Debates- Tuesday, 29th October, 2013

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DAILY PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES FOR THE THIRD SESSION OF THE ELEVENTH ASSEMBLY

Tuesday, 29th October, 2013 

The House met at 1430 hours

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

NATIONAL ANTHEM

PRAYER

___________  

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT

STATUS OF RDA BOARD

The Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication (Mr Mukanga): Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity to make a ministerial statement to this august House following the point of order raised by Hon. Jack Mwiimbu on 22nd October, 2013 on the status of the Road Development Agency (RDA) Board of Directors.

Mr Speaker, the Public Roads Act, 2002, Section 6, provides that the Board of Directors of the RDA shall consist of part-time members appointed by the hon. Minister from the following institutions and individuals:

(a)National Council for Construction (NCC);

(b)Zambia National Farmers Union (ZNFU);

(c)National Science and Technology Council (NSTC);

(d)Engineering Institute of Zambia (EIZ);

(e)Chartered Institute of Transport and Logistics (CITL);

(f)ministry responsible for works and supply;

(g)ministry responsible for communications and transport;

(h)ministry responsible for local government and housing;

(i)ministry responsible for finance;

(j)ministry responsible for tourism;

(k)ministry responsible for agriculture;

(l)the Attorney-General;

(m)Director of the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA);

(n)Director of the National Road Fund Agency (NRFA); and

(o)one other person. 

Mr Speaker, in accordance with the Act, my ministry wrote to the respective institutions to submit names of individuals to be appointed to the board. Unfortunately, there were delays in getting the names. All the institutions have finally submitted the names which are in the process of being cleared. Afterwards, letters of appointment will be written to the individual members. It is expected that the process will be concluded by the end of November, 2013.

Mr Speaker, it is important to note that the Board of Directors of the RDA is not responsible for matters pertaining to procurement at the agency. As regards the procurement system under the RDA, the Public Procurement Act No. 12 of 2008 provides a procurement entity. The RDA Procurement Committee is constituted in line with Section 16 of the Public Procurement Act and does not include the board chairperson or members. It comprises of the following:

(a)director and chief executive officer as chairperson;

(b)seven senior members of staff;

(c)someone from outside the RDA; and

(d)director of procurement, who is the secretary.

Sir, all the procurement of goods, works and services is approved by the above-mentioned procurement committee in line with the provisions of the Public Procurement Act. The RDA board’s mandate is to provide policy guidelines and oversight on the overall operations of the RDA.

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: Hon. Members are now at liberty to ask questions on points of clarification on the statement issued by the hon. Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication.

Mr Mbewe (Chadiza): Mr Speaker, welcome back to the House.

Laughter

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, for how long has the RDA been operating illegally without a board?

Mr Mukanga: Sir, the RDA has not been operating without a board. In 2011, when the board was dissolved, we started the process of constituting a fully operational one. We had, however, in the meantime, put in place a small skeleton board.

Thank you, Sir.

Mr Mooya (Moomba): Sir, is the delay to submit names by the named institutions normal? Is the Government going to take sanctions against them?

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, the delay is unacceptable. Fortunately, we have since received the names of the nominees from the named institutions. We are just about to conclude the process.

Thank you, Sir.

Mr Nkombo (Mazabuka Central): Sir, I want to thank the hon. Minister for his statement. I want him to answer my question in a clear manner. Bearing in mind that for two years, the full board has not been constituted and only has Mr Willie Nsanda, who was President Michael Sata’s Campaign Manager in the 2011 elections, as chairperson of the board, a Permanent Secretary and the RDA Executive Director, can the hon. Minister confirm that President Sata was actually gratifying Mr Nsanda by making him the only appointee as a reward for the job he did to get him to State House.

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, the Public Roads Act clearly stipulates the institutions which are supposed to have representation on the Board of Directors of the RDA. It also states that one other person should also sit on the board. That one other person is chosen by the hon. Minister. So the hon. Minister, in his own wisdom, felt that Mr Nsanda was the most qualified person for that job.

Thank you, Sir.

Interruptions 

Mr Muchima (Ikeleng’i): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister indicated that there are names of nominees that have been submitted so that the board can be constituted. The corporate governance tenets demand that only qualified personnel should sit on a board. Is the hon. Minister assuring us in the House and the nation at large, that the nominees are qualified to sit on the Board of Directors of the RDA according to the law?

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, I would like to assure the House that all the nominees will be appointed according to the law and will go through a lot of scrutiny.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mufalali (Senanga): Mr Speaker, had it not been for the fact that there was an outcry that there was no full board at the RDA, was the hon. Minister going to remain mute about the issue?

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, the process which has been on-going started before the outcry.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Hamudulu (Siavonga): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister informed us when responding to a question, that there is a skeleton board which is in place. May I find out from the hon. Minister, apart from Mr Nsanda, who was the President’s Campaign Manager, who else is part of this skeleton board which is there? For example, can we know who the secretary and vice-chairperson is?

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, I cannot give the details of who the vice-chairperson and secretary are at this point.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Habeenzu (Chikankata): Mr Speaker, since the job requires technical people …

Mr Muntanga: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: Order!

A point of order is raised.

Mr Muntanga: Mr Speaker, I rise on a very serious point of order. Hon. Members in this House are expected to play their oversight role effectively. Is the hon. Minister in order to avoid his responsibility of answering questions by refusing to state which people are part of the skeleton board of the RDA? 

Mr Speaker: Order!

Hon. Minister, as the question and answer session ensues, please respond to that question.

Mr Habeenzu: Mr Speaker, before the point of order was raised, I was trying to find out the qualifications which the people who should be part of the Board of Directors of the RDA should have. What qualifications does Mr Nsanda have to qualify him to sit on that board?

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, the Act is very clear on the qualifications which the members of the Board of Directors of the RDA should have. Earlier, I read out the institutions which are represented on the board as required by the Act. If the person is from the NCC, he or she should have knowledge about road construction. If the individual is from the farmers’ union, which is a key stakeholder in terms of the road development, the person should be in a position to represent the institution adequately. If the person is from EIZ, the individual should be an engineer. Mr Nsanda, for your own information, is actually qualified to sit on the board. He has been a practising engineer on the Copperbelt for many years.

Hon. Opposition Members: Ah!

Mr Mukanga: Sir, that is the truth. Apart from Mr Nsanda being an engineer based on the Copperbelt for the last thirty years, he is also a transporter. Therefore, he is qualified to sit on the board. 

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, he is also a major stakeholder. He needs to ensure that the country has better roads so that his transport business can run smoothly. 

I thank you, Sir.

Interruptions 

Mr Speaker: Order!

What about the issue raised by the hon. Member for Kalomo Central?

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, the skeleton, as can be seen …

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

You wanted him to clarify the issue which was raised by the hon. Member for Kalomo Central, so let him respond.

Mr Mukanga: Mr Speaker, the skeleton board is made up of a Permanent Secretary, the Executive Director of the RDA and …

Mr Kambwili: RTSA.

Mr Mukanga: … and people from RTSA. Currently, we are putting together a full board because the skeleton one is not good enough.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Opposition Members: Question!

__________

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER

MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT VISITING INCARCERATED RELATIVES

144. Mr Mufalali (Senanga) asked the Minister of Home Affairs whether there existed any rule that prohibited an hon. Member of Parliament from visiting a relative who was incarcerated at a prison facility.

The Deputy Minister of Home Affairs (Mr Kampyongo): Mr Speaker, there are prison rules made pursuant to Section 146 of the Zambia Prisons Act, Cap 97 of the Laws of Zambia. There is a rule which restricts any person whether an ordinary citizen or an hon. Member of Parliament from visiting a convicted or a non-convicted prisoner in prison facilities.

Mr Speaker, the Zambia Prisons Act, Cap 197 Section 128 gives powers to the hon. Minister of Home Affairs to appoint official visitors to any prisons. The duties of an official visitor are prescribed in Section 129 of the Act. Any person whether an hon. Member of Parliament or president of a political party may not be automatically recognised as such and therefore, cannot be given such privileges. Section 146, Prison Rule Number 128 also gives powers to the Commissioner of the Zambia Prisons Service to authorise the receiving and sending of letters as well as visits to prisoners, subject to restrictions as may be necessary for the maintenance of discipline and order in prisons, and the prevention of crime. Under this arrangement, the visit to the prison facilities is discretional depending on the security situation …

Hon. Government Members: Yes!

Mr Kampyongo: … obtaining on the ground. However, such restrictions are not permanent. Furthermore, Prison Rule Number 132 does not authorise more than three people to visit a prisoner at any given time. It is also important to note that these restrictions may be applicable to all categories of prisoners. Therefore, civil and remand prisoners are provided for under Prison Rule Number 129 and 138 respectively.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mufalali: Mr Speaker, I am one of the Members who was humiliated at the maximum prison which is in Mwembeshi, the Mwembeshi Maximum Prison. I wrote to the Commissioner of the Zambia Prisons Service who indicated to me that the prisoners that are detained at Mwembeshi Maximum Prison have been authorised to be visited by three people.

  Sir, we know that during the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) Government’s rule, President Sata visited a former hon. Member of Parliament for Senanga who was also a Ngambela, Mr Maxwell Mututwa. This is what I also wanted to do. I wanted to visit Mr Sinyinda. What has changed? What is the Government’s  policy when handling such issues?

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, there is no change of policy. What I was reading here are rules prescribed under the Act. I also did explain the types of discretional decisions which could be made. So, if our President visited a prisoner then, he must have followed the laid-down procedure. Visitations to prisons occur under certain restrictions. So, Hon. Mufalali was better off following the advice which was given to him when he wanted to visit a prison facility. 

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mweetwa (Choma Central): Mr Speaker, the hon. Deputy Minister indicated that the prison authorities use their discretion when handling visitations to prison facilities. I would like to find out what security circumstances warrant prison officials not to allow a leader of a political party, let alone, hon. Members of Parliament or, indeed, relatives, to visit prison facilities given that the element of discretion must be exercised within legal reasonableness?

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, the gist of the principle question is whether hon. Members of Parliament who are Constitutional office holders enjoy express access to prisoners and we are saying that they do not. It is in this light that they need to, just like any other citizen, apply to the relevant authorities in order for them to visit prison facilities. The authorities use their discretionary power to make their decision based on the prevailing circumstances.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Nkombo (Mazabuka Central): Mr Speaker, …

Mr Mweetwa: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Mweetwa: Mr Speaker, I would like to apologise to the hon. Member on the Floor for disrupting his line of thought. Is the hon. Deputy Minister in order not to answer my very simple and straightforward question? The question was: What are the probable security circumstances under which the prison authorities can stop people from visiting incarcerated persons?

Mr Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member for Choma Central, you would like the hon. Deputy Minister to give circumstances. This power is exercised by prison authorities. I do not know whether it is fair to insist that the hon. Deputy Minister should outline the specific security concerns which are considered when making a decision. If he is able to, I will give him the liberty to do so.

May the hon. Member for Mazabuka Central continue, please.

Mr Nkombo: Mr Speaker, the subject at hand is about prisoners in general. There are those who are remandees and those who are convicted. With the natural rule of justice that you are presumed innocent until proven guilty, I would like to know whether the rules that the hon. Deputy Minister explained to this House this afternoon apply to the two types of prisoners. The individual who has been referred to as we have been looking at the current question is simply a suspect at the moment. Have the rights of association for the individual in question been withdrawn? 

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, I indicated that these rules applied to non-convicted and convicted prisoners. Once someone is incarcerated, it always follows that the individual loses certain privileges. That is why such individuals are kept in restricted areas. So, the rules apply to everybody in incarceration.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Miyutu (Kalabo Central): Mr Speaker, three hon. Members of Parliament from the Western Province were denied the opportunity to visit one of the remandee prisoners when they wanted to do so. What trouble could be caused by hon. Members of Parliament from the Western Province visiting a remandee from there?

The Minister of Home Affairs (Mr Lungu): Mr Speaker, the hon. Deputy Minister made it crystal clear that there is no special class of visitors for incarcerated people. Therefore, as an hon. Member of Parliament, you are subjected to the same rules when it comes to your wanting to visit prison facilities. When the decision whether to allow the visitation is being made, the prison authorities always take into account the nature of the offence the person has been incarcerated for. In a treason case, which is a very serious offence, the authorities would want to know who wants to visit the remandees and for what purpose. 

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Sianga (Sesheke): Mr Speaker, Hon. Antonio, Hon. Likando and I went to Mwembeshi Maximum Prison on 21st October, 2013. We were denied access to the people who were incarcerated. Besides being a Member of Parliament, I have relatives in that prison. On the same day, hon. Members of Parliament from the MMD were allowed to visit the people who have been incarcerated at the same prison. Why were the hon. Members of Parliament from the United Party for National Development (UPND) not allowed to do the same?

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Lungu: Mr Speaker, I think people out there, including hon. Members of Parliament, know that if their right to visit an area is infringed upon, they have recourse to the courts of justice. I do not see the need for the hon. Members to begin belabouring the point that they were denied their right to visit the incarcerated individuals. If they feel that their rights were infringed upon, they can go to court.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. UPND Members: Question!

Ms Imenda (Luena): Mr Speaker, I would like to find out whether these discretionary powers to deny people permission to visit prisoners are only exercised on people from the Western Province.

Mr Lungu: Mr Speaker, these powers which are exercised by the prison authorities are exercised against any citizen be they from the MMD, UNPD, Western or Eastern provinces. 

I thank you, Sir.

Dr Kalila (Lukulu East): Mr Speaker, is the hon. Minister aware that the action by the prison authorities was very divisive and has angered the people of the Western Province even more?

Hon. Opposition Members: Yes!

Mr Lungu: Mr Speaker, I do not know which action is divisive, the arrest of those who are incarcerated or the stopping of the hon. Members from visiting them. However, like I have already said that if some people feel strongly about being denied the right to visit a detainee or a convict, they are free to go to court.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Ndalamei (Sikongo): Mr Speaker, is treating the people of the Western Province the way they have been treated a way of paying them back for something they did? 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Lungu: Mr Speaker, I do not have any evidence of the people of the Western Province being mistreated by any prison officers. That is why I have emphasised that if some people feel that the prison authorities have been abusing their discretionary authority, they are at liberty to resort to the relevant legal processes. That is why the courts of law exist. 

I thank you, Sir.{mospagebreak}

Mr Muntanga (Kalomo Central): Mr Speaker, are the discretionary powers applied only against the hon. Members of the UPND? Is it the stance of the hon. Minister that any request by a UNPD Member to visit a prison facility should be resolved by the courts of law? Is that the new standing?

