon for help, we are usually told that there is no manpower and transport. There are also three road blocks on the short road to the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA), yet the airport is a …
Mr Lubinda: It is a road block.
Mr Muchima: … is a security road block.
Laughter
Mr Muchima: I have driven from the Copperbelt, today, and there are seven road blocks between Kitwe and Ndola. Hon. Minister, do you not think that this is a reduction on productivity?
Mr Belemu: Hear, hear!
Mr Mwanza: And corruption.
Mr Muchima: What is so important that has been attached to road traffic that has overridden most of the other activities in the Zambia Police Force?
Mr Speaker: Hon. Minister, as you respond to that question, please, bear in mind the interventions made earlier by the hon. Members for Monze Central and Mazabuka Central, which appear to require clarification.
Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me the opportunity to clarify the point I made earlier.
Sir, the correct position is that, in 2012, there was a decision made by the then hon. Minister of Home Affairs to cut down on the number of road blocks.
Mr Mwila: Yes, to cut down, not to ban.
Mr Kampyongo: His decision was to remove those road blocks that were not necessary. I agree that that decision was made. What I did not agree with is the assertion that there was a decision to remove all the road blocks and check points.
Mr Mwila: It cannot be done in that way.
Mr Kampyongo: That is the decision I was referring to when I said, had it been made, it would have been a reckless one. The clarification is that, yes, there was a decision to reduce the number of road blocks and check points in 2012, especially on the Copperbelt.
Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, getting back to the question asked by the hon. Member for Ikeleng’i concerning the Traffic Section of the Zambia Police Force being attractive, …
Interruptions
Mr Speaker: He is still explaining.
Mr Kampyongo: … it sounds to us like a matter of perception. What is clear and factual is that there is, at any particular time, in any given police command, a number of officers assigned to traffic management and control. Therefore, whether it is attractive or not, we cannot have the whole Zambia Police Force managing and controlling traffic. That is not possible.
I thank you, Sir.{mospagebreak}
Mr Hamudulu (Siavonga): Mr Speaker, recently, a very senior police officer was seen on television telling his colleague that he was embarrassing the Ruling Party, and we have heard that the PF is now using road blocks to mobilise funds …
Hon. Government Members: Question!
Laughter
Mr Hamudulu: … to mitigate the Budget deficit …
Laughter
Mr Hamudulu: … that it has caused. Can the hon. Minister …
Interruptions
Mr Hamudulu: … confirm that the police officers manning road blocks are doing so in the name of the party, not the Government.
Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, it is very difficult for me to appreciate the question from the hon. Member.
Sir, you have guided the House to debate factually. Therefore, when one stands in this House …
Interruptions
Mr Speaker: Order!
You have asked him a question and he wants to respond to it. Let him do so.
Continue, hon. Minister.
Mr Kampyongo: The hon. Member should have been factual and mentioned the senior officer …
Interruptions
Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, I need your protection.
Mr Speaker: Order!
Hon. Minister, you have protection. Please, let him complete his response.
Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, we have to be responsible when making certain statements. The setting up of check points has been a duty of the Zambia Police Force for a long time. I cannot imagine the point at which the police would collect money on behalf of a political party. Let us be serious when seeking clarification from the Executive. It is important that you come with facts, instead of being melodramatic. We have a responsibility to factually inform the general public.
Mr Speaker, I thank you.
Mr Lufuma (Kabompo West): Mr Speaker, it has become crystal clear that, to all intents and purposes, the numerous road blocks are not mounted for security purposes, but for putting more money in some people’s pockets. So, what is the Government doing to curb the unacceptable vice?
Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, I suppose, the hon. Member is talking about corruption, which is a social issue.
Sir, the people who bribe police officers, if at all they do, as implied in the statement by the hon. Member, are members of the public. What sort of citizens, then, do we have? A responsible citizen must be able to refuse to give a police officer money because that is not the job that police officers are employed to do at the check point. That is the starting point. From there, we will see the desired results. However, as long as members of the public want to be reckless by driving vehicles that are not roadworthy because they know that, when they get to a road block, they will start kneeling down before a police officer and dangling money in their face, the scourge will continue. This is an issue in which we all need to be involved. As legislators, we have the responsibility because we also pass through the road blocks. If we witness an officer being corrupted, we can report them to the Police Public Complaints Authority (PPCA). As long as we want to just talk without doing anything about it, yet expect the hon. Minister of Home Affairs to solve that problem, we are not doing justice to the members of the public.
Mr Speaker, I thank you.
ZAMBIA RAILWAYS LIMITED LOCOMOTIVE ENGINES
441. Mr Ntundu asked the Minister of Transport, Works Supply and Communication:
(a) how many locomotive engines the Zambia Railways Limited had at the time of leasing the company to Railway Systems of Zambia;
(b) of the engines at (a), how many were in good working order;
(c) how many were repaired by Railway Systems of Zambia; and
(d) how many engines were in good working order as of December, 2013.
Col. Kaunda: Mr Speaker, Zambia Railways Limited (ZRL) had fifty-seven locomotive engines at the time of its leasing to Railway Systems of Zambia (RSZ), thirty-one of which were in good working order.
Sir, none of the engines were rehabilitated by the RSZ. Only scheduled maintenance was conducted on operational locomotives.
Mr Speaker, twenty-five locomotive engines were in good working order as of December, 2013.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Ntundu: Mr Speaker, …
Mr Nkombo: On a point of order, Sir.
Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.
Mr Nkombo: Mr Speaker, you have always advised that hon. Members should rise on points of order contemporaneously. I am afraid, I was beaten by time because the time you allocated for my point of order had moved to the next question.
Mr Speaker, you have advised that we are not permitted to mention names of people who cannot defend themselves on account of not being party to our proceedings. However, in response to the question that was raised by the hon. Member for Siavonga, in which he referred to something that is in public domain, namely, to a certain senior police officer who quarrelled with a senior officer from another ministry on television over the conduct of road blocks, which was alleged to have been a source of embarrassment to the PF, the hon. Deputy Minister of Home Affairs asked how he could respond when the officer referred to had not been identified.
Sir, was the hon. Deputy Minister in order to solicit the name of Dr Solomon Jere, who is not here to defend himself on a matter in which he insisted to Mr Zindaba Soko that the latter was embarrassing the PF by arresting people? Is he in order to carry on like that and force us to mention names of individuals who are not here to defend themselves?
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Speaker: The problem with that point of order, Hon. Nkombo, is that you have flouted the rule you are trying to protect.
Laughter
Mr Speaker: It is as simple as that. Whether the names were mentioned in whatever media forum does not change our rules. It is the rules we are concerned with.
The hon. Member for Gwembe may continue.
Mr Ntundu: Mr Speaker, we ask questions to the PF Government because we do not know the answers. If I knew the answer to this question, I would not have asked it.
Mr Speaker: Ok, go ahead, but I am struggling with the logic of your debate.
Laughter
Mr Ntundu: Mr Speaker, the PF Government is aware that Hon. Mukupa and I visited Zambia Railways in Kabwe and found the RSZ repairing locomotives. The PF Government is aware of this. Why is the hon. Minister answering as though I already know the answer to the question? Can he, therefore, explain to me and answer the question that I have asked?
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Col. Kaunda: Mr Speaker, sometimes, I wonder what I should say in answering questions. The question asked was about how many locomotive engines the ZRL had at the time it was leased to the RSZ and, in my view, the question required me to mention a figure and I gave the figure of fifty-seven.
Sir, part (b) of the question was about how many of the locomotives were in good condition, and I said that they were thirty-one.
Part (c) of the question was about how many of the locomotives were repaired by the RSZ. Mr Speaker, today, there is no RSZ. What we have is the ZRL.
I thank you, Sir.
Hon. Government Members: How many?
Mr M. H. Malama: Mwakulasebana filyafine.