Mr Lungu: Mr Speaker, the genesis of the matter lies in the letters that were authored by my colleagues in the UPND and the MMD requesting for authorisation to visit the prisoners in question. I engaged some of them and told them that they could not go as a mob to visit prisoners of the stature of those who are incarcerated at Mwembeshi Maximum Prison. I told them that only about three people at a given time would be allowed to visit such prisoners. There is no way a group of about twenty hon. Members of Parliament can be allowed to visit such prisoners.

Sir, hon. Members are free to engage the parent ministry whenever an officer in charge has abused his or her power. If the parent ministry does not give an individual a satisfactory response, the person is free to go to court instead of coming here and belaboring the point that the UPND is being discriminated against. I have no evidence of any discrimination.

I thank you, Sir.

Dr Musokotwane (Liuwa): Mr Speaker, … 

Ms Imenda: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Ms Imenda: Mr Speaker, we should be careful with the words that we use, especially when referring to hon. Members of this august House. Should three hon. Members of Parliament who go to visit a prisoner be considered to be a mob? I would like to find out whether it is in order for the hon. Minster to use the word ‘mob’ in referring to three hon. Members.

Mr Speaker: My understating of the word ‘mob’ does not mean a gathering of three or so people.

Hon. Dr Musokotwane, you may continue, please.

Dr Musokotwane: Mr Speaker, is the hon. Minister aware that the colonial and apartheid governments were more humanitarian in the way that they treated prisoners because they allowed them to have visitors?

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Lungu: Mr Speaker, I do not know which apartheid regime the hon. Member is referring to or which historical documents he has been reading. We, in the PF Government, have done the best that we can, given the resources and circumstances, to …

Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Lungu: … ensure that our colleagues who are detained are given the best possible treatment which they can receive. We are on record as having paid more attention to the Zambia Prisons Service than any other Government in the history of this country. Our Government cares for our friends who are unfortunately locked up …

Hon. Opposition Members: Question!

Mr Speaker: Order!

Mr Lungu: … for whatever reason because we realise that they are human beings just like we are.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Belemu (Mbabala): Mr Speaker, in the case …

Dr Kalila: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Dr Kalila: Mr Speaker, I thank you most sincerely for according me an opportunity to raise a point of order.

Sir, it is very clear to all of us that amongst our many functions as Members of Parliament, one is to provide checks and balances on the Government in areas where we feel it is overstepping its mandate.  

Mr Speaker, is it in order for the hon. Minister of Home Affairs to admonish us, Members of Parliament, not to come to this House to question the Government when we feel that it is engaging in excesses and to tell us to go to his ministry instead? What is our role? Is he in order?

Mr Speaker: My simple ruling is that you have the right to raise these issues in a manner in which they have been canvassed. That is the reason this question has been dully processed and listed on the order of proceedings. However, if there are other channels beyond this facility, as it were, for lack of a better term, you are also similarly at liberty to pursue those options. The question which we are considering has been presented in a perfectly orderly manner. One of the roles of the hon. Members is to hold the Executive accountable.

Mr Belemu: Mr Speaker, what could be the arguments in the circumstance whereby when permission is sought, the Commissioner of the Zambia Prisons Service grants hon. Members of Parliament permission to visit the prison, but when they reach the gate, they are stopped from seeing the prisoners? What can cause a change of heart?

Mr Lungu: Mr Speaker, even though that is a very speculative question, I will answer it. There could be other developments which may occur which may justify an officer at a prison facility denying an individual entry into the facility even after the visit has been sanctioned by the Commissioner of the Zambia Prisons Service. 

    Sir, if I am given a particular situation, I can investigate it and get back to the House to explain exactly what happened. 

I thank you, Sir.

EMPOWERMENT FUNDS

145.Mr Mpundu (Nchelenge) asked the hon. Minister of Community Development, Mother and Child Health what measures had been taken to ensure that the allocation of empowerment funds to clubs, groups and associations countrywide was equitable.

The Deputy Minister of Community Development, Mother and Child Health (Ms Kazunga): Mr Speaker, the ministry has been carrying out continuous sensitisation activities aimed at informing the entire nation about the availability of the women empowerment funds.

Sir, further, guidelines on the administration of the funds have been developed and are awaiting distribution to the district offices. In addition, the ministry through the Department of Community Development has started sending funds to the district offices so that support to the women’s clubs can be decentralised. In 2013, K2,750,000 has been released to districts. However, in selected districts, capacity is still being built to ensure that they manage these funds prudently.

I thank you, Mr Speaker. 

Mr Ng’onga (Kaputa): Mr Speaker, while thanking the ministry for the good work of empowering women’s clubs and associations that it has continued to do, I want to find out what prompted the ministry to start sending these funds to districts. I am asking this because under the previous Government, there were reasons which were advanced as to why the disbarment function was taken away from the districts and put in the hands of the headquarters in Lusaka. What circumstances made the change necessary?

Ms Kazunga: Mr Speaker, this is one of the exercises which shows that the Patriotic Front (PF) Government is on top of things. The reason we have given that function to the districts is to take it as close to the people as possible.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

GRZ MOTOR VEHICLES

146. Mr Katuka (Mwinulunga) asked the Minister of Finance:

(a)when the Board of Survey last verified the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) motor vehicles for the purposes of disposal;

(b)how many motor vehicles were earmarked for disposal;

(c)when the motor vehicles at (b) were auctioned; and

(d)how much money was realised from the sale. 

The Deputy Minister of Finance (Mr Mukata): Mr Speaker, the Government, through the Public Finance Act No. 15 of 2004, Section 29, Sub-section (3), is mandated to dispose of obsolete or unserviceable motor vehicles through public auction or public tender. This is done after authority for the sale of the motor vehicles has been requested and granted by the Secretary to the Treasury. 

Sir, the disposal of motor vehicles is conducted by respective Provincial Boards of Survey except for Lusaka Province where it is done by the Ministry of Finance. This is only undertaken after sufficient motor vehicles have been identified for disposal. The last Board of Survey was conducted in Lusaka Province between July and September, 2013.

Mr Speaker, between 2009 and 2013, a total number of 1,765 motor vehicles were sold off through public auction from nine provinces as tabulated below:

Province    Year                           No. of Vehicles

Lusaka    2012    390

Southern    2012      67

Copperbelt    2012    129

North Western    2012      49

Northern    2011    724

Central    2010      77

Western    2010    100

Luapula    2011    176

Eastern    2009      53

Total                                              1,765

Mr Speaker, the Government realised K6,891,649.99 through the sale of motor vehicles from the nine provinces as tabulated below:

Province    Vehicles Sold    Value K    Period    

Lusaka    390    3,890,760    2012

Southern      67       271,205    2012

Copperbelt    129       496,050    2012

North Western      49       170,390                       2012

Northern    724                             1,030,000                       2011

Luapula    176       285,700     2011

Western    100       285,700    2010

Central      77       138,619.99    2010

Eastern      53         85,230    2009

Total                       1,765                             6,891,649.99    

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Katuka: Mr Speaker, arising from the answer that a Board of Survey has been conducted this year, may I know when the auctioning of the vehicles which are littered all over Government ministries will be done? 

Mr Mukata: Mr Speaker, I am sorry, I could not hear what Hon. Katuka was saying. 

Mr Speaker: When will the auction be conducted?

Mr Mukata: Mr Speaker, the dates have not yet been announced.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Hamusonde (Nangoma): Mr Speaker, does the Government have any specific time frame for keeping the vehicles before they are disposed off? 

Mr Mukata: Mr Speaker, decisions are made after the experts in the different departments determine whether the vehicles are obsolete or unserviceable. 

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mbewe (Chadiza): Mr Speaker, are civil servants given special preference when the vehicles are being sold?

Mr Mukata: Mr Speaker, there is no such preference. As I indicated earlier, the vehicles are sold either by public auction or tender. The vehicles are not sold to civil servants in a closed door sale. 

I thank you, Sir.

CONSTRUCTION OF BRIDGES IN LUPOSOSHI CONSTITUENCY

147. Mr Bwalya (Lupososhi) asked the Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication: 

(a)when the bridges across the following rivers in Lupososhi Parliamentary Constituency would be constructed:

(i)Lufubu, connecting Mufili to Muselawamangu Wards; and
(ii)Kafisa to Mununshi in Kafisa Ward; and

(b)when the Kaunga/Lwefi Bridge in Nalolo Parliamentary Constituency would be repaired.

The Deputy Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication (Mr M. H. Malama): Mr Speaker, the feasibility study for the construction of Lufubu Bridge will commence in January, 2014 and will be completed by April, 2014. The procurement of a contract for the construction of the bridge will, therefore, follow after the designs have been completed. 

Mr Speaker, the Kafisa and Munushi bridges were not prioritised by the respective local road authorities, hence their exclusion in the 2014 Road sector Annual Work Plan. However, the bridges may be considered under the 2015 Road Sector Annual Work Plan depending on the availability of resources and the order of priority as submitted by the responsible local road authority. 

Mr Speaker, the Kaunga/Lwefi Bridge is in a deplorable state and cannot be repaired as it requires a long-term solution. 

Sir, in that regard, the Government has provisionally allocated K2 million in the 2014 Road Sector     Annual Work Plan pending approval for feasibility studies, a detailed engineering design, including tender document preparation for the construction of the bridge and embankment. The actual construction of the bridge is expected to commence after the designs have been completed.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Bwalya: Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Deputy Minister for that elaborate answer. The areas which have been referred to in the question are flood prone and have the only routes which the people from other areas can use when transporting their produce and access to health services. Considering that the works will take some time and that the people will need to transport their inputs and to access various services, are there any interim measures which can be put in place by the ministry?

Mr M. H. Malama: Mr Speaker, we will send someone from the regional office to assess the situation on the ground so that we can be in a good position to tell the hon. Member how we are going to deal with the matter.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Ng’onga: Mr Speaker, bridges and crossing points are a major challenge in most rural constituencies. Could the hon. Deputy Minister avail us the 2014 Road Sector Annual Work Plan so that we can all see what sort of crossing points have been included in it in order for us to stop asking the same questions every now and then.

Mr M. H. Malama: Mr Speaker, we will do that when the Budget is approved. For us that is a small issue.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Mufalali: Mr Speaker, the Kaunga/Lwefi Bridge …

Mr Muntanga: On a point of Order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Muntanga: Mr Speaker, I rise on a very serious point of order. Only yesterday, His Excellency the President revoked the statutory instrument that was aimed at suspending excise duty on raw copper. The hon. Minister of Finance, on pages 20 and 21 of his Budget Speech, stated:

“Sir, I further propose to amend the Customs and Excise Act, Income Tax Act and Value Added Tax Act so as to update, strengthen and remove ambiguities in certain sections of these laws and to make tax administration effective.”

Mr Speaker, other than this, we were not privy to any other information. We are still discussing the Budget and an issue has been raised whereby the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA), through the hon. Minister, wanted to suspend tax on copper ore.

Is the hon. Minister of Finance in order to keep quiet and not update us on this matter? There is a lot of suspense regarding the revenue of the country. What are we doing about it? Are we moving in the right direction? Is the Government, through the hon. Minister of Finance, in order to keep us in suspense and not update us on who has the authority to tax the people in Zambia and raise revenue, if the authorities at the ZRA could convince the hon. Minster to do one thing and later the President overturns it? What is going on in this Government? We need clarification on this.

I need your serious ruling, Sir.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: The subject of the point of order does not form part of the Budget under consideration. So, it does not, in any way, in that sense, undermine, as it were, the process that is currently underway, which is the consideration of the 2014 Budget. 

Hon. Member for Senanga, you may continue.

Mr Mufalali: Mr Speaker, through you, I would like to find out why Government officials keep going to peep at the Kaunga/Lwefi Bridge if they are not ready to repair it. I want an answer to that question because in 2011/2012, His Honour the Vice-President told us that that bridge was going to be worked on by the military, but that was not done. How do the Government officials expect the people from Nalolo on the west bank to go to Senanga if that bridge is not worked on during this rainy season?

Mr M. H. Malama: Mr Speaker, we have started the process of working on that crossing point. This is why we are even talking about our plans to come up with the estimated amount of money required to carry out the works on the bridge. We have been told that currently the local people are using banana boats to move from Nalolo on the west bank to Senanga. We will depend on that mode of transport until the time we will finish working on the bridge.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Ndalamei: Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister why the Government cannot put up a bailey bridge like the ones in Mongu in the area. That way, there will be a temporary bridge in place which can be used by vehicles.

Mr M. H. Malama: Mr Speaker, that is a very good suggestion. We will check whether what the hon. Member is saying is workable. If we find that it is possible, we will definitely consider using that option. Our job is to ensure that our people do not face problems.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, may I know whether the ministry is in a position to use soldiers to work on some of these bridges in order to cut some costs.

Mr M. H. Malama: Mr Speaker, yes, we use soldiers to work on bridges, especially those that are under the Office of the Vice-President and the Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU). 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Antonio (Kaoma Central): Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister stated that the local people in that area are using banana boats. I would like to find out whether the Government will provide banana boats to act as ambulances so that sick people can access medical attention.

Laughter

Mr M. H. Malama: Mr Speaker, that has never happened. Banana boats cannot be used as ambulances. Our ministry in conjunction with the Ministry of Health is trying to see how best it can help the people of the area in question to access health services. 

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!{mospagebreak}

CONSTRUCTION OF HOUSES IN MILENGI

148. Mr Mbulakulima (Chembe) asked the Minister of Local Government and Housing when the Government would construct houses in Milenge District to mitigate the shortage of accommodation.

The Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing (Mr N. Banda): Mr Speaker, I wish to inform this august House that the ministry will construct houses for Milenge District to mitigate the shortage of accommodation through the Medium Team Expenditure Work Plan which has been prepared for the period 2014 to 2016. In the meantime, the district has been advised to identify land for a minimum of 100 dwelling units and to submit a layout plan to the Ministry of Local Government and Housing for consideration.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Matafwali (Bangweulu): Mr Speaker, arising from …

Dr Kaingu: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised. 

Dr Kaingu: Mr Speaker, this point of order is a rider to the one which was raised by the hon. Member of Parliament for Kalomo Central, Mr Muntanga. 

Sir, all of a sudden, there will be revenue coming from the mines. Is the hon. Minister of Finance in order to keep quiet and not tell us whether this revenue will be factored into the Budget?