DISABLED PERSONS’ FARMING BLOCKS
442. Mr Mwila (Chipili) asked the Minister of Community Development, Mother and Child Health:
(a) when the Government would revamp the Makabi and Luminu Farming Blocks for the disabled persons in Chipili District; and
(b) why the Government had neglected farm blocks for the disabled countrywide.
The Deputy Minister of Community Development, Mother and Child Health (Ms Kazunga): Mr Speaker, plans are underway to develop the Luminu and Mukabi farming blocks. By 2015, fully-fledged activities will have commenced. However, the undertaking of the activities on the farming blocks is subject to the completion of the current restructuring programme.
Mr Speaker, the restructuring exercise requires huge financial resources to recapitalise the farming blocks, but the funds were only made available this year. Consultations with the local communities, the private sector and persons with disabilities on how best to run the farm centres productively have commenced. Once they have been finalised, production activities will be implemented in all the farm centres across the country. For Luminu and Makabi farming blocks, there are plans for them to grow crops and engage in rearing livestock.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Mwila: Mr Speaker, it is now two-and-half years since the farming blocks were created, but the Government has done nothing on the farming blocks.
Mr Mwale: Sure!
Mr Mwila: Mr Speaker, can the hon. Minister tell the people of Chipili when the Government will start putting money in the farming blocks?
Ms Kazunga: Mr Speaker, I have answered part (b) of the question. The funds to undertake the activities on the farming blocks have only recently been made available. However, there are some activities that have already started. The ministry is also undertaking a programme to fence the farming blocks so that squatters do not take advantage of the land.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Lubinda (Kabwata): Mr Speaker, two decades ago, there were more than 100 families of disabled people on Luminu Farming Block. How many families of disabled people are on that farm currently? We need to know so that we can relate that information to the issue raised by the hon. Member, which is that of the non-rehabilitation of the farming blocks.
The Minister of Community Development, Mother and Child Health (Mrs Kabanshi): Mr Speaker, the answer that my hon. Deputy Minister gave was that we are going around the country verifying the number of families that are on the farms. We have found out that it is not only families of the disabled that are living there. There are even some able-bodied people who have encroached on them. Therefore, we are now trying to protect the land and revamp the activities. All the activities that are supposed to be undertaken on the farms have been funded this year, and you will see many of them being undertaken next year.
Hon. Members: How Many?
Mrs Kabanshi: Mr Speaker, we are counting the number of families on the farms. If the hon. Member wants to know the exact number, I think that I can bring the answer next week.
I thank you, Sir.
CDF GUIDELINES
443. Mr Mwila asked the Minister of Local Government and Housing:
(a) why the Government had made it mandatory for Constituency Development Fund (CDF) projects to be approved at the ministry Headquarters in Lusaka before they are implemented in constituencies;
(a) what the impact of the new procedure on the implementation of CDF projects was; and
(c) whether the Government had any intention to review the current CDF guidelines.
The Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing (Mr Tembo): Mr Speaker, the spirit under which CDF projects are subjected to the ministry’s scrutiny is not to seek approval, but to ensure that the projects approved by the councils are in conformity with the CDF guidelines. My ministry merely provides an oversight and advisory role to the local authorities so as to enhance conformity and accountability.
Mr Speaker, the impact of the new procedure includes the following:
(a) the misapplication of the CDF has been addressed, and this has resulted in the attainment of value for money, as more controls have been enforced; and
(b) the monitoring of projects has enhanced transparency and accountability, as compliance is critical in the process.
Mr Speaker, from the experience gained, it is evident that there is an urgent need to revisit the 2006 CDF Guidelines in order to strengthen the institutional framework. In the process, it is hoped that abuse and corruption will be addressed.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Mwila: Mr Speaker, is the hon. Minister aware that this procedure required before the implementation of CDF projects has been delaying the implementation of the projects?
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Mwila: Mr Speaker, as we speak, the 2013 projects have not been given the go-ahead. Can the hon. Minister respond to that.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Mwale: Ema rebel abo!
Mr Tembo: Mr Speaker, as far as we are concerned at the ministry, the processing of CDF project proposals takes a maximum of two days.
Hon. Members: No!
Mr Tembo: Mr Speaker, I thought I was answering the question.
Mr Speaker: Hon. Members, let the hon. Minister complete his response.
Mr Tembo: Sir, the delay is caused by late submission of project proposals by the local authorities.
I thank you, Sir.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Mwila: Nawasuka!
Brig-Gen.. Dr Chituwo: Mr Speaker, is this practice of having the hon. Minister of Local Government and Housing scrutinise the projects at the council level not a serious contradiction of the decentralisation policy? I ask this because the monitoring is already done by the District Development Co-ordinating Committee (DDCC). Why are we, on one hand, focusing on decentralisation and, on the other, centralising the activities of the CDF?
I need a serious answer from the hon. Minister.
The Minister of Local Government and Housing (Mr Chenda): Mr Speaker, the need for the ministry to approve or verify projects was a result of the rampant abuse, corruption and outright theft of public funds that had been experienced in the administration of the CDF. The Government found it fit to have the approved projects scrutinised by the ministry so that accountability is enhanced and the money used for the intended purpose. However, in the long run, in the spirit of promoting decentralisation, this programme should be owned by the communities …
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Chenda: … and, obviously, it is the Government’s intention to devolve this function to the local level.
I thank you, Sir.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Hamududu (Bweengwa): Mr Speaker, one of the organs that review CDF projects is the DDCC, which is chaired by District Commissioners (DCs). Do you not have confidence in your own DCs’ ability to represent the interests of the ministry? Why do the papers have to be brought to Lusaka?
Mr Chenda: Mr Speaker, I do not think that it is an issue of not having confidence in the Office of the DC. It is, rather, that of facing reality. All of us here will agree that we have had serious challenges of accountability in this programme. The Auditor-General’s Report speaks mountains on this issue. So, since these are public funds for which we must get full value, it is important that we subject the projects to scrutiny.
I thank you, Sir.
Prof. Lungwangwa (Nalikwanda): Mr Speaker, can the hon. Minister enlighten us on what strategic aspects are considered in the approval process to ensure that rampant corruption and theft are curtailed in the CDF project implementation process.
Mr Chenda: Mr Speaker, we have ensured that all the project proposals that have been submitted to the ministry conform to the guidelines given to the local authorities. Obviously, this has enhanced the performance of the district councils in the process.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Hamudulu: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has indicated that the current measures are in the interim. How long will they last?
Mr Chenda: Mr Speaker, we are in the process of consulting on the matter because we want to be inclusive. All the stakeholders should contribute towards the revision of the new guidelines. The consultation process will be concluded …
Mr Speaker: Order!
Business was suspended from 1615 hours until 1630 hours.
[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]
Mr Chenda: Mr Speaker, before business was suspended, I had almost concluded my response to Hon. Hamudulu’s follow-up question.
Sir, as a ministry, we are concerned about the bureaucracy in the administration of the CDF because it has caused some delays in the approval of these projects. It is for this reason that we are revising the guidelines, and it is our sincere hope that we will be able to do this as quickly as possible so that we make the guidelines responsive to the needs of the people and those of hon. Members of Parliament.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Shakafuswa: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for that elaborate answer.
Sir, the Auditor-General’s Report recorded irregularities in most of the ministries due to theft, corruption, misapplication and misallocation of public funds. These abuses are now also manifesting in district councils. If steps are to be taken to control the situation in district councils, do you not think they should be mostly to do with the calibre of staff? If we have qualified officers, they can ascertain whether the projects are correct or not. We are actually employing unqualified people as DCs.
Mr Chenda: Mr Speaker, the DCs do not work for local authorities.
Interruptions
Mr Chenda: Further, it is everybody’s intention to ensure that there is proper accountability of CDF funds. These are public funds and the onus is on all of us to ensure that they are not abused. Hon. Members of Parliament are councillors in their respective councils and are senior members of the Constituency Development Committees (CDC). Therefore, it is their duty to collectively ensure that there is proper accountability.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Bwalya (Lupososhi): Mr Speaker, I appreciate the fact that the guidelines are being revised so that they are responsive to the needs of the Zambian people.
Sir, the issue of approval came about because of the July 2012 Circular, which was signed by the then Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Housing. Do we see a withdrawal of that circular as the Government embarks on the revision of the guidelines?
Mr Chenda: Mr Speaker, the reform of the guidelines will, obviously, take into account that particular component. The issue, here, is devolving power to the local authorities in the spirit of decentralisation. So, obviously, that will be taken care of automatically.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, let me join the others in commending the hon. Minister for his answers to these questions. However, the hon. Deputy Minister said that the reason the ministry was looking at the applications was to ensure that their conformity to CDF guidelines is checked. Further, the hon. Minister, in response to a similar question, referred to the need to curb corruption and abuse. He also indicated that his ministry is looking at revising the guidelines.
Sir, is the approval process of CDF projects, which includes scrutiny by the Constituency Development Fund Committee (CDFC), the Planning Unit of councils, the DDCC and the full council, not sufficient to ensure that the guidelines are followed? Secondly, with your permission, reports of the Auditor-General show that corruption and abuse normally take place at the procurement stage of projects, not necessarily at the approval stage.
Ms Imenda: Yes.
Mr Lubinda: Therefore, is the hon. Minister also intending to take over the procurement processes to ensure that the ministry superintends over them to avoid the occurrence of corruption?
Sir, in coming up with new guidelines, does the hon. Minister intend to come up with an Act of Parliament on the CDF, passed by this House, rather than guidelines that are at the purview of the Permanent Secretaries without the participation of the people who are supposed to be superintending over the utilisation of the CDF?
Ms Imenda: Hear, hear!
Mr Shakafuswa: Quality!
Mr Chenda: Mr Speaker, the enacting of a Parliamentary Act on the CDF is one of the options that are being considered by the ministry. In fact, my predecessors had already worked on a layman’s draft Bill.
Sir, for now, we want to take the approval back to where the action is taking place, which is at the local authority level, because the gains that we have made through subjecting the processes to the approval of the ministry do not override the fact that we should begin to build capacity at the local level, and we are the ministry that is charged with the responsibility of devolving power under decentralisation. It is in that context that we would like to step up the monitoring process so that we can be on top of things.
Mr Speaker, I must also mention that we have had serious challenges. We may have been able to control the financial aspects of things by sending auditors, but we have not been able to do so with the technical aspects because we have not had any technical audits. The quality of work and the procurement process leave much to be desired. It is not our intention to take over these responsibilities from the councils but, rather, to build capacity at the council level so that the councils are able to handle the issues on their own.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Mucheleka (Lubansenshi): Mr Speaker, there has been concern from hon. Members of Parliament and other stakeholders about the time within which the CDF is disbursed. We often get inconvenienced by the late disbursements and there is, quite often, poor implementation of CDF projects because the works are sometimes undertaken during the rainy season.
Sir, when does the hon. Minister intend to fully disburse the 2014 CDF so that the councils can implement the projects in time?
Mr Chenda: Mr Speaker, we have no intention to hold on to the money that has been released to the ministry for disbursement to local authorities as the CDF even for a single day. We have received K87 million and are in the process of disbursing it. It is my sincere hope that most of this money will be disbursed during the course of next week. We will disburse this money as and when it is received from the Ministry of Finance. Our intention is to ensure that it goes where it is required, and that is at local authority level.
I thank you, Sir.
Rev. Lt-Gen. Shikapwasha (Keembe): Mr Speaker, would the hon. Minister consider disbursing the CDF, which is a ‘Constituency Development Fund’, not ‘Council Development Fund’, under the Constituency Office (CO) and the hon. Member of Parliament, who can streamline it, rather than under the council. Can we not devolve power that way.
Mr Chenda: Mr Speaker, I said that we are in the process of reviewing the guidelines and that we will look at the several available options. That proposal is one of the options that are continuously talked about by hon. Members of Parliament. However, I would not attempt to cross that bridge before I get there.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Muchima: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister sounds vibrant on this issue. We shall support him if he is going to make the CDF meaningful to the people. His predecessors …
Mr Speaker: Get to the point. Do not start some situational analysis.
Interruptions
Mr Muchima: Sir, are you aware that there is more money being wasted today than there was before? Since, the guidelines are being reviewed while the money is being disbursed, when will we take that into account so that we can start using the new guidelines?
Mr Chenda: Mr Speaker, contrary to the hon. Member’s assertion, I think that the situation has improved compared to what it used to be. However, this is not to say that it is perfect, hence our concern and desire to revise the conditions so that we can enhance the internal controls and improve on accountability. I think that the situation is under control.
I thank you, Sir. {mospagebreak}
Mr Chipungu (Rufunsa): Mr Speaker, I also wish to commend the hon. Minister for those good answers.
Sir, I am delighted that the hon. Minister has indicated that constituencies will start receiving money next week. I hope Rufunsa will receive its share.
Sir, are we assured that there will be fair distribution of the CDF money, unlike what happened last year, whereby selected constituencies belonging to the Ruling Party were funded first?
Mr Chenda: Mr Speaker, I said that we have received K87 million. The money will be distributed in accordance with what it is able to cover across the country.
I thank you, Sir.
Hon. Opposition Member: CDF, CDF!
ZAMBIANS ARRESTED ABROAD OVER IVORY ORNAMENTS
444. Mr Mbulakulima (Chembe) asked the Minister of Home Affairs:
(a) how many Zambian citizens were arrested in foreign countries for wearing ivory bangles from 2010 to 2013; and
(b) what measures the Government had taken to sensitise the public on the dangers of travelling abroad with ornaments made from ivory.
Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, of all the Zambians repatriated to Zambia as a result of arrests on various offences in foreign countries between 2010 and 2013, only six of the cases were on account of wearing ivory bangles.
Mr Speaker, the Government, through the Ministry of Tourism and Art, under which ZAWA falls, has embarked on a campaign to sensitise Zambians against wearing ivory bangles when travelling abroad. We are reliably informed that ZAWA has already started printing materials to be posted at exit points to provide that caution.
Mr Speaker, I thank you.
Mr Mbulakulima: Mr Speaker, not long ago, there was a lady who was arrested, but she claimed that she was actually innocent because the ornament was part of her tradition. Apart from ZAWA, is there any other means that we can use at the points of exit, for example, the Immigration or customs officers, to inform people to avoid these embarrassments?
Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, in my response, I said that the Ministry of Tourism and Art is responsible for this portfolio function. In as much as we would want to involve other security wings, we may be getting into the duties of ZAWA. The hon. Member may wish to know that ZAWA has now started deploying its officers at some of these points of exit to sensitise our citizens on this issue.
I thank you, Sir.
Ms Imenda: Mr Speaker, considering that, in some parts of our country, the wearing ivory bangles is a form of cultural identity, would the ministry not consider putting a dedicated unit at the points of exit that can give licences to those who are travelling abroad as a way of assisting them?
The Minister of Home Affairs (Dr Simbyakula): Mr Speaker, although that is a brilliant question, I think that it should be directed to our colleagues at the Ministry of Tourism and Art, who are responsible for ZAWA.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, people are arrested for wearing ivory ornaments because of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), which Zambia has ratified. Are there any foreigners who are arrested upon entering Zambia wearing ivory bangles in the same manner that Zambians are arrested in foreign countries? If not, why are they not arrested?
Dr Simbyakula: Mr Speaker, in my response to the question by the hon. Member for Luena, I said that those questions will be best dealt with by our colleagues at the Ministry of Tourism and Art, who manage the wildlife portfolio. They are the ones who implemented that treaty. So, it would be prudent to get a proper answer from them.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Shakafuswa: Mr Speaker, cases of the arrest of Zambian citizens in other countries are definitely handled by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Therefore, are we also looking at enforcing this treaty among people from other countries, such as those from China, who openly display ornaments made out of ivory?