Mr Speaker: I think that in order to have a fuller understanding of this issue, I will reserve my ruling. 

The hon. Member for Bangweulu may proceed. 

Mr Matafwali: Mr Speaker, considering the scarcity of financial resources, has the Ministry of Local Government and Housing considered the public-private partnership (PPP) mode as a way of financing the construction of houses in Milenge District and other parts of the country?

Mr N. Banda: Mr Speaker, the Government’s policy is to involve the private sector in the construction of houses across the country. 

I thank you, Sir. 
RECALLING OF DIPLOMATS

149. Mr Katuka asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs:

(a)whether the diplomats who were recalled after September, 2011, had all returned home;

(b)whether the former diplomats had been paid their terminal benefits; and 

(c)if not, when the benefits would be paid. 

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs (Mr Namulambe): Mr Speaker, all but ten diplomats that were recalled from the Foreign Service after September, 2011, have returned home. The ten have not yet returned home because their contracts expired recently between June and August this year. 

Sir, the terminal benefits, in terms of leave allowances and repatriation, have been paid to all diplomats who returned home after the recalls of September, 2011. As such, we do not owe anyone. 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.  

 Mr Mufalali: Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister …

Mr Mutelo: On a point of order, Sir. 

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised. 

Mr Mutelo: Mr Speaker, I would like to apologise to the hon. Member who was about to ask a follow-up question for disturbing his line of thought.

Sir, a headline in one of the tabloids in the country yesterday read “Kabimba reminds Nsanda about his claim that Sata was from Tanzania”. 

Laughter

Mr Mutelo: Mr Speaker, is it in order for senior Government officials to suggest that His Excellency our President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, hails from Tanzania and that his middle name is not Chilufya, but Zondwe? 

Laughter 

Mr Mutelo: Sir, are senior Government officials in order to make such suggestions when even in this House, we are required to swear that His Excellency, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, is the President of the Republic, something that all Zambians know? I seek your serious ruling.

Laughter 

Mr Speaker: Order!

I am afraid that I am not an umpire in that realm because it is outside my remit. Those matters are being canvassed in a different platform altogether. Therefore, whether those persons are in order or not, I will leave it to other judges outside the House. 

The hon. Member for Senanga may continue. 

Mr Mufalali: Mr Speaker, could it be that some diplomats who have already been issued diplomatic passports have not yet gone because of the ten that have not yet come back? 

Mr Namulambe: Mr Speaker, the ten diplomats have not yet returned home because of the long handover procedures. Furthermore, those who have been recalled need to make arrangements for their school-going children to move. This, however, should not stop the appointed diplomats from going to their missions. 

The issue of diplomatic passports is handled by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

I thank you, Sir. 

Mr Hamusonde: Mr Speaker, I would like to find out why diplomats were recalled when the PF Government came into power. 

Mr Namulambe: Mr Speaker, there are some officials who reached retirement age and some whose contracts expired. This is the only time that a diplomat can be recalled. Ambassadors, on the other hand, were political appointees who had served the Governments that appointed them. As such, it is practice everywhere for serving governments to recall ambassadors as they deem fit. 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.  

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Lubezhi (Namwala): Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister how long the handover procedure takes. This is because Mr Mutangelwa, appointed in 2011, has up to now not gone. 

Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!

Mr Namulambe: Mr Speaker, we are talking about people who have been recalled and not people that have been appointed to serve abroad. We have a system to vet the people who are going abroad. These things therefore take long. Those that have been recalled have to wait for the new officer to report so that they can conclude the handover process. 

I thank you, Sir. 

Mr Mbulakulima: Mr Speaker, in response to part (b) of the question, the hon. Minister mentioned that all those who have been recalled from the Foreign Service have been paid what is owed to them. Can he share with the House how much has been spent on those individuals?

Mr Namulambe: Mr Speaker, because figures vary from individual to individual, I am not able to give the actual figures since they are so many officers who were involved. It is not prudent for me to give the actual figure of how much has been spent. The fact is that the people that were owed have all been paid.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker,…

Mr Mufalali: On a point of order, Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Mufalali: Mr Speaker, is the hon. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in order to continue changing his position when answering questions? When answering my question he said those who have been recalled have not yet returned home because they are waiting for the handover process to be completed, but when responding to Hon. Lubezhi’s, he said that the recalled diplomats are still in their posts because their replacements are being vetted. Is the hon. Deputy Minister in order to continue turning around and shifting positions?

Mr Speaker: The hon. Minister will clarify that position as he responds to the question from the hon. Member for Chadiza.

Hon. Mbewe, please, continue.

Mr Mbewe: Mr Speaker, is it true that three quarters of those who are being appointed into Foreign Service are from one tribe?

Hon. Government Members: Question.

Mr Namulambe: Mr Speaker, it is not true that three quarters of those who are being appointed into Foreign Service are from one tribe. I just returned from Malawi where the High Commissioner there is Mr Banda who is from the province where Hon. Mbewe comes from.

Hon Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Namulambe: Mr Speaker, the hon. Member for Namwala wanted to know how long the handover process takes. She even referred to a person who was appointed to go into the Foreign Service who still in the country. I said that the person she was referring to has not been affected by the handover process because he is not yet in Foreign Service. Those who are in Foreign Service whose contracts have expired have not yet returned to the country because they are waiting for people to take over from them. 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Mr Ntundu: On a point of order.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Ntundu: Mr Speaker, I rarely rise on points of orders. The Head of State gave Gwembe a university.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: Hon. Member for Gwembe, how does that relate to the proceedings?

Mr Ntundu: Mr Speaker, the point of order is on the hon. Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication. The Head of State gave Gwembe a university. That university is real because we have already identified its vice-chancellor. He is seated here with us.

Laughter

Mr Ntundu: Sir, I am referring to Hon. Prof. Lungwangwa.

Laughter

Mr Ntundu: Mr Speaker, when the university is fully operational, it will employ a lot of lecturers who will need communication facilities. Is the hon. Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication in order to ignore Gwembe by not allocating a communication tower to it when a university will be opened next year in the area? I want your serious ruling.

Mr Speaker: There are two issues which I wish to bring to the attention of the House regarding that point of order. Firstly, it was raised at a juncture when an hon. Member was calling out the number of the next question. Secondly, if you wish to pursue issues to do with the construction of a university in Gwembe, please, file in an appropriate question.

CONTRUCTION OF YOUTH DEVELOPMENT CENTRE IN CHISAMBA

  150. Mr Muteteka (Chisamba) asked the Minister of Youth and Sport when the Government would commence the construction of a youth development centre in Chisamba District.

  The Deputy Minister of Youth and Sport (Mr Masumba): Mr Speaker, the Government through the Ministry of Youth and Sport has an implementation plan to build at least one youth resource centre in each district of the country. The construction of a youth resource centre in Chisamba District will commence when funds have been secured.

  I thank you, Sir.

  Mr Muteteka: Mr Speaker, the construction of a youth development centre in Chisamba was brought to my attention when the Government asked me to secure land for it last year. Government officials were sent from the provincial administration to inspect the land which had been secured. The land was found suitable for the project. I do not know why the works have not yet commenced when I was told by a reliable source that K300,000 had been allocated to the project a year ago. What is happening? 

  The Minister of Youth and Sport (Mr Kambwili): Mr Speaker, I do not know under which ministry the K300,000 was allocated. Was it under the Ministry of Finance or Ministry of Local Government and Housing? As far as the Ministry of Youth and Sport is concerned, there has been no allocation towards Chisamba Youth Resource Centre. 

  Sir, in the 2014 Budget, we have provided some funds for the construction of youth resource centres. I think if the hon. Member has identified a piece of land, he should see us so that we make sure that he gets an allocation from those funds.

I thank you, Sir.

  Dr Kalila: Mr Speaker, if I heard the hon. Deputy Minister correctly in his response, he said that, there exists an implementation plan in the ministry that envisages the construction of, at least, one youth resource centre per district. As an interested party, I would like to find out whether this implementation plan will be made available to me and my colleagues. I also want to know if there are any specific timelines which are attached to the implementation process of the same plan.

  Mr Kambwili: Mr Speaker, like we have said before on the Floor of this House, the pace of the implementation of the plan to construct youth resource centres will depend on how much money is factored into each year’s budget. It would be premature for me to state the amount which we have set aside for that purpose this year because we have not yet discussed the budget for the Ministry of Youth and Sport on the Floor of this House. I think we are trying by all means to set aside as much money as possible for the purpose of constructing youth resource centres. When implementing the programme, we give preference to the rural areas where there are no facilities for youth skills training. Hon. Members of Parliament who want these facilities to be constructed in their areas should write to us. So far, ten hon. Members of Parliament have written to us. We operate on a first-come-first-serve-basis.

I thank you, Sir.

_________

MOTION

BUDGET 2014

(Debate resumed)

Brig-Gen. Dr Chituwo (Mumbwa): Thank you, Mr Speaker, before the House adjourned last Friday, I had just started to contribute on the theme by the Minister of Finance with regard to health care delivery which says, “A competent, caring institution delivering health services in a clean environment.” How possible is it for our health workers to be caring when they are not enough? How possible is it for those nurses, clinical officers or doctors to be caring for long hours when the human body needs rest? The recruitment and wage freeze will also have a negative impact on the health sector.

Mr Speaker, we have since heard an explanation in this House that 900 health workers will be engaged to replace those who will leave the health sector for various reasons. We have observed that unfortunately the enrolment at the University of Zambia (UNZA) is about 100 students per intake and if one takes into account the failure rate of about 30 per cent, the graduates are only between fifty-five to sixty-seven or, at the most, seventy and yet we have a shortfall of about 6,000 doctors.

Sir, we also have a shortage of infrastructure in the health, sector especially after the creation of new districts. The creation of new districts has also created a demand for doctors. How possible is it to have a good health system when we have a shortage of health workers? Clearly, there must be much more thought with regard to the production of the health workers.

Sir, the way we have been losing health workers due to retirement, resignations and other reasons will affect the progress we made between 2005 and 2009 in most health indicators such as maternal mortality rate, under-five mortality rate, the neo-natal mortality rates, Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevalence rate, which is now at 14.3 per cent, and tuberculosis (TB) cure rate. 

Mr Speaker, there is a need to recruit new health workers and not merely replace those who leave. It is well-known that a healthy nation is a productive nation. How then will the hon. Minister of Finance grow this economy with a work force which will not be productive?

Mr Speaker, the Patriotic Front (PF) Government should remember that it promised to create a lot of jobs. The PF Government came into power with the attractive carrot of job creation. Here we are, training the people, but the jobs will not be there for two years.

Mr Speaker, under the Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD) Government, there was a scheme known as the Zambia Health Workers Retention Scheme which has not been mentioned in the 2014 Budget. The scheme dealt with issues to do with the distribution of health workers. Our rural setting is definitely not getting the same care as urban areas. We know, for sure, that in terms of health workers, there is an estimation of only seventy health workers per 100,000 people in rural areas as compared to 159 per the same number in urban areas.

Mr Speaker, if 60 per cent of folks in the rural areas are engaged in agriculture, the question is: How then can we say that we are looking after the poor?

Sir, as much as it is well to speak of the Social Cash Transfer Programme, it is also important to note that it only covers 2.8 per cent of the National Budget. Should it not have been better to increase the food security packs for those who are able to engage in some form of productivity?

Mr Speaker, let me now talk about issues to do with the education sector. The Maputo Agreement target in the area of education has been met by the country. It is, however, important to note that the economic growth development of the country is driven by the middle-level cadre such as technicians and technologists. These are the hands-on men and women who contribute to the economic growth of the country. However, I noticed that we have skewed our expenditure towards university education. I would have been happier to see more emphasis placed on trades and skills training institutes.

Mr Mbulakulima: Yes!

Brig-Gen. Dr Chituwo: Sir, if our agriculture sector has to prosper as well as the mines, it requires groups of young men and women to be active players in it. However, the Government is not making it possible for them to be so. If the youths are not active players in the agriculture sector, then our desire to meet the targets contained in the Vision 2030 will be a bit difficult.

Sir, the last bit of my contribution is on debt. If we are going to contract debts which will not be channelled into productive areas, then clearly we shall endanger our nation with regard to its credibility in the eyes of the international community. It is, therefore, important that when debt is contracted, and as has been discussed in this House on several occassions, it is channelled to productive areas.

Mr Speaker, I can see that agriculture continues to lag behind. There is, therefore, a need to invest more in agriculture, just as the Government intends to invest more in education and the younger children. Currently, malnutrition in Zambia is at 46 per cent. It is clear that a large population of the younger people is relegated to underachievement. What sort of nation will Zambia be in 2030 if nearly half of its children are not only physically stunted, but also mentally stunted? No wonder we are not doing well in our education system. If our education system was in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), then perhaps now it is nearing being in a mortuary. Why is it so? Why do we keep changing policies without looking at the bottlenecks which are making us fail to succeed? Clearly, we have not properly analysed issues to do with primary and secondary education.

Mr Speaker, the pyramid still continues. There will be more graduates at Grade 7 than Grade 9 and 12. Even if the pupils were to go to Grade 8, which schools would they go to since there is no infrastructure?

Sir, what has been proposed by the hon. Minister of Finance is a drop in the ocean. The Government needed to, first of all, tackle issues of learning and teaching materials, the curriculum and actual human resource, in terms of teachers, before overhauling the education system. After adding up all the problems which I have just mentioned, I see difficulties in our realisation of the Vision 2030.

Mr Speaker, it is not that there is no advice which has been adequately given. The issue is that, we, first of all, have to grow the economy. How does one grow the economy without increasing productivity by investing in skills development? We need to balance our act. If we do not do so, we shall continue singing the same song year in, year out.

Sir, I thank you.

Hon. MMD Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Imenda (Luena): Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me an opportunity to add my voice to the debate on the Motion which is on the Floor of the House.

First of all, I would like to address the issue of economic diversification. There has been so much lip service to this issue. In fact, it is like our second National Anthem since Independence. As a country and as an economy, we have been depending on mining too much that it makes me wonder whether copper is a blessing or a curse to this country. This reliance on copper mining, for our foreign exchange and revenue, …

Mr Miyutu: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Miyutu: Mr Speaker, I apologise to the hon. Member for Luena for disturbing her debate.

Sir, I am quite disturbed at the fact that the Government makes policies which it only expects private institutions to follow. Whilst I appreciate that the Government is putting up culverts on the Mapungu/Kalabo stretch to alleviate the suffering of the people in the area, I am also concerned that the Government has employed casual workers whom it has failed to supply protective clothing with. This is the same Government that has emphasised the need for companies and institutions to ensure that workers wear protective clothing. 

Mr Speaker, is this Government in order to fail to procure and supply protective clothing to those men who are employed to work on the culverts which I have referred to?

I need your serious ruling, Sir.

Mr Speaker: My ruling is short. You should file a question.

Hon. Imenda, continue with your debate.

Ms Imenda: Mr Speaker, before the point of order was raised, I was saying that, I am not sure whether copper is a blessing or a curse to Zambia. Maybe, it is a mixture of both. Yes, initially, it was a blessing in that it gave us the needed revenue that we have been relying on, even for our budgetary provisions. It has also given us the necessary foreign exchange, which the country uses in its international trade. However, it seems to be a curse because it has brought us a disease called the Dutch Disease Syndrome, whereby we have ignored to develop our country by diversifying our economy through investing in other sectors. Instead, we have just relied on copper mining and exports.

Sir, this country experienced a copper boom which did not last. At a certain time, the prices of copper went down. We saw the consequences of relying heavily on copper. In the 1980s and 1990s, the country went into a recession. Fortunately, God has been very gracious to us and so, later, around the year 2000, our fortunes turned around because the copper prices went up. Now we are boasting the country’s economic growth. Zambia has even graduated to the so-called medium-income country level. However, the question that begs an answer is: When will this country diversify and take advantage of getting maximum benefits from this copper boom? How much of copper revenues are we, as a country in investing in the future and, our children. I would like to believe that these high copper prices are not going to be there for us forever and ever.

  Sir, the economic trends go in cycles. One day, we will just find that the copper price is again very low on the international market. What are we going to do then? Therefore, I would like to tell my colleagues in the Executive, especially my elder brother, the hon. Minister of Finance, that now is the time to invest in other sectors and not just to consume our copper revenue. One day, our fortunes may turn around and we might be caught up in some very difficult situation. 

Mr Speaker, furthermore, we should have created industries in this country to process raw copper into finished products. That is what is called value addition. This would have created jobs and other benefits. However, to my surprise, I just discovered that some copper mining companies are exporting concentrates to be processed outside the country and yet our smelters here are running below capacity. Why should it be like that? These are the questions that I hope the hon. Minister will answer when he comes to conclude the debate on this Motion. 

Mr Speaker, the exportation of copper concentrates does not only rob us of an opportunity to engage in value addition activities which are supposed to create jobs, but also takes other minerals contained in the copper ore such as gold and uranium out of this country. When we export this ore in its raw form, we are actually also exporting some of its by-products which we could have benefited from. I do not think we even have the capacity to find out how much of those other products are being taken out of our country.

Sir, I would like to move on to the issue of job creation in our country. We have been told that recently, 50,000 jobs have been created by the Government. However, I just want to mention that there seems to be a veil in the way these jobs are being created. There is no transparency. I would like to specifically refer to the recruitment of people in the security forces. I would like to see a situation where there is equity in this recruitment process. The curtain which is blocking us from seeing the way the whole exercise is being administered must be removed. We do not even know who was recruited in Mongu the last time the recruitment of people in the Defence Forces was done. All we know is that it was those with names such as Mwamba, Chilufya and Chileshe.

Interruptions

Mr Imenda: Sir, in future, we want to have a situation whereby when the security forces have conducted their recruitment exercise, names are published in the …

Mr Speaker: Order!

Business was suspended from 1615 hours until 1630 hours.

 [MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

Ms Imenda: Sir, before business was suspended, I was bringing out the point that when there is massive recruitment by the Government, such as in the security forces, there is a need to follow the example of what the Ministry of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education does. This will give us all an opportunity to see, province by province, which people have been recruited. That is why I am saying that we need to get rid of the veil that characterises the recruitment exercise in the Defence Forces. 

Mr Speaker, some people are saying that I am being tribal in my debate. However, who is worse between the one who points out an evil deed and the one who commits it?

Interruptions

Ms Imenda: Sir, I am just trying to create a mirror in which some people can look at themselves and see whether they are tribal or not. Can you break a mirror because you do not like what you see in it?

Hon. Opposition Members: No!

Ms Imenda: Sir, it is my right to say this and I am doing it based on the information I get from my people because they are complaining. They said that when the police came to my area to recruit, they did not get jobs. I think from the whole of Luena, only one person was recruited. Those who had the privilege to see what was happening said that their friends with names like the ones I mentioned were recruited.

 Sir, in order to solve this problem, the names of those recruited in our security forces should be published in the newspapers, province by province. That is all I am suggesting. Suggesting that I am being tribal when I am pointing out a problem is not right. We cannot avoid talking about an evil deed when we see it being committed.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Imenda: Sir, our First President, Dr Kenneth Kaunda, made sure that there was tribal balancing. Was he advocating for tribalism?

Interruptions

Ms Imenda: Mr Speaker, I will leave that subject and move on. I want to talk about our tourism sector vis-à-vis the airline industry. First of all, before I do that, I want to mention that it is a pity my sister, Hon. Masebo, is not well. I want to commend her for the good job that she did during the hosting of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly. I think she worked very hard. No wonder she is even sick. She actually overworked herself.

Mr Speaker, I believe that if our tourism industry is to flourish like that of Kenya or South Africa, we need a national airline. I am directing these remarks at the hon. Minister of Finance and hon. Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communication. I have seen what happens in other countries. When you look at the departure screens at the international airport in Johannesburg, you will see how many planes go to the Victoria Falls. Many people in the world do not even know that the Victoria Falls is actually in Zambia. They think it is in South Africa.

Sir, look at Kenya. You have to first pass through Nairobi on every flight that you get on. That is how Kenya has boosted its tourism industry. As they get on connecting flights in Kenya, tourists buy curios from there and that is benefiting the country. We do not have those things because we do not have an airline. I would like to make a strong appeal to the Government in power. Those who are part of it need to leave a legacy. They should not be afraid to do certain things. Let them leave a legacy when they leave power. When they leave this place, people should point at them as the ones who reintroduced a national carrier, Zambia Airways or whatever name it will be called. Those who are in Government should leave a legacy behind which people will remember them by. That way, the next generation will think about them forever and ever.

Hon. Opposition Members: Amen!    

Ms Imenda: Mr Speaker, I would like to now talk about social justice which has been mentioned in the theme of the Budget Speech. Even though the theme talks about social justice, I will leave out the word ‘social’ in my debate. I do not care whether you call it social or anti-social justice. Where is justice in this country when the law is applied discriminately? Where is justice when people from the Western Province are languishing in Mwembeshi Maximum Prison for marching? Since when has marching been an offence?

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

Ms Imenda: Mr Speaker, I recall that when the late General Christon Tembo was involved in something, the people who marched and sung songs in Lusaka at that time were not rounded up and thrown into prison. So, what is happening now? Youths have been thrown into prison for marching. If they were found to have undertaken certain oaths, that is different. The police just randomly picked youths, mostly from Luena. These are youths who do not know anything about any treason activities. The youths were arrested just because they said that they belonged to the Liyungandambo. At some point, our President also said that he was Liyungandambo number one. Why has the police not arrested him?

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Imenda: Mr Speaker, where is natural justice when some hon. Members of Parliament have lost their seats while those who joined the PF and had cases, including criminal cases hanging on them, are still here? Their cases have just disappeared into thin air.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Imenda: Mr Speaker, where is justice?

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Imenda: Mr Speaker, some people have been put in prison for talking about the Barotseland Agreement. Is it treason to ask for the enforcement of a contract or agreement?

Hon. Opposition Members: Hmm?

Ms Imenda: Mr Speaker, is that how the law of contract operates? 

Hon. Opposition Members: Yes!

Ms Imenda: Mr Speaker, when does it become a criminal offence to ask somebody to honour a contract which he or she signed? Why should you throw in prison people who ask you to honour a contract which you signed? That is not fair.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Ms Imenda: Mr Speaker, I would like to quote from a letter which was written by my beloved late President Mwanawasa in his foreword to the Vision 2030. He said that the Vision 2030 was founded on seven key principles. The principles include sustainable development, upholding democratic principles, which I am not seeing presently in this country, respect for human rights and fostering family values. Another principle is a positive attitude to work. That is the principle which is lacking in the Civil Service today. It needs to be worked on. The other principles are peaceful co-existence and the upholding of good traditional values. 

Mr Speaker, we want to see an improvement in access to justice through a quick case disposal rate and the enhancement of human rights awareness so that there is a reduction in their violation. That is what I want to see before we even reach 2030 because we do not know how many of us will reach that time.

Laughter 

Ms Imenda: Sir, we need to make sure that those values are in our midst now?

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

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: Order!

Hon. Members, I will now shift the debate to give an opportunity to our colleagues on the right to begin their response. As you are aware, we only have up to Thursday this week to conclude this debate. As usual, as much as everybody would have liked to debate, I am afraid it will not be possible. 

Hon. Deputy Minister of Home Affairs may you take the Floor.

The Deputy Minister of Home Affairs (Mr Kampyongo): Mr Speaker, I thank you very much for according me this opportunity to contribute to the Motion on the Floor.

Mr Speaker, before I get into the matters concerning my ministry, I would like to make a few comments about some of the issues which have been raised by our colleagues on your left. One of the issues I would like to comment on is that of tribalism. I must say that anyone who wants to think that tribalism is the way to go is not only his own enemy, but is also an enemy to this generation and to many generations to come. I would like to echo the sentiments His Excellency President Sata made on the eve of Independence Day. He said that we co-exist in so many ways. We have intermarried and have got children. I have a number of colleagues in the same generation as me. I have got in mind my dear colleague Hon. M. H. Malama …

Mr Speaker: Order!

Hon. Deputy Minister, take your seat. There is a Motion here. The Motion is to debate the Budget Address presented by the hon. Minister of Finance. He has made proposals through which he has indicated a direction that his colleagues and the Government would like to take in the coming year. Let us focus on that. I know that many things may have been said by other hon. Members which might not be related to the Budget Address. However, I do not think that that is a cause for us to digress and, worse still, begin to debate ourselves. 

Hon. Deputy Minister, you may continue.

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, I thank you for your guidance. I was tempted because, as a generation, we want to see development which is a result of our co-existence. Co-existence is cardinal to the unity of the nation. I will now go straight into discussing the matters that affect my ministry.

Sir, I must start by thanking the hon. Minister of Finance for acknowledging the need to start allocating some finances to the most important projects that we intend to undertake. You may wish to know that, under my ministry, we have got a very important department which deals with the issuance of national registration cards (NRCs). This is the department which has the mandate to register citizens in the country. Now, there have been a lot of gaps in the way we have been doing our registration. So, we are starting with the first things first. We are trying to scale-up the registration of events which relate to citizens. I am talking about birth, death and also the causes of death.

Mr Speaker, you may wish to know that the occurrence of death and its registration has got a background. In 2007, a demographic and health survey report revealed that about 52 per cent of births occur at home while 43 per cent of the deliveries occur in public health facilities. The percentage of births attended to by skilled personnel declined from 51 per cent in 1992 to 47 per cent in 2007. It was estimated that younger women and those having their first deliveries are more likely to deliver in health institutions.

Sir, according to the 2007 Demographic Health Survey, the estimated national average for birth registration is at 14 per cent. Out of 5 per cent of the poorest, only 20 per cent of the children have their births registered. Out of 31 per cent of the richest, 20 per cent of the children have their births registered. Only 9 per cent of the rural children have their births registered. Only 28 per cent of the urban children have their births registered. The national data provides a worrying picture regarding birth registration. 

Mr Speaker, we are grateful that while we are receiving some donor funding from our co-operating partners in order to improve registration, the Ministry of Finance has given us some finances which will enable us to start dealing with the disparities which have been highlighted. There are a number of factors which have caused some of the disparities. A key factor is the long distances to registration centres. This makes it difficult for the public to access registration services.

Sir, to overcome this challenge, the Ministry of Home Affairs has decided to partner with the Ministry of Health to capture and register births that occur at health facilities even in the rural areas. This means that the registration of children will be done at health facilities immediately when the child is born or a few weeks when the child is brought to the health facility for medical attention. Further, we have also partnered with the House of Chiefs so that those births that are occurring in villages can be captured through the village registers. To this call, we were just distributing the motor bikes to all the districts so that the people there are able to start collecting this important data which we need.

Mr Speaker, we are also trying to make sure that the registration of deaths occurrence is  enhanced. You may wish to know that there are also disparities in the way we have been capturing data with particular reference to deaths. Some of the deaths occur in villages and some of them in health facilities. So, we are trying to create a system which will be able to capture as many deaths as possible. This process will help us to create a reservoir of vital statistics in which even important institutions such as the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) can tap into, in order to upgrade their systems. Therefore, we are trying to make this department one of the pillars of our democracy because, as you know, the conducting of clean elections is also dependant on the registers that we have. So, instead of depending on the goodwill of relatives to those that die to bring information to the ECZ, the commission will be able to tap into the system and get the data of how many citizens would have died at a particular time.

Sir, the other programme which we are working on is called the Integrated National Registration Information System (INRIS). This system intends to integrate all the information technology (IT) tools and functions needed by the Government to conduct the registration of citizens, verify personal information, positively identify citizens and provide accurate and credible statistical reports. Statistics and citizen information will also be made available to authorised Government agencies such as the ECZ.

Mr Speaker, through this system, we are also going to change the NRCs. We are going to have identity cards with enhanced security features generated from this system. This system will help us to identify those who are not genuine citizens. We have already started converting all the manual data of citizens who were registered starting from 1964.  Our initial target was to capture about 7 million records by this time. So far, we have been able to capture 90 per cent of our intended target.  

  Sir, all those who are not citizens and have been able to get NRCs will be identified when the system begins to be implemented because it will be able to show when, where and how a citizen got the card. It will also further make sure that those unscrupulous characters who have been coming into the country and are managing to get our documents, including travel documents, will start finding it very difficult because we are going to have secure systems in place.

Sir, I also wish to appeal to our citizens to be calm and patient because once we start implementing this programme, there will be given information on how they can change their NRCs. 

Mr Speaker, I also want to thank the Ministry of Finance for giving us funding to improve our facilities. If you went to our Kamwala Head Office today, you would see that it looks like a bank. It is not like it was before whereby you were greeted by dust when you went there. It has been worked on. We are going to also work on the provincial offices and then the district ones. 