Dr Simbyakula: Mr Speaker, we will consult with our colleagues at the Ministry of Tourism and Art on how to proceed on this matter.
I thank you, Sir.
VIDEO CAMERAS FOR ZANIS IN LUWINGU AND KASAMA
445. Mr Bwalya asked the Minister of Information and Broadcasting:
(a) when the ministry would provide video cameras to Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) offices in Luwingu and Kasama districts; and
(b) when the ZANIS office in Luwingu would be provided with a motor vehicle.
The Minister of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection (Mr Kapeya) (on behalf of the Minister of Information and Broadcasting (Dr Katema)): Mr Speaker, Kasama was one of the first provincial offices to be provided with a video camera early in 2012, along with Mongu, Luapula, Kabwe, Chipata, Solwezi and Mansa. This is why the district is very prominent today in contributing to the newly-introduced ZANIS News on both Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) TV1 and TV2 every Tuesday and Thursday at 1930 hours and Saturday at 0900 hours, immediately after Kwacha Good Morning Zambia.
Mr Speaker, Luwingu, as a district under Kasama, has no video camera because the ZANIS establishment currently provides for Assistant Video Camerapersons only at provincial centres, not at the districts, where the establishment is limited to four positions, namely, the District Information Officer (DIO), Campaign Van Operator (CVO), Office Orderly and a driver or coxswain. However, the ministry recognises the need for districts to be fully equipped, video cameras inclusive, in order for them to contribute meaningfully to the flow of information. To this end, plans are underway to distribute video cameras to districts as and when funds become available.
Mr Speaker, Luwingu has a motor vehicle, which is currently undergoing full repair services in Lusaka. As soon as the repairs have been completed, it will be sent back to Luwingu.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Bwalya: Mr Speaker, the vehicle that has been mentioned has been in Lusaka for repair since 2011, a situation that is impeding the operations of the Luwingu ZANIS Office. When, exactly, will the repairs on the vehicle be completed?
Mr Kapeya: Mr Speaker, it is, indeed, true that the vehicle has been in the garage for quite a long time. However, I assure the hon. Member of Parliament that, by the end of this month or early July, 2014, the vehicle will be sent back to Luwingu.
I thank you, Sir.
GOVERNMENT DEBT TO ZSIC
446. Mr Katuka asked the Minister of Finance:
(a) how much money the Government owed the Zambia State Insurance Corporation Limited;
(b) when the debt would be paid; and
(c) what had caused the delay in liquidating the debt.
The Minister of Finance (Mr Chikwanda): Mr Speaker, as at 31st September, 2013, unsettled claims on the Government by the Zambia State Insurance Corporation (ZSIC) Limited amounted to K89.5 million, with K49.6 million having been verified by internal auditors in the Ministry of Finance.
Sir, in a meeting held between the Ministry of Finance and ZSIC General Insurance Company Limited on 5th November, 2013, to discuss the liquidation of outstanding verified premium payments to the company, it was agreed that the Treasury would liquidate the outstanding and verified debt of K49.6 million as it awaits the verification of the balance. In this regard, the Treasury is currently liquidating that amount.
Mr Speaker, the delay in liquidating the debt is attributed to the lengthy process of verifying unsettled premium claims on the Government by ZSIC Limited. Currently, 44.5 per cent of the unsettled claims are yet to be verified. Hon. Members should note that only verified unsettled premium claims on the Government are settled by the Treasury.
Mr Speaker, I thank you.
YOUTH CLUBS IN MWINILUNGA CONSTITUENCY
447. Mr Katuka asked the Minister of Youth and Sport how many youth clubs in Mwinilunga Parliamentary Constituency benefitted from the Youth Empowerment Fund (YEF) from 2010 to 2013, year by year.
The Deputy Minister of Youth and Sport (Mr Mulenga): Mr Speaker, the lowest level of allocation of the Youth Development Fund (YDF) is the district, not the constituency. Therefore, the following were the beneficiaries in Mwinilunga District:
Year Number beneficiaries Amount
2010 3 K63,100.00
2011 1 K10,000.00
2012 3 K70,000.00
2013 2 K67,000.00
I thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Katuka: Mr Speaker, may I inform the hon. Minister that Mwinilunga is both a district and a constituency. The whole district is one constituency. That aside, why have there been so few beneficiaries of this fund when, initially, we were told that there was an allocation for every province and district?
Mr Mulenga: Mr Speaker, the obvious answer to that question is that we have too many youths who apply for the YDF, but little money to cater for everyone. Therefore, we fund some projects countrywide, but not all of them. However, we are yet to improve on that.
I thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Hamududu: Mr Speaker, can the hon. Minister be kind enough to, at a later stage, provide us, hon. Members of Parliament, a beneficiary schedule to allay fears of politicisation and unfairness in the distribution of this fund.
The Minister of Youth and Sport (Mr Kambwili): Mr Speaker, we can do that even tomorrow.
I thank you, Sir.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Interruptions
Mr Speaker: It is a response.
Hon. Opposition Members: Question!
Mr Shakafuswa: Mr Speaker, is this fund an investment fund or it is just a political sunk cost? If it is an investment fund, has the Government had success rates from the money it has have given in the past?
Mr Kambwili: Mr Speaker, this fund is not given on the basis of political patronage and, as long as the PF remains in the Government, we shall administer it that way. From the time we took over, we have given out K23 million, and the fund has since been increased. In 2012, we gave K11 billion, last year, we gave K19 billion and, this year, we have budgeted for K20 billion. Let me state that the hon. Minister of Finance indicated that he might look for more money to give to more youths because its distribution has created a lot of impact and we have created 1,200.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Kambwili: If you follow the news, you might have watched a programme two weeks ago, just before the Main News on the ZNBC, in which we brought out the success stories of the YDF. The programme showed youths who had benefited from the fund. Their stories are encouraging. One youth, who was empowered with money to buy a taxi, now runs four taxis. Another was empowered to start a project called Ntwilo, in which he developed a formula to lengthen the shelf life of groundnuts and the product is selling in all major supermarkets. There is even a thought to start exporting it to South Africa because Pick’n Pay and Shoprite supermarkets have been very impressed by its performance. The fund has created a lot of impact among the youth basically because we have said that we will not politicise it. All the people between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five, regardless of their political affiliation, who provide a bankable business proposal will be funded.
I thank you, Sir.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Dr Kalila (Lukulu East): Mr Speaker, the question asked by the hon. Member for Bweengwa is very important because it is about the beneficiary list in order to allay fears of politicisation, and the response was that that can be done even as early as tomorrow.
Sir, I would like to follow the assurance up and ask the hon. Minister to give a categorical day when he hopes to give us the beneficiary list because, indeed, we are very interested.
Mr Kambwili: Mr Speaker, we are a very efficient Government. As I was going through the North-Western Province, I was giving the list of beneficiaries. I said that I will give you the information tomorrow because I have it on my finger-tips.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Lufuma: Mr Speaker, if the administration of this fund is non-political, what justification has the hon. Minister and his entourage got for moving around the provinces dishing out cheques when this can be done through banks?
Mr Kambwili: Mr Speaker, this is the difference between the PF and the MMD, transparency.
Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!
Mr Kambwili: We do not give out cheques.
I recall that individual hon. Members of Parliament used to collect money from the YEF from Hon. Chipungu’s office. We want to give these funds publicly so that people are able to see how much the beneficiaries are getting and judge for themselves whether these beneficiaries are PF cadres or not, all in the name of transparency.
I thank you, Sir.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Brig-Gen. Dr Chituwo: Mr Speaker, I thank you.
Mr Shakafuswa: On a point of order, Sir.
Brig-Gen. Dr Chituwo: Mr Speaker, since we are talking about the Government’s …
Mr Shakafuswa: On a point of order, Sir.
Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.
Mr Shakafuswa: Mr Speaker, I apologise to my uncle for interrupting his line of thought. I rise on a very serious point of order.
Sir, when did hon. Cabinet Ministers start taking up the role of Permanent Secretaries in disbursing public funds?
Hon. Government Members: Aah!
Mr Shakafuswa: Disbursing funds is the role of the controlling officers. Is the hon. Minister in order to come to this House and tell us that an hon. Cabinet Minister can go around disbursing cheques when this is the function of the administrative staff?
I need your serious ruling, Sir.
Interruptions
Mr Speaker: Order!
As the hon. Minister continues with his responses, he will shed light on the modus operandi.
Mr M. H. Malama: Yes, does he move alone? He moves with technocrats and other people.
Mr Speaker: Hon. Member for Mumbwa, you may proceed.
Interruptions
Brig-Gen. Dr Chituwo: Mr Speaker, like minds think alike. I also wanted to ask the hon. Minister if it is not more prudent for the Permanent Secretary to issue these cheques, either from the ministry or the provincial administration.
Mr Kambwili: Mr Speaker, these issues are coming up due to the impact of the funds on the Zambian people, ...
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Speaker: Order!
That is his response.
Mr Kambwili: … and I think that our colleagues in the Opposition are jealous of this fact.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Kambwili: Mr Speaker, I wish to state that the ceremonial handover of cheques is not actual approval of the clubs to be funded. In fact, this fund has been decentralised to the provincial centres where technical committees carry out field appraisals. These committees are the ones that approve the clubs to be funded. The ministry merely writes the cheques and hands them out to the clubs that have been recommended. This is transparency at its best.
I thank you, Sir.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Speaker: Hon. Member for Rufunsa, you may ask your follow-up question.
Mr Mbewe: On a point of order, Sir.
Interruptions
Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.
Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, I am very grateful to you for giving me this point of order.
Is the hon. Minister of Youth and Sport in order not to congratulate himself since he is used to doing so in newspapers over his acquiring a degree?
Laughter
Mr Mbewe: Is he in order not to do so since he is answering the questions so well?
Laughter
Mr Speaker: I take that to be a point of jest. Hon. Member for Rufunsa, you may continue.
Mr Chipungu: Mr Speaker, I totally agree with the hon. Minister. The MMD did distribute the funds through individual hon. Members of Parliament, but only because we took it that hon. Members knew their youths far better than anybody else. I want the hon. Minister to tell the House what wrong we did by doing so. He should state what was wrong with that when he kept coming to my office day in and day out.
Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Kambwili: Mr Speaker, that process had no transparency. They could ask us to submit ten clubs for funding without even asking for proposals. That is why, in 2010, they gave out K4 million and only recovered K187,000.
Mr Mukata: Jesus!
Mr Kambwili: We do not want to be part of that kind of thinking. We want to move with the current trends whereby, when the Government gives out money, it is paid back.
I thank you, Sir. {mospagebreak}
ELECTRIFICATION OF CHIBOLYA AND MAYUNI TOWNSHIPS IN PEMBA
448. Mrs Mazoka (Pemba) asked the Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development when Chibolya and Mayuni Townships and the surrounding areas in Pemba District would be electrified.
The Deputy Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development (Mr Zulu): Mr Speaker, Chibolya and Mayuni Townships are earmarked for electrification in June, 2015. The Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) Limited will plan for this in its 2015 corporate budget, which is being prepared currently and will be completed in November, 2014. The feasibility studies for the project were completed in November, 2013, and the estimated cost is K350,000.
Mr Speaker, I thank you.
Mrs Mazoka: Hon. Minister, I thank you for your positive response. However, since Pemba is now a district, has the Government got any plans to put up a ZESCO sub-station in the district? At present, the people of Muzoka get their power from Choma District while those in Pemba get it from Monze. Would it not be good if Pemba could get its own sub-station?
Mr Zulu: Mr Speaker, of course, if there is a need for a sub-station in Pemba District, we will sit down with ZESCO and come up with the project.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Shakafuswa: Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Water Development engaged us to identify growth centres that needed to be electrified for development and value addition in constituencies with development potential. What has happened to the pronouncements and assurances that this would be undertaken equitably throughout the country? Currently, electrification is only being done in selected areas.
Mr Zulu: Mr Speaker, Hon. Shakafuswa knows that we are implementing a big project in the North-Western Province. We are connecting all the districts. We are also implementing projects in Luapula and the Eastern provinces. So, the issue of favouring some constituencies is neither here nor there.
I thank you, Sir.
DOMESTICATION OF THE ROME STATUTE
449. Mr Mucheleka asked the Minister of Justice:
(a) whether the Government had any plans to domesticate the Rome Statute; and
(b) if there were no such plans, why.
The Deputy Minister of Justice (Mr Mukata): Mr Speaker, let me precurse my answer with the statement that the Government is committed to observing and meeting all of Zambia’s international obligations
Sir, the Rome Statute is under discussion at the United Nations Organisation (UNO) level and countries, Zambia included, have been advised to await the outcome of the discussions on amendments that may need to be made before they can consider domestication. Zambia has accordingly decided to await the outcome of this process before domesticating the statute.
I thank you, Sir.
FILING STATION FOR LUWINGU
450. Mr Bwalya asked the Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development when the Government would facilitate the establishment of a filling station in Luwingu District.
Mr Zulu: Mr Speaker, the facilitation of the establishment of a filling station in Luwingu District commenced in 2013.
Sir, in January, 2014, a consultant was engaged to design and supervise the construction of the filling station. Currently, 90 per cent of the design has been done. Upon completion of the design, a contractor will be engaged, through a competitive tendering process, to construct the station in the third quarter of 2014. The construction, once started, is expected to take six months to complete.
Mr Speaker, I thank you.
Mr Ntundu: Mr Speaker, who will the owners of the filling station be?
Mr Zulu: Mr Speaker, the filling station will be constructed by the Government, but it will be run by a local co-operative that will be awarded the contract through a competitive tender process.
I thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Hamusonde: Mr Speaker, why is the Government unable to run filling stations?
Mr Zulu: Mr Speaker, I am sorry, I did not get the question.
Mr Speaker: Could the hon. Member for Nangoma repeat his question, please.
Mr Hamusonde repeated the question.
Mr Zulu: Mr Speaker, honestly, the hon. Member should know that the Government does not run businesses. That is the reason we give the private sector to run them.
I thank you, Sir.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Rev. Lt-Gen. Shikapwasha: Mr Speaker, since the Government has now started the policy of constructing filling stations, when will one be constructed in Keembe?
Mr Zulu: Mr Speaker, the question was on the construction of a filling station in Luwingu District. So, I advise the hon. Member to give us time to look at his constituency.
Thank you, Sir.
Mr Hamudulu: Mr Speaker, is the model of floating the filling station to the local community the first of its kind or it has already been used elsewhere?
Mr Zulu: Mr Speaker, it is the first of its kind.
I thank you, Sir.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Dr Kalila: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has said that it is not the policy of the Government to engage in business. Does he not consider the Government’s involvement in the construction of filling stations business? Is the Government now creating a parastatal in this business?
Mr Zulu: Mr Speaker, this is one way of empowering Zambians because most of them do not have the capacity to construct this kind of infrastructure. Therefore, the Government will construct the filling station and hand it over to the locals.
I thank you, Mr Speaker.
Mr Livune (Katombola): Mr Speaker, would the hon. Minister care to give hon. Members a schedule of when the filling stations will be built in the various constituencies. I am especially interested in knowing when one will be built in Kazungula, which is a border town to which such a facility is very important.
Mr Kambwili (on behalf of the Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development (Mr Yaluma)): Mr Speaker, the people of Zambia, especially those in the rural areas, complain about the lack of filling stations in their districts, where people sell fuel in containers, and that is very dangerous. Therefore, the Government has decided to construct the infrastructure and promote the running of filling stations by co-operatives or individuals wherever the private sector cannot invest in that business. So, this Government is just responding to a need of people in rural areas. However, we will not do it in every area, but only in those that do not have filling stations nearby. There are some districts that are less than 20km from other districts where there are filling stations. Again, we will only build filling stations in those areas where it is absolutely necessary for us to do so.