Sir, we are also embarking on activities to improve the management of our entry points. We have got a number of border controls which we are trying to put in place. I am happy that the Ministry of Finance has, once again, allocated some funds to ensure that we finish off some of the border posts that we have been working on. Works at border posts such as Chipungu which is in Chiyengi are at 90 per cent. 

Mr Speaker, for the first time in the history of Zambia, we are also putting up a border post in Mwandi where our officers were operating under a tree. This caring Government intends to put up a border post in Mwandi in addition to the police post which is almost at completion level.

Mr Speaker, in the North-Western Province we have constructed more than three border posts. We intend to build more posts so that we start managing our vast border areas better. I would like the hon. Member for Mwandi to help us to identify a suitable area where we should put up the border post.

Sir, we have computerised our entry points, starting from the airports and a number of border ports which include Chirundu, Nakonde and Kasumbalesa. This is in order to enhance revenue collection. What happens is that if a person crosses the Chirundu Border at 1500 hours, that individual’s data will be remitted almost immediately to our central system. We will also be able to know when this person is leaving and how many days he or she will have spent in our country. 

Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister of Home Affairs earlier correctly stated that this Government cares for those who are incarcerated. Just last Friday, I accompanied the hon. Minister of Finance to Kabwe to go and witness how my ministry is prudently spending the resources which it receives from the Treasury. We went to commission the first ever milling plant which is meant to improve the diet of our inmates. Sometimes, prison inmates go without food. The Ministry of Finance has given us funds to procure farming equipment for the some prisons and we are thankful for that effort.

Sir, I also wish to thank His Excellency the President for exercising his prerogative powers of mercy as provided for under Article 51 in our Constitution by pardoning 500 prisoners this year. That is how a caring leader of the nation should treat those who are disadvantaged.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, we have also been given some funds to renovate some prison facilities so that our brothers and sisters who are incarcerated are kept in an environment befitting human beings. We are going to make sure, hon. Minister of Finance, that we apply the funds provided to us appropriately. We also intend to work on some open-air prison facilities which are dotted around the country. In the Eastern Province, we intend to scale up the production levels in the farming activities which the prisoners are engaged in. This is all in a bid to use our prison facilities as correctional facilities and not as punitive ones. We want to see people coming out of prisons as productive human beings because they have a chance to lead normal lives again.

Mr Speaker, the interpretation of the Public Order Act was taken to the courts of law and I must say that there was no winner. For us, as the Ministry of Home Affairs, we did not see the judgment as a victory, but rather as an opportunity to engage all our colleagues in various sectors on how we should best administer that piece of law.

Sir, the Public Order Act is the only piece of law we have to manage the conflict between order and freedom. A country where you have order and no freedom risks turning into a totalitarian state. Similarly, where you only have freedom and no order, there is a recipe for anarchy. We need to strike a balance. The Public Order Act is a piece of legislation which can help us to manage conflicts. It is prudent that we all come together and find a way of administering this piece of legislation effectively. It is not our intention to punish anyone using this law.

Sir, with these few remarks, I wish to thank you.

The Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock (Mr Kazabu): Mr Speaker, let me begin my debate by congratulating the hon. Minister of Finance, Hon. Alexander Chikwanda, for presenting a progressive Budget for the fiscal year 2014.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kazabu: Sir, further, I wish to commend the hon. Minister for increasing the Budget from K32.2 billion in 2013 to K42.68 billion reflecting an improvement of 32.5 per cent.

Sir, for me, it is clear that this effort is designed to take our country to another level of development and to secure better social and economic dividends for our people provided that we remain peaceful and united. I agree with the theme of the 2014 Budget which states: “Moving Forward to Consolidate the Growth and Social Justice in Peace and Unity.” 

Sir, let me now turn to the livestock and fisheries sub-sectors which are the specific areas of my responsibility within the broader context of the operations of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.

Sir, I note with happiness that in paragraph 34 of the Budget Speech, the hon. Minister points out the continued growth of the livestock sub-sector with specific reference to a 10 per cent increase in the national population of cattle to almost 4 million herds and 18 per cent for poultry to over 92 million birds. These achievements have been made due to carefully designed plans and programmes by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock such as the establishment of livestock breeding centres, service centres, building of an Artificial Insemination Centre in Mazabuka, disease control through the rehabilitation and the construction of dip tanks and the establishment of disease-free zones, check points and animal quarantine stations. The increased participation of Zambians in livestock farming has also contributed to the growth. For example, I know of one indigenous farmer who is also an hon. Member of Parliament in an area called Mukwela in the Southern Province, who has achieved a calving rate of between fifty and seventy-five calves per year. The non-government organisation (NGOs) and companies such as Heifer International, World Vision, Ox-Farm and companies such as Mopani Plc have contributed and continued to do so to the growth of the sub-sector through their cattle pass-on-the-gift programmes which are targeted at vulnerable households. I can only commend those players for a job well done. 

Sir, with the inauguration of the Artificial Insemination Centre, it is now possible for anyone who has one cow to have a second one for only K10.00. If this is not progress, then I do not know what progress is.

Mr Speaker, in addition to the said programmes, the ministry will re-introduce the cattle restocking programme which has been on the ice for some years now. In that regard, K8,790,800 has been allocated in the 2014 Budget. With regard to disease control, the hon. Minister of Finance in the House has expressed his desire for each village to have a dip tank. He has given the construction and rehabilitation of dip tanks serious consideration by allocating an amount of K52.2 million. This is, indeed, a remarkable beginning. 

Mr Speaker, once new dip tanks are constructed and some old ones rehabilitated, our small- holder livestock farmers will have the opportunity to dip their animals regularly and protect them from diseases such as the east coast fever or corridor. For a quick response to outbreaks and the controlling of diseases, regional laboratories are being constructed. In fact, some are near completion. Undoubtedly, regular dipping, programmed vaccinations and quick disease diagnosis will help in sustaining growth. 

Sir, the other factors which are critical in sustaining the growth of the livestock sub-sector are an efficient and effective extension service and the availability of water. Currently, the quality of both veterinary and livestock services is not what the ministry would like it to be. The veterinary camps are too big and some of them are not manned due to inadequate staffing. This is a serious problem which needs to be addressed urgently. However, the good news is that the re-demarcation of the camps and recruitment of additional staff have commenced. 

Mr Speaker, in the case of the problem of the lack of water for livestock, especially in the Southern, Eastern, Central and Lusaka provinces, I wish to state that this is an impediment to the growth of the livestock sub-sector. As a matter of fact, during my tours of the provinces, I found some of our small-scale livestock farmers in areas which are arid drawing water from boreholes and wells for their animals. Clearly, this is not correct. On this front, it is gratifying to note that the hon. Minister has allocated a considerable amount of money for the construction of multi-purpose dams and irrigation schemes and another K2 million for earth dams. A further allocation of K14,645,971 has been made for the construction of earth dams under the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Water Development. This is a step in the right direction in terms of addressing the non-availability of water in the dry parts of our country for livestock.

Sir, in regard to poultry, the 18 per cent growth to over 92 million birds can be attributed to increased investment by the private sector in hatcheries. A good example of increased investment by the private sector is that of Golden Lay which has built a state of the art hatchery on the Copperbelt with a capacity of 80,000 birds. The players from the private sector have also increased their disease prevention measures. 

Sir, the fisheries sub-sector contributes to food security and nutrition, economic development, trade and employment creation. In paragraph 37 of the Budget Speech, the hon. Minister states:

“Sir, the Government will reposition the fisheries sub-sector so that the country can become a net exporter of fish. To achieve this, we will promote aquaculture development and improve infrastructure for fisheries research and marketing. In particular, the Government will promote the growing of fingerlings by the private sector, pen and cage culture and establish lake-based hatcheries and nurseries.”

  Sir, in support of that policy statement, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock has put in place strategic programmes such as the commercialisation of aquaculture, development of aqua-parks, restocking, partnerships and aquaculture extension service.

Mr Speaker, the ministry is also pushing for the harmonisation of laws governing fisheries among the Southern African Development Community (SADC) member countries and the signing of the SADC Protocol on fisheries by those member states that have not signed yet.

Sir, statements have been made on the Floor of this House that:

(i)the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock has collapsed and does not have the required human resource;

(ii)those of us who are at the ministry do not know when the last livestock census was carried out; and 

(iii) the beef from the animals of the farmers in Namwala District has been given a low grade thereby giving the farmers a raw deal.

Mr Speaker, I now wish to respond to the above assertions with dignity as required by the decorum of this august House.

Hon. PF Members: Tell them.

Mr Kazabu: Mr Speaker, in other words, I shall not cast aspersions on the intelligence and wisdom of any honourable Member.

Mr Ntundu: Hear, hear!

Mr Kazabu: Sir, contrary to the statement that the ministry has collapsed, the stubborn reality is that it is very much alive and its human resource capacity is enormous. I am not on a life support machine and so, the ministry is very much alive.

Hon. PF Members: Tell them.

Mr Kazabu: Sir, the last livestock census was carried out around 1978. Ideally, a census should be carried out after every ten years. The hon. Members of this House and the nation may wish to know that a comprehensive census is expensive. The ministry’s estimated cost for such an exercise is K100 million. 

Mr Speaker, in an effort to cure the failures of the past, this Government carried out a pilot census from 15th to 31st July, 2011, covering Monze and Namwala districts. For those who are interested in the results, a report is available. This is the report (lifting the report).

Laughter

Mr Kazabu: Sir, furthermore, a livestock survey instrument pre-test was successfully done from 12th to 18th August, this year in six districts, namely Chipata, Choma, Kalomo, Lundazi, Mongu and Senanga in readiness for a snapshot census to be carried out in the Southern and Western provinces. Again, for those who are interested, a report is available. This is the report (lifting the report).

 Interruptions

Mr Kazabu: Sir, in regard to the grading of the beef from the animals of our dear farmers in Namwala and, indeed, other areas, all I can say is that it is based on a set of parameters. The ministry is currently working on some grading guidelines for stakeholders to follow. The current grades for live animals and the beef are:

       Live animals

  1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

          Beef

(i)commercial; 
(ii)standard; and 
(iii)choice.

Mr Speaker, before I conclude my presentation, I wish to comment on a statement which was made by one mutompehi on the Floor of the House during the debate on the President’s …

Mr Speaker: Hon. Member, we have lost you on one word that you have used.

Mr Kazabu: Sir, mutompehi simply means honourable or a respected person.

Mr Speaker: What language is that?

Mr Kazabu: Mr Speaker, that is our language in the western part of the country.

Mr Speaker: Oh, I see.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kazabu: Mr Speaker, before I conclude my presentation, I wish to comment on a statement which was made by one mutompehi on the Floor of the House …

Hon. Members: Aah!

Mr Speaker: I think for consistency, let us use words which we are all accustomed to.

Mr Kazabu: Sir, during the debate on the President’s Speech, one of the hon. Members of the House …

Laughter

Mr Kazabu: … said that other members of the Government just ride on the President’s ideas.

Sir, the truth of the matter is that the business of the Government runs in perpetuity. Governments are successive in nature. As a Government, we always agree on matters of principle and practice. 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Laughter

Mr Ntundu: That is correct.

Mr Kazabu: Mr Speaker, it is that time of the year when we are again called upon to play that critical part of scanning and approving the country’s estimates of revenue and expenditure. To that effect, I earnestly appeal to the hon. Members of this august House, on both sides of the divide, to support the 2014 Budget as a matter of duty and patriotism for the benefit of our country and its people. After all, the common denominator is that we are all Zambians.

Sir, someone once said, “Do not walk through life without living footprints of your passage.” Having supported the 2014 Budget is one of those footprints that we should leave after we are gone.

Mr Speaker, may the good Lord bless us all now and in the future.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

The Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Security (Mr Chitotela): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me an opportunity to debate the Motion that was ably moved by the hon. Minister of Finance.

Sir, I wish to thank you for according me an opportunity to address this august House on the important issue of employment and labour statistics. 

Job creation

Mr Speaker, firstly, allow me to join many of our distinguished citizens who have commended the Government for delivering a Budget that will promote growth, inclusiveness and human development. In my contribution, I will focus on the following issues, namely job creation, social sector policies, inclusive growth, social protection and pension reforms. The PF Government has always demonstrated its serious commitment to creating jobs for the Zambian people because it is the most viable option to lift people out of poverty and to help to promote equity. The Government is committed to the implementation of innovative strategies that will result in job creation across all sectors of the economy. 

Sir, this Government is concentrating on infrastructure development in the areas of transport, health, education, agriculture, water and energy across the country. In addition to the many other social and economic benefits, these ambitious and historical programmes will bring to the citizens of this land direct and indirect employment creation. 

Sir, we are talking about employment for those involved in construction. Jobs will also be created in a number of economic activities after the construction works have been completed. 

Sir, in addition to infrastructure development, we have in place other strategies that are anchored on job creation and industrialisation as well as the Revised Sixth National Development Plan (SNDP). Therefore, when we provide to the nation our employment creation targets, we are doing so fully aware that the programmes we are putting in place will generate jobs. For this reason, let nobody doubt our resolve and capability to deliver to our people. 

Mr Speaker, to show that we are a serious Government which means business, we shall, beginning next year,  be announcing to the nation the number of new jobs created per month. 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chitotela: Sir, as the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, we will continue promoting active labour market policies that will facilitate employment for our people. Currently, we are implementing strategies such as the Public Employment Exchange Service, which will seek to link job seekers with prospective employers. Overall, we want to have a vibrant and efficient labour market which will reduce both structural and frictional unemployment, shorten unemployment spans and improve the matching of supply and demand for employment, among other desirable labour market outcomes. 

Social Sector Policies and Inclusive Growth

Mr Speaker, in the past decade, Zambia has done relatively well in many economic indicators such as balance of payments, inflation and growth rates in various sectors of the economy. While we appreciate that this is commendable, we are concerned that these positive developments have been happening to the exclusion of other equally important elements. I have in mind low quality employment growth, low human development, rural-urban divides, gender and social inequality and regional disparities, among others. 

Mr Speaker, to address the inequalities and exclusion, we have focused our efforts on the following key areas: 

(i)decentralisation for effective programming and resource usage;

(ii)structural transformation of the society which will improve delivery systems;

(iii)improve access to and quality of education, health, water and sanitation services;

(iv)broad based vocational skills development;

(v)broadening the scope of social protection interventions to cushion people against economic shocks;

(vi)financial inclusion for women, youth, disabled, aged and other vulnerable groups in our society; and 

(vii)improve small-scale agricultural productivity.