I thank you, Sir.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Speaker: We have to move on to the next question. Hon. Ministers are available for you to engage them beyond the parameters of Parliament and its precincts if there are issues that raise many questions. These are public officers.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear! Long live the Chair!
REVENUE FROM MINING COMPANIES
451. Mr Mucheleka asked the Minister of Finance:
(a) how much revenue, in total, was collected from mining companies from January to December, 2013;
(b) of the total revenue collected, how much was from the following sources:
(i) Mineral Royalty Tax;
(ii) Corporate Tax; and
(iii) Pay As You Earn; and
(c) what percentage of the total revenue collected in 2013 the amount at (a) was.
Mr Chikwanda: Mr Speaker, the total revenue collected from mining companies from January to December, 2013, is K4.36 billion.
Mr Speaker, of the total revenue collected, the following were the collection from each type of tax:
Tax Revenue Collected (K’Billion)
Mineral Royalty Tax K1,760,000
Company Tax K1,080,000
Pay As you Earn K1,520,000
Total K4,360,000
Mr Speaker, the collections from mining companies from January to December, 2013, amounted to 18. 8 per cent of the total tax revenue collected in 2013.
Mr Speaker, I thank you.
Mr Mucheleka: I appreciate the answer that has been given by the hon. Minister of Finance. However, I am concerned about the low amount of tax that has been collected from the mining sector relative to the huge profits that these companies are making, especially after seeing some heads of mining companies boasting in India about how their companies are making US$1.5 billion per year, yet they pay very little tax. What specific steps can the hon. Minister assure us that he will take, especially in the 2015 Budget, which he might present at some point, to ensure that mining companies contribute significantly to the Treasury so that the collected funds can help alleviate the high levels of poverty in the country, including in the areas where these companies operated?
Mr Chikwanda: Mr Speaker, the contribution of the mining sector to Government revenue in our country is admittedly inadequate and remedial steps will be effected with the guidance of this House. The Government does not adjust taxes outside the mechanism of Parliament. So, there will be an appropriate and opportune time for hon. Members to contribute input into the remedying of the inadequacy of the contribution from the mining sector.
I thank you, Sir.
Ms Namugala (Mafinga): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister has admitted that the contribution of the mining sector to the total tax revenue of the country is low. He says, “Admittedly low”. Zambians need to benefit from their mineral resource but, currently, as admitted by the hon. Minister, they are not doing so and we know that minerals are wasting assets. So, what is the Government urgently doing to ensure that these mines contribute more?
Mr Chikwanda: Mr Speaker, the concerns of the hon. Member for Mafinga Parliamentary Constituency are very legitimate and we can only benefit from her wise reflections. The remedial actions will be taken in due course.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Hamudulu: Mr Speaker, the debate on mining taxes has really gone on for too long. Your answer to the question from the hon. Member for Mafinga has not given us enough or definitive hope as to whether you intend to review the mining tax regime, vis-a-vis whether they will be profit-based or revenue based, so that we can have a win-win situation between investors and the citizens. Otherwise, we will continue to debate while the resources deplete.
Mr Chikwanda: Mr Speaker, it seems we are all unanimous on the fact that the contribution by the mining sector could be higher. Mineral resources, as the hon. Member for Mafinga has wisely observed, cannot be replenished or renewed once depleted, and it is only proper that the country gets optimal benefits from its resources. So, it is just a question of modalities and how to go about it. That is where some of us think that we could benefit from the wisdom of some hon. Members, particularly the hon. Member for Bweengwa. However, we cannot do it in this fashion. There has to be a systematic way of consulting each other. We have listened very intently to well-meaning hon. Members, such as the hon. Member for Bweengwa, and we shall soon bring the Budgeting and Planning Bill into which he has had a very high level of input. So, we are agreed, but the modalities should be left for another process of effecting decisions.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Lufuma: Mr Speaker, to put it more bluntly, will the hon. Minister lend an ear to suggestions about the re-introduction of the windfall tax in this review?
Mr Speaker: Order!
I think that I have to intervene. The Minister has been very clear that these issues have to come here, to the National Assembly, as stipulated by the Constitution. They cannot just be done anyhow, and he has acknowledged all these points. I think, let us give him time to come through and make the proposals into which you will have your input. The modalities are a matter of detail, and I do not think that we should debate them endlessly. The basic premise has been admitted.
INSTALLATION OF CAMERAS AT TRAFFIC LIGHTS
452. Mr Mutale asked the Minister of Local Government and Housing:
(a) when cameras would be installed at traffic lights countrywide; and
(b) what the cost of the project would be.
The Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing (Mr Kufuna): Mr Speaker, cameras installed at traffic lights are usually to detect road traffic offenders, especially those who exceed speed limits or those whose road licences have expired. As much as the project will be of great value, it is not feasible to implement on account of prohibitive costs.
Sir, the estimated cost of the project is K500,000 per network of cameras in order to capture all angles.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Mutale: Mr Speaker, I thank the hon. Minister for that elaborate answer. However, does he not think that the cameras will reduce the number of accidents caused by motorists who ignore traffic lights countrywide?
Mr Kufuna: Mr Speaker, as I have said, the project would be beneficial, but requires huge sums of money and, as a Government, we have priority sectors where this money can be spent. For now, we cannot direct that much money towards that installation of traffic cameras. Currently, we have the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) and traffic police officers patrolling the roads.
Mr Speaker, I thank you.
HUNTING LICENSES
453. Mr Ntundu asked the Minister of Tourism and Art:
(a) how many hunting licences the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) issued for the following animals from 2011 to 2013, year by year:
(i) Elephant;
(ii) Buffalo;
(iii) Hippo;
(iv) Crocodile;
(v) Zebra;
(vi) Kudu; and
(vii) Duiker; and
(c) how much money was realised from the issuance of the licences.
The Deputy Minister of Tourism and Art (Mr Evans): Mr Speaker, the number of licences issued by ZAWA to people resident in Zambia for the identified animals from 2011 to 2013, year by year, were as follows:
Animals species 2011 2012 2013
Elephant 15 29 0
Buffalo 472 318 48
Hippo 229 192 18
Crocodile 143 149 17
Zebra 109 115 11
Kudu 94 87 14
Common Duiker 160 26 28
Sir, the amount of money raised by ZAWA from the issuance of resident hunting licences in 2011, 2012 and 2013 was as follows:
Year Amount generated
2011 K18,840,177.92
2012 K18,066,549.36
2013 K2,157.25
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Ntundu: Sir, there are many hippos in the Zambezi River in Gwembe. Is there any deliberate Government policy to give us a priority in the issuance of these licences? For example, out of the 200 licences for hippos, twenty or so could be reserved for Gwembe.
Mr Evans: Mr Speaker, I think, we have to look into that and see if we can have such a policy.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Hamudulu: Sir, is it possible for the Government to go into Chirundu and Siavonga and get rid of the crocodiles that are causing havoc among the people there?
Mr Evans: Mr Speaker, there is a process called culling. When there are too many wild animals in a given area, we take our ZAWA officers there to kill some and lower their population.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Livune: Mr Speaker, regarding the very important process of culling mentioned by the hon. Minister, what is being done in Livingstone and Kazungula, where animals are killing our people, but their families are not being compensated?
Mr Speaker: Which animals?
Mr Livune: Sir, the same animals he is talking about, namely, crocodiles and elephants.
Mr Evans: Mr Speaker, first of all, as leaders, we need to educate our people on the behaviour of wild animals because they are wild. If they come your way, I think, the best thing to do is to pave way for them.
Laughter
Mr Evans: When you go to the Zambezi River to draw water, you really need to take precautions so that you are not attacked by wild animals. If the population becomes too big, such that you feel that we need to cut the numbers down, you should report to ZAWA, then, we will send our officers to do so.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Speaker: Hon. Members, again, this is another area where close co-operation is essential to implement some of these issues. I am certainly not trying to stifle the debate but, to the extent that it touches on implementation strategies, I think, you need to engage your colleagues.