Mr Speaker, these and many other measures will bring broad-based growth, shared growth and pro-poor growth. They will decrease poverty in the country while increasing the involvement of every section of our society in the growth process of the country. 

Pension Reforms

Mr Speaker, the PF Government, under the competent and wise leadership of His Excellency, President Michael Chilufya Sata, …

Mr Livune: Question!

Laughter 

Mr Chitotela: … has placed a high premium on the provision of social security in the country. This is because the Government has recognised that social security can be utilised as a tool to protect and to promote the welfare and livelihood of the general citizenry. One of the tasks that the Government has embarked on towards this end are the pension reforms. 

We are undertaking these reforms in order to ensure the following:

(i)payment of pension arrears to all retired employees;

(ii)decentralised system of benefit payments;

(iii)maintenance of the benefits in line with inflationary trends;

(iv)timely payment of benefits; and 

(v)prudent and profitable investments by the pension houses at the local level.{mospagebreak}

Mr Speaker, to facilitate the actualisation of these outcomes, the Government will review all the relevant pieces of legislation governing social security schemes. This measure will also result in institutional and organisational reforms intended to achieve the desired results. 

Sir, to demonstrate that we are an action-orientated Government, efforts are already underway to reorganise the pension sub-sector. To this effect, proposals have been made regarding different alternatives for social security administration in the country. 

Mr Speaker, our burning desire is to ensure that the restructuring process translates into coverage for all, enhanced efficiency, decent benefits and uncompromised service delivery in the operations of pension schemes in the country. 

Mr Speaker, I wish to conclude by emphasising that we are a Government that stands for inclusiveness and the promotion of social justice and equity. This is the basis upon which our gallant men and women and the youth of this country rose to the occasion in September, 2011, to give us the mandate to direct the affairs of this great country.

 To the nation, my message is that your Government shall continue with its development agenda for this country until our beloved citizens become empowered through increased and improved access to shelter, clean water, education and health services, finances, justice, security, transport services and many other social and economic benefits. 

Sir, I am 100 per cent sure that these are deliverables that our people expect us to produce. At the end of the day, we are not merely politicking. Citizens, be it in the Opposition, the clergy, students or other people from all walks of life who have the interest of Mother Zambia at heart, will support us on our journey to fulfill the dreams of our people. This is because our people deserve nothing, but the best from all leaders. 

Mr Speaker, when I debated on the President’s Speech, I gave statistics of the employment that has been created. When people stood up to debate, I was challenged and others even suggested that we itemise the jobs created sector by sector. 

Mr Speaker, let me give the statistics of the jobs that the PF Government has created since it came into power.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chitotela: Mr Speaker, the following are the jobs:

      SECTOR                                        NUMBER OF PEOPLE 
                                                                  EMPLOYED

Arts and Entertainment Sector        174,052
Tourism                      44,292
Services Industry                  31,336
Electricity, Gas and Water              27,369
Construction Sector                  16,457
Education Sector                  10,099
Finance and Banking                            5,521
Community and Social Sector            4,329
Health Sector                               3,127
Agriculture Forestry and Fishing            3,185
Transport and Communication            3,088
Total                                326,480

Hon Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Livune: Thou shall not lie.

Mr Chitotela: Mr Speaker, under the Link Zambia 8,000 km Road Project, the Government has created 16,457 jobs. This has seen 1,500 kilometres of roads being constructed under Phase I. Employment has also been created in the L400 road construction projects. Below is a tabulation of the people who have been employed in the road construction sector by province:
       
     PROVINCE                                 NUMBER OF PEOPLE
     
    Lusaka Province                        2,976
    Central Province                        1,173
    Copperbelt Province             1,587
    Eastern Province                        1,540
    Luapula Province                        1,819
    Muchinga Province                 2,366
    Northern Province                 1,973
    North-western Province                       578
    Southern Province                 1,132
    Western Province                        1,313
         Total                          16,457

Hon Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chitotela: Mr Speaker, the Ministry of Labour and Social Security also oversees the productivity levels of the country. I have a humble appeal to us leaders here. I was moved by one preacher who said, “If God will serve me because I am a Bemba, then he is not a fair God. God must be able to serve me because I am a Christian.” People that have stood here to debate on tribal lines make my heart bleed.

Mr Livune: Question.

Mr Chitotela: Mr Speaker, I wonder, if Zambians will vote for somebody because he or she belongs to a certain tribe. If that was to happen, then the Zambian people would not be doing justice to themselves. Zambians must vote for somebody because he has the capacity to deliver to the people. If the Zambians will vote for me because I come from Luapula Province then they will be doing a disservice to themselves. All the leaders here, must speak with one language. That is the language of building unity in the country and not pitting one tribe or province against another.  

Mr Speaker, my daughter is at school in the North-Western Province at Mukinge Secondary School. She told me something which made me shudder. She told me that in the North-Western Province, people are saying that us, in Government, are only taking the country’s money to Muchinga Province.

Mr Mwanza: That is very true.

Mr Chitotela: Mr Speaker, such statements are very dangerous.

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

Mr Chitotela: Sir, such statements have the ability to pit one province against another. The question I may ask is: If tomorrow we had a President from the North-Western Province, do you think the people of Muchinga would support that leader? Leaders should think before they utter any statements.

Hon Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chitotela: Sir, leaders should build the unity amongst the people of this country.

Hon Kapata: Hear, hear!

Mr Chitotela: Sir, our forefather, President Kenneth Kaunda, was left with a State. He was not left with a nation. He had the responsibility to build a nation. That is why he came up with the slogan, “One Zambia, One nation.” We should not politic all the time. On certain issues, we should let our conscience speak to us.

Mr Livune: What conscience?

Mr Belemu: Do you have one yourself?

Mr Chitotela: Sir, our conscience should not allow us to continue politicking even when it is not necessary. Some people politic on matters on which they are not supposed to. We are leaders sent here to represent the people. There are more than 14 million Zambians who are listening to this broadcast. What are we doing to them? Are we building the nation or are we busy dividing it? Shakespeare once said, “Life is a journey, …

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

Mr Chitotela: … we all go on the stage to play our part and then we will leave.” We will not be in Parliament perpetually. We will all leave this House at some point. What seed are we planting in the people who will come and take over from us? We are not the first people to represent the areas where we come from.

Hon Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Chitotela: Sir, let us all begin to build the peace in this country by talking about unity and preaching the slogan, “One Zambia, One nation.” Most of us have married women from other tribes. If we become tribal, what is going to happen to the children who are born from such marriages? I wish to urge my brothers and sisters who are hon. Members to speak like they are representatives of the people. In their constituencies, hon. Members have people from different tribes. When hon. Members speak against a particular tribe, what message are they sending to the people in their constituency whom they are representing who speak that tribe?

Mr Belemu: Ask Kawandami on CDF.

Mr Chitotela: Mr Speaker, with the counsel I have given in mind, I hope my fellow hon. Members of Parliament will begin talking unity and development.

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing (Mr Tembo): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me the opportunity to debate the Motion on the Floor of the House.

Mr Speaker, as you may be aware, the performance of the local government has been very poor. Considering the importance that local government plays in national development, the hon. Minister of Finance has allocated a sum of K626.6 million, excluding the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) to the local government sector. We can confidently say that we shall build a very responsive local government which will provide effective service delivery. To this effect, the Government will develop a financing strategy framework for councils so as to ensure an effective and efficient service delivery system. Most councils are financially weak and rely on Government transfers in terms of grants.

Mr Speaker, the PF Government is committed to having a local government system which is transformed, well capacitated, stable, accountable and transparent. It also wants to create a local government system which promotes greater community participation. In light of this, the PF Government is committed to the creation of oversight structures which will ensure that both the administration and councillors are held accountable regarding the delivery of services to the communities.

Mr Speaker, our Government has set itself clear targets in the area of service delivery. These targets speak to the key deliverables which the PF Government seeks to achieve during its term of office.

Mr Speaker, the Government has allocated a sum of K210 million towards the CDF, which has been increased from K1.3 million to K1.4 million per constituency. 

Mr Mbulakulima: Question!

Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Tembo: Sir, first and foremost, there is a need to define clearly the development agenda and performance index of the CDF if any increment is to be effected. I am aware of the concerns raised by hon. Members of Parliament on the delay regarding the disbursement of the CDF to constituencies. I wish to mention that my ministry depends on the release of the CDF from the Treasury before it can send it to all the constituencies. It is important that, as hon. Members of Parliament, we appeal to the National Treasury to release the whole sum at once, but bearing in mind that there are other priority needs of the citizenry.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Tembo: Sir, I, therefore, urge all the hon. Members of Parliament in this august House to assist the Government by ensuring that funds are utilised to improve the well-being of our people. It is important that once funds are released to different constituencies, hon. Members of Parliament assist in monitoring the absorption capacity and timely submission of expenditure returns.

Hon. Government Member: Hear, hear!

Mr Tembo: Mr Speaker, I wish also to submit that the CDF, is most often easily being spent on short-term projects which benefit a small number of people in our communities. The challenge for the proper implementation of the CDF is to identify relevant and viable projects which have a long-term value for our people.

Sir, many constituencies have been unable to account for the CDF resulting in the loss of public funds. The CDF in its current form will not do the nation any good. The current CDF Guidelines of 2006 will be strengthened so as to provide a strong legal framework for the institutions administering the CDF. A co-ordinated mechanism at local level is required to monitor and streamline the multiple sources of funding flowing to the grassroot level. In some cases, the CDF should be used to contribute to the budget of an existing project for which there are insufficient funds available.

Mr Speaker, there is a need to enact an Act to deter any further abuse of the CDF. The CDF Act should provide the basis on which the fund is allocated to constituencies. Some of these variables that could be considered are:

(i)the size of the constituencies;

(ii)the population within that constituency; and

(iii)the poverty levels in that particular constituency.

Sir, the current form whereby the CDF is allocated equally across all constituencies is not fair.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Tembo: Sir, our constituencies vary in terms of population and size. Therefore, the equal sharing mechanism is not the best model. There is a need to introduce a formula for the allocation of the CDF. The formula should take into consideration the above mentioned variables if we are to see realistic development being achieved in our constituencies or the country at large. It is, therefore, critical that densely-populated districts with high poverty levels are …

Mr Nkombo: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Nkombo: Mr Speaker, I heard you clearly say that you had shifted from your left hand side to your right hand side in order for the Government Ministers to defend their policies. Is the hon. Minister debating in order to debate as though he is from the Opposition, castigating his own Government’s policy …

Mr Sikazwe: Question!

Mr Nkombo: … by debating in the fashion that he is doing rather than defending the point that they are correctly administering the CDF? Is he in order, Sir?

Mr Speaker: I did not get the last part, Hon. Nkombo.

Mr Nkombo: Sir, is Hon. Tembo in order to debate as if he is representing the Opposition on the Floor of the House, although originally he was from there, instead of defending the Government’s policy in as far as the administration of the CDF is concerned? Is he in order to carry on like that?

Mr Speaker: My ruling is that he is talking about the CDF which is under his ministry. He is also reviewing how it has been administered hitherto, and is indicating to the House as well as the nation at large what his thinking and that of his ministry is, in terms of effecting reforms. The reforms include passing a CDF Act and also a revision of the criteria for the disbursement of the CDF, that is, a movement away from the present practice where every constituency is given an equal sum. He is justifying the departure. In short, he is on firm ground.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: You may continue, please.

Hon. Government Members: Hammer! Hammer!

Mr Tembo: Thank you, Mr Speaker, for the good guidance. I was actually talking about enacting the CDF Act.

Mr Speaker, it is, therefore, critical that densely-populated districts with high poverty levels receive more funds than less populated districts. 

Hon. Member: Especially aba Tonga!

Hon. Opposition Members: Aah!

Mr Tembo: Sir, the community and districts should be allowed to access these funds based on harmonised project proposals which are in line with the national plans. This will help to maximise the impact of resource utilisation. Each constituency should prioritise its projects in a coherent strategy, which is linked to national goals and has a medium term time frame of five or more years.

Sir, the composition of the CDF Committee also needs to be revisited in order to enhance the transparency and accountability of the CDF. The composition should include other stakeholders such as the Anti-Corruption Commission and the Drug Enforcement Commission.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Tembo: Sir, corruption has been as a result of the weaknesses in the management of the CDF such as the lack of reporting on how funds were used, weak contract management and poor oversight which creates an enabling environment for abuse. It is clear that without proper legislative framework avenues for redress and strong systems for accountability, decentralising the administration of the CDF is likely to bring corruption to the local level than to achieve greater development gains.

Mr Speaker, in conclusion, it is important to emphasise the role of an hon. Member of Parliament. As you are all aware, the CDF is appropriated by Parliament, which all of us are part of. This calls for the strengthening of our institutional and financial mechanisms so that the CDF can be better managed. I would like to urge all the hon. Members of Parliament to support this wonderful Budget.

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Speaker: Any further debate?

Hon. Members remained seated.

Mr Speaker: I am still giving the opportunity to the hon. Members on my right to respond.

Hon. Members remained seated.

Mr Speaker: In the absence of any volunteers from the right, I will use my discretion to revert to the left.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mulomba (Magoye): Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity to debate after hon. Members on your right have failed to do so.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Hon. MMD Member: They must resign.

Mr Mulomba: Mr Speaker, the 2014 Budget Address by the Minister of Finance, Hon. Alexander B. Chikwanda, was not his first Budget presentation. I was younger when I heard him present the Budget under the United National Independence Party (UNIP) Government. I had the opportunity to look at the copies of those Budget Speeches and discovered that this is the only Budget Speech that depicted party regalia.

Mr Speaker: What word did you use?

Mr Mulomba: Mr Speaker, party regalia. Since we have adopted a multi-party system in Zambia, I expected that, apart from seeing the PF regalia, …

Mr Speaker: Hon. Member!

Mr Mulomba remained standing.

Mr Speaker: Hon. Member, take a seat. I know that I have taken the left by surprise, but still wish to urge the hon. Members from there to discuss substance. Let us discuss the Budget Address and not relegate this very important Motion to certain levels. As Speaker, I would not accept that. I am in charge here and I will not accept that level of debate.

You may continue, Hon. Mulomba.

Mr Mulomba: Mr Speaker, thank you for your guidance. However, I would like to propose that in future, no party uniform should appear during the Budget presentation.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mulomba: Mr Speaker, I would like to now talk about agriculture. I am a Member of Parliament from a rural constituency where the major activity is agriculture. I am a very proud Member of Parliament because the people in Zambian rural areas are hard-working, especially the people of Magoye Constituency. It is sad to see hard working people queuing up for relief food and one wonders why this is so. It is simply because the Government is not providing the necessary requisites for the people to engage in agriculture.