Mr Sing’ombe (Dundumwezi): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister is saying that we need to educate our people so that they can be giving way to animals. How can people in Siavonga give way to a crocodile when they have no other sources of water apart from going to the river?
Mr Evans: Mr Speaker, there are areas along the Zambezi River where crocodiles breed. Those are the danger zones where people should not go, and that is why I say that we need to educate our people not to go to their places to draw water.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Lufuma: Mr Speaker, …
Mr Hamudulu: On a point of order, Sir.
Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.
Mr Hamudulu: Sir, is the hon. Minister, who was answering very well at the beginning, in order to insinuate that crocodiles are only found in certain breeding areas of rivers when we know that, in Siavonga, Chirundu, Sinazongwe and Kazungula, crocodiles are in all the water bodies, and that can be attested to by those of us who live in those areas?
I seek your seriously ruling, Sir.
Mr Speaker: Hon. Minister, as you continue responding to the various questions on this subject, please, shed more light on what you said earlier.
Mr Lufuma: Mr Speaker, as the hon. Member who initiated the question has said, crocodiles are everywhere in the water bodies and, to give way to a crocodile, you have to see it. However, we know that, when a crocodile wants to attack you, it will not show itself to you. By the time you see it, you will already be in its mouth. So, how does the hon. Minister suggest that people give way to a crocodile?
Laughter
The Minister of Tourism and Art (Ms Kapata): Mr Speaker, we have ZAWA, which is in control of these animals and, if you think that the animals are being a menace, please, report to ZAWA. The authority is present everywhere where these animals are.
I thank you, Mr Speaker.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Speaker: I am sure that we should conclude this subject on that note.
ZNBC RADIO ONE AND TWO TWENTY-FOUR HOUR BROADCASTING
455. Mr Musonda (Kapiri Mposhi) asked the Minister of Information and Broadcasting when Radio One and Radio Two of the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) would commence broadcasting services 24 hours a day.
Mr Kapeya (on behalf of Dr Katema): Mr Speaker, ZNBC Radio One will commence broadcasting twenty-four hours a day on 1st October, 2014, and each language will be allocated a day to broadcast from 2400 hours to 0500 hours, while Radio Two will, for now, relay Radio Four from midnight to 0500 hours. The reason for this arrangement is that the staffing level is too low for us to introduce new content on Radio Two.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.
REHABILITATION OF MUNGWI ROAD
456. Mr Hamusonde asked the Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication when Mungwi Road, which joins Mumbwa Road at Mwembeshi Maximum Prison, would be rehabilitated.
Mr M. H. Malama: Mr Speaker, the Government, through the RDA, has allocated funds in the 2014 National Budget for consulting services for the detailed engineering design, including tender document preparation, for the upgrading of 27km of the Mungwi (D170) Road, which joins Mumbwa at Mwembeshi Maximum Prison, to bituminous standard. The tender for this design closed on 6th June, 2014, and the evaluation process is in progress. The actual construction works are scheduled to commence in the third quarter of 2015, after the completion of the designs and engagement of the contractor.
Mr Speaker, I thank you.
Mr Hamusonde: Mr Speaker, a week ago, there was a contractor who was rehabilitating that road, but withdrew without finishing the works. Why did he abandon the job?
Mr M. H. Malama: Mr Speaker, the contractor has not abandoned the job because he was only doing spot maintenance. The actual work, as I have stated, will start in 2015.
I thank you, Sir.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
REHABILITATTION OF LUAKELA/KAKOMA ROAD
457. Mr Katuka asked the Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication:
(a) how much money meant for the rehabilitation of the Luakela/Kakoma Road in Mwinilunga Parliamentary Constituency was released in 2011;
(b) how many kilometres of the road were earmarked for rehabilitation using the amount at (a);
(c) how many kilometres of the road had been rehabilitated as of December, 2013; and
(d) when the rehabilitation of the road would be completed.
Mr M. H. Malama: Mr Speaker, no funds were released in 2011 for the rehabilitation of the Luakela/Kakoma Road in Mwinilunga Parliamentary Constituency. However, K1.4 million was released in 2012 for the works.
Sir, 120km was earmarked for rehabilitation and the scope of works was bush clearing and formation works.
Mr Speaker, 50km of bush clearing and formation had been completed as of December, 2013, and the rehabilitation works were scheduled to be completed by March, 2014. However, the bulldozer that was being used has broken down. Therefore, works will be completed within three months after the bulldozer has been repaired.
Mr Speaker, I thank you.{mospagebreak}
HOLOGRAM PROJECT
458. Mr Mbulakulima asked the Minister of Information and Broadcasting:
(a) whether the Government had implemented the hologram project;
(b) if so, what the cost of implementing the project was;
(c) what the impact of the project on Zambian musicians was; and
(d) how much money the Government realised from the implementation of the project as of 31st December, 2013.
Mr Kapeya (on behalf of Dr Katema): Mr Speaker, the Government, through the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Services, is undertaking the following measures to ensure that intellectual property rights of artistes are protected:
(a) affixation of the hologram on all authentic audiovisual products sold in Zambia in line with the Copyright and Performance Rights Act No. 25 of 2010 and Statutory Instrument No. 100 of 2013. The implementation process is continuous so as to ensure that both locally produced and imported audiovisual works are affixed with holograms before they are released onto the channel of commerce; and
(b) the Government procured 5,000,000 holograms at a cost of K900,000,000 then or K900,000 in the rebased currency. The amount paid was for designing and printing of the hologram as well as freight and insurance, track and trace system and training of two staff in the use of the track and trace system.
Sir, the impact of the programme has been felt by various stakeholders. Artistes are now able to know how many times their works have been reproduced through the track and trace system, which tallies the number of holograms sold to the number of holograms affixed on the album. The ministry, in collaboration with the Zambia Music Copyright Protection Society (ZAMCORPS) and the National Association for Media Arts (NAMA), collects mechanical or reproduction rights on behalf of artistes whose works have been affixed with a hologram. Each hologram sold attracts an additional 10n, which goes directly to the artistes. The mechanical rights collected are in addition to royalties that artistes collect from ZAMCORPS. This means that, through the hologram programme, the Government is putting more money in the artistes’ pockets even before their works are sold. The other impact is in the form of tax revenue. Using the track and trace system, the Government has been able to determine the revenues of the producers and distributors, which has made the collection of tax easier.
Sir, as of December 31st, 2013, the ministry had raised K430,036.90 from the selling of the hologram. Each hologram is sold at 90n.
Mr Speaker, I thank you.
Mr Mbulakulima: Hon. Minister, I know that you are rushing to go and follow the game involving your favourite team, Algeria. However, is the Government happy with the returns on this investment? Further, what is the pay-back period?
Mr Kapeya: Mr Speaker, I did not get the question.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Speaker: Hon. Member for Chembe, please, repeat your question.
Mr Mbulakulima: Mr Speaker, is the Government happy with the returns on this investment? If so, what is the pay-back period, taking into account the fact that the project cost K900,000?
Mr Kapeya: Mr Speaker, the Government is happy with the progress that is being made. In fact, the reports coming in indicate that most artistes are appreciative of the system. We want to put even more holograms on the market so that the system can attract more artistes.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Pande (Kasempa): Mr Speaker, what measures have been put in place to ensure that the hologram is fool-proof and that they will not be reproduced in Matero?
Mr Kapeya: Mr Speaker, I am very impressed that the question is coming from the Chairperson of the Committee on Information and Broadcasting, who is supposed to be very knowledgeable on the project. Anyway, the hologram is so special a feature that, whatever the number of attempts that will be made, it will not be reproduced anywhere, including in Matero.
I thank you, Sir.