Sir, can you imagine that as I am talking, a number of farmers in Magoye have not been paid for their produce? What does that imply? This simply means that even next year’s harvest will be affected. The Government will, again, be required to provide relief food and yet people are willing to grow their own food, provided they are supported by the Government. I feel this is the right time, as we budget, for the Government to ensure that the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock is given all that it requires.

Mr Speaker, where I come from, in Magoye, we have two chiefdoms. One is under Chief Haanjalika and the other is under Chief Mwanachingwala in Mazabuka District. If you go to Magoye now to check on how many extension officers are there, you will find none. There are also no staff houses for extension officers. Why do we not have those facilities? It is because of the Budget allocation to the sector. In Magoye, just like elsewhere, we keep livestock, but how many veterinary officers do we have? The Budget, is however, suggesting a recruitment freeze. What this means is that there will be no veterinary officers employed for the next two to three years.

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mulomba: Sir, is that not killing the agriculture sector? If agriculture is not being supported by the Government, how are we going to survive? Some of us are not used to charcoal burning or fishing. Our major economic activity is agriculture. Once the Government, through this Budget, provides what we need, we as Magoye Constituency shall contribute greatly to the development of the economy of the country.

Mr Speaker, under livestock, corridor disease has claimed a lot of livestock in Zambia, especially in the Southern Province. We wanted to see a reflection of what the Government is planning to do under this Budget, in terms of disease control. We wanted to see what the Government is planning to do to improve the dairy sector. However, there is nothing. 

Sir, since we are still approving the Budget, I would like to make an earnest appeal to the hon. Minister of Finance. I wish to urge him to review his Budget and allocate more money to the agriculture sector.

Mr Speaker, it has been proposed that 2,000 boreholes will be drilled under this Budget. I appreciate the proposal to sink 2,000 boreholes. However, what is worrying is how these boreholes are going to be distributed. People are still walking long distances to fetch water. After forty-nine years of Independence, people in Zambia are still sharing water with pigs and cattle. What is the Government doing to address this situation? Looking at the magnitude of the problem, I would suggest that we have double the number of boreholes which have been suggested. I am sure the hon. Minister of Finance can still adjust these figures since the Budget is yet to be approved. We need more boreholes in Namayela, Nkonkola, Itebe, Kalama, Chinaikila …

Mr Livune: Even Lucheni.

Mr Mulomba: Sir, someone is talking of Lucheni. I know these problems are all over the country. I am just giving Magoye as an example. We need more boreholes …

Ms Kalima: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Ms Kalima: Mr Speaker, there was a news item yesterday on Muvi TV regarding the protest by some exporters of maize at Kasumbalesa Border Post. We know that this Government has limited maize exports, but the complaint was that there is selectiveness in allowing these exports. Therefore, is the hon. Minister of Agriculture and Livestock in order to keep quiet and not explain to this House why some traders are being allowed to export maize while others with permits are having their maize impounded? I seek your serious ruling, Mr Speaker.

Mr Speaker: In order to break the silence of the hon. Minister of Agriculture and Livestock over this matter, please, Hon. Kalima, put a question forward.

Mr Mulomba: Mr Speaker, I was talking about water in terms of boreholes. On the other hand, there is also a need for more dams to be constructed countrywide. We have experienced partial droughts, especially in the Southern Province …

Mr Sikazwe: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Sikazwe: Mr Speaker, I sincerely apologise to my colleague, who is debating so well for disturbing him. However, where I come from, chiefs are very serious components of the community, to the extent that when you misbehave in the area, they even have the powers to arrest or chase you from the chiefdom.

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

Mr Sikazwe: Therefore, is the hon. Member of Parliament for Kasenengwa in order to remain in the House when she has been disowned by Chief Mazimawe of Kasenengwa? I seek your serious ruling, Sir.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: Since I was out of the country …

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: … and had not followed those events, I will reserve my ruling until I am appraised about all the events.

Mr Mulomba: Mr Speaker, I was talking about the construction of dams before the point of order was raised. It is only at the present stage where we can amend the Budget so that the construction of dams is also provided funding. I am sure we do not only need dams in the Southern Province, but also in the rest of the country. Dams are essential for our livestock and irrigation purposes. So funding for their construction should be included in the Budget.

Mr Speaker, as regards education, we have heard of universities being constructed across the country. My argument has always been that there is no way you can start running before you can crawl. I am a parent who has seen my children crawling before beginning to run. What I simply mean is that why can we also not put more effort on constructing primary schools so that they can be feeding universities in terms of producing learners? At the moment, it is like we are focusing on universities while forgetting the grassroots or initial stages of education. Moreover, we have more people under primary education than at university level.

Mr Speaker, we should see a lot of money being given to the construction of primary schools in the 2014 Budget. By saying so, I am not against the proposal or directive by the President to build a university in Gwembe. Such pronouncements must be encouraged.

Mr Ntundu: Hear, hear!

Laughter

Mr Mulomba: Mr Speaker, under roads …

Mr Ntundu: Aah, do not move away from the issue of a university in Gwembe.

Laughter 

Mr Mulomba: Mr Speaker, I remember last year we had a drought and at the same time we had floods. A lot of bridges and roads were washed away and damaged. The Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit (DMMU) went around the country and district assessment reports were written. However, to date, very few bridges and roads have been attended to, if any. I can cite examples in Magoye. There was the Mwanachingwala/Itebe Road, which was completely cut off. As of today, we cannot cross over to Itebe from Chief Mwanachingwala’s area. There were also the Munenga/Kalama and Mweemba roads. All these roads are in Magoye. I am sure it is not only in Magoye where there was this problem, but also in other areas.

Mr Speaker, more money should be put aside for the rehabilitation of roads because we need to connect the different parts of the country. Roads are very important in so many aspects. Farmers need roads to transport their produce. The education sector also requires roads. It is a pity that if you went to Magoye in January, you would not be able to reach Mweemba School because of the lack of good roads. You cannot even reach Mabanga, where there is a school. The Budget can address all those problems. More money should be given to the construction of roads.

Mr Speaker, as for health, I am happy that according to the work plan on how the 650 new health posts have been distributed, Magoye has been given six. I should appreciate that.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mulomba: Sir, the plan to build those six health posts should not just end on paper. No one can come to the constituency office and be treated there just because we say that there are plans for new health posts. People will only be happy when health posts are constructed in Namayela, Itebe, Kalama, Munenga and Mukuyu. As things stand, all we hear is pronouncement after pronouncement. There is nothing much to talk about. That is not what we expect. In the 2014 Budget, we should see to it that the programme to construct health facilities is fully implemented.

Mr Speaker, many hon. Members have talked about the CDF. I feel I should add my voice as well to this topic. Most line ministries want to benefit from the CDF. The education, health and agriculture sectors would all want to benefit from the CDF. Why can the Executive not raise the figure for the CDF to K5 million per constituency?

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: Order!

 Business was suspended from 1815 hours until 1830 hours. 

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

Mr Mulomba: Mr Speaker, I was talking about the CDF before we broke off. What we are getting under the CDF is just too little compared to the problems we have in our constituencies. Therefore, I wish to emphasise that the hon. Minister of Finance should adjust his figures and raise the CDF to K5 billion in the old currency per constituency …

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mulomba: … and K5 million in the new currency so that we can cater for the many problems which we have in our constituencies.

Mr Speaker, when the hon. Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing was debating, I was happy to hear that he talked about plans to revise the CDF Act. I am sure that we are here to help the Government of the day. 

Hon. Opposition Members: Ehe?

Laughter

Mr Mulomba: Mr Speaker, we are here to advise.

Mr Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member, you speak for yourself.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: Order!

Hon. Mulomba, you may continue, please.

Laughter

Mr Mulomba: Mr Speaker, let me provide some input on how the CDF Act should be revised. The Government should come up with a policy of giving out the CDF monies to all the constituencies at the same time.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mulomba: Mr Speaker, the distribution should be done in a non-selective manner. This is because we have problems all over. Secondly, the CDF should be timely disbursed.

Hon. Opposition Members: Yes!

Mr Mulomba: Mr Speaker, for example, in Magoye Constituency, …

Mr Kampyongo: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: Order!

A point of order is raised.

Interruptions

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, I reluctantly rise on this very important point of order. I have been sitting here and following the debate of my older brother Hon. Mulomba. Is the hon. Member in order to cite an Act which does not exist? In his debate, he said that there is a CDF Act.

Laughter

Mr Kampyongo: Mr Speaker, since this is a place where we enact laws, I need your serious ruling.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: Order!

I have noted that point which has been raised. Just for the record, there is no CDF Act yet. Therefore, there is no revision of the CDF Act which is taking place because it does not exist. What is being proposed is an enactment of that law. It is a policy position that the hon. Deputy Minister was actually postulating. The law has not come into being yet. It does not exist. Bear that in mind, as you debate.

Interruptions

Mr Mulomba: Mr Speaker, since we do not have the CDF Act, I propose that we come up with it quickly.

Mr Speaker, using the CDF, we can drill boreholes. Using the CDF, we can build schools and clinics. I see no reason the CDF can only be disbursed in December when the rains are about to start, yet we have road projects which we need to work on. The CDF should be disbursed latest in April or May. Then, we shall be able to undertake our programmes and develop our constituencies and the country at large.

Mr Speaker, Zambia was declared a Christian nation. In Tonga, we have a saying which says, Ulomba, ulapegwa. Even in the Bible, 

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

He will translate.

Mr Mulomba: Mr Speaker, I want to translate the saying using a scripture from the Bible.

Hon. Members: No!

Mr Mulomba: Mr Speaker, Matthew Chapter 7 Verse 7 …

Hon. Members: Ah!

Mr Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member, … 

Mr Mulomba: ... urges us to ask for that which we want to be given. We have come here to ask …

Mr Speaker: Order!

Hon. Member, the Speaker is speaking.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: Order!

I do not know whether I am not audible. You are so near me. You cannot speak at the same time with the Speaker. Unfortunately, the rules do not permit that. The moment I start speaking, you should stop. Just translate the Tonga saying in English. There are rules about quoting verses from the Bible. I am sure that the senior hon. Members will apprise you with them in due course.

Mr Mulomba: Mr Speaker, I thank you for your guidance.

Mr Muntanga: Ngwa Sabata oyu!

Mr Mulomba: Mr Speaker, as I conclude, let me interpret the Tonga saying, Ulomba, ulapegwa. It means ask and you will be given. We are here to ask for development in our constituencies. That development should be given to our constituencies.

I thank you, Sir.

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

Mr Mutale (Kwacha): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to debate the speech which was delivered on the Floor of this House by the hon. Minister of Finance, Hon. Alexander B. Chikwanda.

Mr Speaker, the speech was very inspiring …

Hon. Opposition Members: Question!

Mr Mutale: … and motivating.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mutale: Mr Speaker, this is because the Budget Speech touched on the lives of the people, both from the Ruling and Opposition parties.

Mr Sikazwe: That is right.

Mr Mutale: Mr Speaker, we have a history in this House. The first time I came to this House, the first thing I came to know about was the minimum wage. The creation of the minimum wage improved the lives of many Zambians. 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mutale: Mr Speaker, the other thing which was worked on is the Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE). The exemption from paying tax of people from the K0 – K2,000 bracket improved the lives of the people. Again, the proposal in this year’s Budget has gone up from K2,000 to K3,000. This means that the Government is putting money into peoples’ pockets.

Mr Livune: Question!

Mr Mutale: Mr Speaker, the increment in the tax exemption threshold will not just affect the people in the low income brackets. Even those who in high income brackets …

Interruptions

Mr Speaker: Order!

I am following his comments. Please, refrain from disturbing his debate.

Mr Mutale: Mr Speaker, I thank you for your protection. When you speak the truth, it hurts. I am talking about issues that are obtaining on the ground.

Sir, the increment in the tax exemption will not only benefit the people in the low income brackets. Even those who earn more than K3,000 will also benefit from it. The first K3,000 …

Mr Muntanga: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Muntanga was seated.

Mr Speaker: There is none. Please, continue.

Laughter 

Mr Mutale: Mr Speaker, an increment in the tax exemption threshold will definitely improve many people’s lives. 

Sir, we have heard about the jobs which have been created. I want to remind our friends …

The UPND Members: Which ones?

Mr Mutale: Sir, I am talking to the hon. Members from the MMD. Those from the United Party for National Development (UPND) have not been in Government before.

Laughter

Mr Mutale (with his hands in his pockets): Our colleagues from the MMD were in Government.

Mr Speaker, during the MMD era, we had a number of parastatal and private companies in this country. For example, we had Dunlop Zambia Limited which used to manufacture tyres in this country. This company was made …

Mr Muntanga: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Muntanga: Mr Speaker, is the hon. Member in order to keep his hands in the pockets and not realise that he is talking to elders? Is the hon. Member showing respect to your office …

Hon. Government Members: He is older than you!

Mr Muntanga: … by putting his hands in his pocket, when talking when he is even looking at you?

Mr Nkombo: We do not even know what he is touching!

Mr Muntanga: Sir, we do not even know what he is touching in his pocket.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: Order!

I have made a ruling before on this practice, if I may call it that. Some hon. Members appear to gain, I do not know what kind of support, when they put their hands in their pockets.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: However, I think it is a practice that should be discouraged. We hardly do that in many places where formalism is required. I do not want to give examples, but only wish to state that the practice should discouraged. I do not think it sits well with the rules of this House.

May the hon. Member continue, please.

Mr Mutale: Mr Speaker, I know that some seasoned hon. Members like disturbing their colleagues’ thoughts. I thank you for your guidance.

Sir, before the point of order was raised I was talking about the way Dunlop Zambia Limited was relocated from Zambia to Zimbabwe. A number of people lost jobs when that happened. Dunlop Zambia Limited used to manufacture tyres which we used to buy at a cheap cost. However, it relocated to Zimbabwe where it is manufacturing tyres, and we are buying from there. It is like we are contributing to job creation in Zimbabwe.