SUSPENSION OF BRITISH AIRWAYS FLIGHTS
459. Mr Kapyanga asked the Minister of Tourism and Art:
(a) how many tourists visited Zambia:
(i) from December, 2011, to December, 2012; and
(ii) from January, 2013, to January, 2014;
(b) whether the suspension of British Airways from operating the London-Lusaka Route had affected the in-flow of tourists, particularly those from the United Kingdom; and
(c) what the impact of the suspension of the flights on the Zambian economy, if any, was.
Mr Evans: Mr Speaker, the number of tourists who visited Zambia from 2011 to 2012 were 971,133. From January to December, 2013, 914,576 tourists visited Zambia.
Sir, the hon. Member may wish to note that the response above covers a period of thirteen months, instead of twelve, in line with the question. However, it should be noted that tourist arrivals for January to December, 2012, were 859,088, compared with 914,576 during the same period in 2013. This shows an increase of 6 per cent. He may further wish to note that the information provided above does not include the number of tourist arrivals for the month of January 2014 because the ministry collects data on tourist arrivals on a quarterly basis.
Mr Speaker, the suspension of British Airways (BA) flights to Zambia has not affected the in-flow of tourists from the United Kingdom (UK) because tourists have continued to use alternative airlines, such as Emirates, Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij (KLM), South African Airways (SAA), Kenyan Airways (KA) and Ethiopian Airlines (EA). For example, in 2012, the country recorded 25,446 tourist arrivals from the UK while, in 2013, 33,309 tourist arrivals were recorded from the UK, representing an increase of 21.24 per cent.
Mr Speaker, although the actual impact of the suspension of the BA flight to Zambia on the economy has been determined, it is minimal, as witnessed by the continued in-flow of tourists into the country.
Sir, we are aware that traders in the horticultural sector may have been partially affected due to the lack of direct flights. Further, it should be noted that the actual impact would only be accurately determined after a year. However, we also foresee the entry of new players in the medium term.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Lubinda: Mr Speaker, allow me, first, to congratulate the Hon. Jean Kapata on her deserved appointment as Minister of Tourism and Art.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
Mr Lubinda: That said, how far has her ministry gone in lobbying passenger carriers that come into Zambia, such as Emirates and KLM, to carry advertisements of Zambia’s tourism sites on flights other than those coming into Lusaka as a way of promoting Zambia’s tourism?
Mr Evans: Mr Speaker, we are trying to supply passenger carriers with brochures that advertise Zambia’s tourist sites. We have companies that have come to us to lobby us to consider the possibility of engaging them to print brochures that we can put on the airlines so that travellers can pick them and advertise our country as a tourist destination.
I thank you, Sir.
Ms Namugala: Mr Speaker, the contribution of the tourism sector to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) depends on the length of stay of the tourists in the country. What is the average length of stay of tourists in Zambia?
Mr Evans: Mr Speaker, currently, the average length of stay is only three days. As a ministry, we are trying to work on increasing the number of days to seven. That should see a growth in the contribution to the GDP.
I thank you, Sir.
Ms Imenda: Mr Speaker, as a follow-up to the question by Hon. Lubinda, apart from the use of brochures, what is the ministry doing to advertise our tourist attractions on international electronic media? For example, currently, there are Football World Cup matches being played and everybody is glued to their television sets. Have we bought even a single slot for us to place an advertisement on any international media?
Mr Evans: Mr Speaker, in February, 2014, when we went for the Internationale Tourismus-BÖrse (ITB) Berlin in Germany, we engaged the Cable News Network (CNN) to advertise our tourism potential. Recently, we also had a meeting with heads of departments to consider the possibility of re-engaging CNN so that the advertising process is continuous. I assure the House that the ministry is not sitting idly and that it will engage international media houses to advertise our country as one of the best tourism destinations.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Chipungu: Mr Speaker, how effective are the tourism attachés in marketing our country’s tourism in the countries where they are?
Ms Kapata: Mr Speaker, we have a few tourism attachés in some countries and their function is to advertise the country, especially to the people who go to get visas in the embassies.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Lufuma: Mr Speaker, my question is a follow-up on Hon. Namugala’s and the hon. Minister’s answer to that question.
Mr Speaker, the hon. Deputy Minister informed this House that the average number of days that tourists stay in Zambia is three. Has the Government tried to find out the reasons tourists only stay for an average of three days?
Dr Scott entered the Assembly Chamber.
Hon. Members: Hear, hear!
Ms Kapata: Mr Speaker, we have not yet investigated the reasons tourists stay for only three days, but that is something we can do and give the answer to the hon. Members.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Hamudulu: Mr Speaker, I want to put it to the hon. Minister that, for example, a tourist will only stay less than three days in Siavonga simply because there is a limitation on tourist attractions. There is no variety of things for one to see once they have been to the lake. What will the ministry do to broaden the areas that people can visit in each tourist attraction?
Ms Kapata: Mr Speaker, Zambia is endowed with many tourist sites, but we do not have bed spaces or hotels where people can stay longer in most of the tourist sites. In areas like Siavonga, there are bed spaces, but we cannot tell the tourists to come and stay for seven days if their pockets cannot allow them to do so.
I thank you, Sir.
MINERAL EXPLORATIONS IN KAFULAFUTA
460. Mr Chitafu (Kafulafuta) asked the Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development:
(a) whether the Government had conducted any mineral explorations in the following wards in Kafulafuta Parliamentary Constituency:
(i) Chondwe;
(ii) Mutaba;
(iii) Ishitwe; and
(iv) Miengwe;
(b) if so, what the results of the exploration were; and
(c) if not, when the exercise would be carried out.
The Deputy Minister of Mines, Energy and Water Development (Mr Musukwa): Mr Speaker, the Government does not undertake exploration works. What it undertakes is geological mapping. That is what we have done in that area and we have the data.
Mr Speaker, there are no results of any since the Government does not undertake exploration works. However, from the geological mapping, gold and talc were found to be present in Chondwe Ward while, in Ishitwe Ward, gold and graphite were found to be present. No mineral presence has been established in Mutaba and Miengwe.
Mr Speaker, there are no plans by the Government to carry out exploration works in Chondwe, Mutaba, Ishitwe and Miengwe wards in Kafulafuta Constituency because the Government only undertakes geological mapping.
I thank you, Sir.
MUNGANGA/KAWAMBWA ROAD
461. Mr Mwila asked the Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication:
(a) when the Munganga/Kawambwa Road in Luapula Province would be tarred; and
(b) what the cost of the project would be.
Mr M. H. Malama: Mr Speaker, the road from Kawambwa to Munganga is part of Phase Three of the Link Zambia 8,000 Project. The RDA is currently in the process of acquiring consultancy services for the detailed design and construction and supervision of the road. It is planned that the tender for the detailed designs will be awarded by August, 2014. The upgrading works are expected to commence in 2016.
Mr Speaker, the cost of the project will only be determined after completion of the detailed engineering designs.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Bwalya: Mr Speaker, the Link Zambia 8,000 Project is a killer punch that can bring a lot of happiness to the Zambian people, especially those in the rural areas, if well implemented. Is the ministry in a position to tell us the status quo of the implementation of the project?
The Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication (Mr Mukanga): Mr Speaker, I think that we are not able to give the status quo currently because we have been doing an update but, as we proceed, we will be able to provide that information.
I thank you, Sir.
Mr Lufuma: Mr Speaker, we are very grateful that many of the roads will be worked on. However, many of them are still undergoing feasibility studies, design, et cetera. Since this afternoon, I have been listening to the same story. When will the implementation be done?
Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, implementation is being done in many areas. The dual-carriage way in Kitwe and many other roads are already being worked on. We will give a comprehensive report so that you see how this Government is working.
I thank you, Sir.
Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!
Mr M. H. Malama: They are so many!
Mr Speaker: Order!
MOTION
ADJOURNMENT
The Vice-President (Dr Scott): Mr Speaker, I beg to move that the House do now adjourn.
Question put and agreed to.
__________
The House adjourned at 1813 hours until 1430 hours on Wednesday, 18th June, 2014.