Mr Speaker, as if that was not enough, the MMD also brought down Zambia Airways and ROP Zambia Limited. All these companies employed a lot of Zambians who lost their jobs when they were liquidated. You know, in the Zambian culture, if a family loses a breadwinner, a chain of people suffer. Just two years of the PF being in power, the hon. Members from the MMD have already started accusing us of not creating jobs when they are the ones who started ‘killing’ the companies …

Mr Nkombo: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Nkombo: Mr Speaker, are Hon. Prof. Nkandu Luo and the hon. Minister of Finance in order to not to rise on a points of order with regard to the insinuations which are being created by the hon. Member for Kwacha in his debate? He is saying that those who were part of the Government at the time Zambia Airways and ROP Zambia Limited were closed made people lose jobs. Are the two hon. Ministers in order to just continue smiling while seated?

Laughter

Mr Speaker: Order!

I have said before that there has been a lot of movements in the past from one party to the other …

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: … and I do not think it is helpful for me to carry out an inquisition as to who was where at any given time. Let us just accept that our political culture, fortunately or unfortunately, has allowed this degree of flexibility in changing associations. I cannot say anything else.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: May the hon. Member continue, please.

Mr Mutale (with his hands in his pockets): Mr Speaker, as I was saying, a lot of people lost their jobs when Zambia Airways was closed. Again, when the United Bus Company of Zambia (UBZ) …

Hon. Members: Your hands! Your hands!

Mr Mutale: Sir, I am sorry.

Laughter

Mr Mutale (arms folded at the back): … closed …

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Laugher

Mr Mutale: Mr Speaker, I need your protection.

Laughter

Mr Speaker: Continue appropriately.

Mr Mutale: Mr Speaker, when the UBZ was liquidated, a number of people lost their jobs. When Contract Haulage (CH) was also liquidated, a number of Zambians lost jobs. A number of people also lost their jobs when Kafue Textiles and Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) were closed as well as when Glencore ended its mining operations. The recent incidents involved the Zambia Railways and Zambia Telecommunications (ZAMTEL) Limited.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Mutale: Sir, during the sale of ZAMTEL a lot Zambians lost jobs.

Mr Speaker, the job losses have caused a huge backlog of people who are not employed. The Government has a huge task to try to create employment. As we all know, Rome was not built in a day, but it can take only one day to destroy a building which took you five years to build. 

Sir, I want to tell my colleagues on your left who keep repeatedly saying that we promised the people jobs that we are creating the jobs. Those in the MMD must realise that they contributed towards the loss of jobs by their lack of policy direction because they did not look at the after effects of closing a number of companies.

Mr Speaker, it is unfortunate that most of the Opposition Members are not even in the House. They is just a skeleton of the Opposition in this House.

Mr Muntanga interjected.

Mr Mutale: … and now some of them want to respond.

Interruptions 

Mr Mutale: Mr Speaker, are they in order to run away from the House?

Laughter 

Mr Mutale: Mr Speaker, I also want to talk about infrastructure development, especially in relation to universities. My constituency houses the Copperbelt University (CBU). We have had serious problems of accommodation at the CBU. There is also a new college called Mukuba in Kitwe in Chimwemwe Constituency …

Hon. Government Members: University.

Mr Mutale: Sir, I am sorry, its Mukuba University.

Mr Speaker, what the hon. Minister of Education, Science, Vocational Training and Early Education said they would do regarding the hostels will lift a burden off the students. The increased number of students has created a need for us to expand the infrastructure in our universities. Fortunately, the Government has already embarked on an exercise to expand the infrastructure at our universities. We need to support this Budget so that the Government can implement its programmes properly. By not supporting this Budget, we will just be shooting ourselves in the foot because it seeks to improve the lives of our people.

Interruptions  

Mr Mutale: Mr Speaker, at the end of the day, the benefits of fully implementing the Budget will be felt by the people across the country.

Mr Speaker, I also would like to talk about the 650 health posts which will be constructed countrywide. All the constituencies are going to benefit from that programme.

Mr Livune: Question!

Mr Mutale: Mr Speaker, as I speak, there are a lot of things that are happening. I heard some hon. Members talking about the 150 classrooms which are going to be constructed across the country. Even though this translates into one classroom per constituency, I still heard some people complaining.

Mr Mwaliteta: Yes!

Mr Mutale: Sir, I heard the hon. Members on the far left complaining because I was listening to their debates.

Interruptions

Mr Mutale: Sir, some people who have been complaining about the 150 schools which are going to be built in different constituencies already built ten schools in their constituencies when they were in power.

Mr Mumba: Dora!

Mr Mutale: Sir, the Government wants to take development to all the parts of this country. Some people who complain a lot in this House actually have a lot of development taking place in their areas. In fact, people like Hon. Muntanga should be grateful to the Government for the projects it has given their constituencies. 

Laughter 

Mr Muntanga: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Muntanga: Mr Speaker, is that hon. Member who shows that he is clearly not ready to debate …

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Hon. Government Members: Question!

Mr Muntanga: … in order to bring me into his debate when the CDF has not been sent to my constituency? 

Mr Speaker: Certainly, the hon. Member is not in order.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: I am also concerned about the fall in the standard of the debate.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: It has definitely fallen from the level we had witnessed earlier on. I would suggest that for those of you who are volunteering, please, satisfy yourselves that you are ready.

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Speaker: Order!

It is better to be ready so that we can have a much more productive engagement. 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear! Long live the Chair!

Interruptions 

Mr Mutale: Mr Speaker, I thank you for your guidance. 

Sir, let me now look at the water supply and sanitation infrastructure. The Government has embarked on improving water supply and sanitation infrastructure. A lot of money has been put into that sub-sector. I feel that people of Kwacha Constituency will benefit from this infrastructure development programme because they have always cried for waterborne toilets. I am sure that the Budget will address that issue. The people of Kwacha Constituency have been crying for waterborne toilets, proper roads and street lights.

Mr Speaker, I also hope that the hon. Minister of Health will develop the infrastructure at the clinics in my constituency. The people in my constituency hope that our clinics will be expanded so that they can operate throughout the day. The expansion of the clinics will enable them to provide services 24 hours a day to help expectant mothers.

I thank you, Sir.

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

The Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing (Mr Kufuna): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the Motion which is on the Floor of the House.

  Sir, the 2014 Budget Address, whose theme is, “Moving Forward to Consolidate Growth and Social Justice in Peace and Unity” lays a strong foundation for the commemoration of Zambia’s 50th Independence Anniversary and the Golden Jubilee in October next year. His Excellency, President Michael Chilufya Sata, stated that the theme of the Golden Jubilee will be “Commemorating God’s Favour of Zambia’s 50 Years of Independence for Continued Peace, Unity, Democracy, Patriotism and Prosperity.”

Mr Speaker, the Budget Address demonstrated the PF’s Government’s commitment to implementing the party vision as enshrined in the manifesto, which states that, “The citizens of this land not only deserve better lives, but are also entitled to better lives.” To demonstrate that, priority in the allocation of national resources has been given to improving basic infrastructure and meeting the needs of the majority of our citizens. 

Mr Speaker, let me now talk about water supply and sanitation. I wish to draw the attention of the House to page 14 of the Budget Speech, in particular to the allocation of K417.8 million to water supply and sanitation facilities and services. There is an increment of 67 per cent from the K250 million allocated for this sub-sector in the year, 2013. This investment will result in the construction of 2,000 new boreholes, 250 hand-dug wells and fifty piped water supply schemes in rural areas. We shall also rehabilitate 100 hand-dug wells. It is estimated that a total number of 602,500 people in rural areas will directly access clean and safe drinking water after all this is done. This measure is expected to increase access to clean and safe drinking water by the rural community to 65 per cent in 2014 from the current 61 per cent. The allocation of resources will also result in the construction of 500 institutional latrines to improve access to sanitation in public places such as schools, health centres, markets and bus stations. As a result of this measure and increased community sensitisation through community-led total sanitation activities, access to sanitation is expected to increase from the current 43 per cent to 48 per cent in 2014. 

Mr Speaker, for the benefit of some hon. Members of Parliament, in particular, the hon. Member for Namwala, who is AWOL…

Hon. UPND Members: AWOL?

Mr Kufuna: Sir, AWOL means being absent without official leave.

Mr Speaker, for the benefit of some hon. Members of Parliament who feel that we are not doing enough to improve sanitation in Lusaka, I wish to state that my ministry, through the Lusaka City Council, is constructing a number of ablution blocks in the central business areas of Lusaka. For instance, we are constructing modern ablution blocks at the Lusaka Main Post Office, Findeco House, Kulima Tower Bus Station, Lumumba Bus Station, Katondo Street, Buseko Market and Millennium Bus Station to improve access to sanitation and improve hygiene. New sites for the construction of additional toilets in the central business district such as Freedom Way, Cha Cha Cha and Lumumba roads will be identified soon. These facilities will be used by both traders and the traveling public. The construction of public toilets will be rolled-out to various cities and towns as a deliberate Government policy of improving sanitation and hygiene for improved health and wealth creation. We need healthy and productive citizens for sustainable socio-economic and political development. This way, we will contribute to consolidating growth and social justice in peace and unity. The PF Government is committed to improving sanitation and raising its profile in national planning and budgeting. 

Mr Livune: Question!

Mr Kufuna: Mr Speaker, to demonstrate our commitment, two weeks ago, we successfully hosted the AfricaSan Southern African Sub-regional Preparatory Conference in Lusaka which drew twelve countries in the region to prepare for the 4th AfricaSan Conference scheduled to take place in May, 2014 in Dakar, Senegal. It is also delighting to note from the Budget Address that the allocation of resources for water supply and sanitation will result in increased access to clean and safe drinking water supply to 84 per cent in 2014, from the current 82 per cent in peri-urban areas. This will be done through the rehabilitation and construction of new water supply infrastructure in urban and peri-urban areas and the creation of a 10th water and sewerage company to service Muchinga Province. Muchinga Province is currently being serviced by Chambeshi Water and Sewerage Company. The Government, in conjunction with its co-operating partners is also supporting water utility companies undertaking large-scale infrastructure development and rehabilitation. These are areas which had been neglected for many years. 

Mr Speaker, the Government will continue to mobilise both domestic and external resources towards water supply and sanitation facilities so as to improve service delivery which is currently far below public demand. For instance, the Nkana Water and Sewerage Company is carrying out a US$63 million water supply and sanitation project with the assistance of the African Development Bank (ADB). The Lusaka Water and Sewerage Company is in the process of implementing the Lusaka Water Supply Sanitation and Drainage Project at a cost of US$355 million from the Millennium Challenge Corporation of the United States of America. 

Mr Speaker, I am pleased to indicate that as a result of increased investment, we are confident that Zambia will achieve the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) for water supply which aims at reducing the number of people who have no access to clean and safe drinking water by half. 

Mr Speaker, let me talk about the newly-created districts. His Excellency the President, Mr Michael Chilufya Sata, has made landmark decisions with regard to the local government system which will change the governance of this country for years to come. The creation of new districts is a legacy decision that will result into efficient and effective service delivery, especially among our fellow citizens who were almost neglected in the countryside. 

Mr Speaker, if you visit the new districts, you will be shocked to see how undeveloped they are because of having been part of the old districts for many years. What that tells you is that for many years, efforts and resources were not reaching some parts of our country until the PF Government came into power. To address this, His Excellency the President took a practical step of creating new districts. 

Sir, my ministry has already embarked upon the long journey to build infrastructure such as civic centres, institutional houses, guest houses, multi-purpose community halls, public libraries, township roads, water supply and sanitation in the newly created districts.

Mr Speaker, the contractors who are supposed to engage in the construction of a total of 180 housing units at a cost of K73 million are currently mobilising to be on site in seventeen of the newly-created districts. The Government will continue constructing housing and other facilities in the newly-created and old districts both from domestic resources and through public-private partnerships. The respective provincial planning authorities will embark on integrated development plans for each of the new district councils to ensure planned and orderly development in the new districts. With the creation of the new districts, the people who had to cover hundreds of kilometres in search of services will now have access to services closer to them.

Sir, more importantly, they will be part of the decision making and implementation processes of development. The PF Government wants to give power to the people through the devolution of power with matching resources because it realises that this is the best way of improving the lives of the majority of the people. This is what we mean when we say, “Moving Forward to Consolidate Growth and Social Justice in Peace and Unity.”

 Mr Speaker, let me now talk about road infrastructure. The PF Government, through the able leadership of His Excellency, …

Mr Sikazwe: That is right.

Mr Kufuna: … President Micheal Chilufya Sata, …

Mr Livune: Question!

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kufuna: … has embarked on an elaborate and all-inclusive infrastructure development programme.

Mr Sikazwe: That is right.

Mr Kufuna: Mr Speaker, it is, therefore, neither fair nor true that some provinces such as the Southern Province have not benefitted from the ongoing massive infrastructure development projects. For instance, in 2013 alone, over K250 million was invested on municipal infrastructure in Livingstone …

Mr Chansa: Hear, hear!

Mr Kufuna: … and Choma. 

Mr Mushanga: Bwekeshapo.

Mr Kufuna: Mr Speaker, specifically, K118 million was invested on the improvement of 40 km of urban roads in Livingstone, …

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kufuna: … K2.8 million on spot improvement of feeder roads, …

Mr Chansa: That is right.

Mr Kufuna: … K47 million on the construction of a state-of-the-art international bus terminus, K21 million an ultra modern market, K48 million on water supply and sanitation infrastructure and K669 on drainage works. As a Government, we are committed to doing even more in every part of this country if the national resource envelope allowing because President Sata is a strong believer of inclusive development, social justice, peace and unity. 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Livune: Question!

Mr Sikazwe: That is right.

Mr Kufuna: Mr Speaker, the allocation of K5,126.9 million towards road infrastructure in the 2014 Budget is a clear demonstration of the PF Government’s commitment to bringing about sustainable development. The ongoing Link Zambia 8,000 km Road Project, Pave Zambia 2,000 km Road Project and the L400 Project which will see 400 km of urban roads in Lusaka upgraded to bituminous level speak volumes for themselves.

Mr Speaker, …

Mr Muntanga: On a point of order, Sir.

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

Mr Muntanga: Mr Speaker, the one who is currently speaking is the hon. Deputy Minister of Local Government and Housing and he is talking about inclusiveness and the fair distribution of resources. However, he is not addressing the issues that we were raising for example, the issue that the CDF was shared amongst themselves. He is not telling us about what he has done with the CDF that he has been hiding. Time is moving, and I am anxiously waiting to hear about the CDF. Is he in order to avoid telling us about that?

I need your serious ruling, Sir.

Mr Speaker: First and foremost, points of order should not be employed as a means of debating. Secondly, I have also discouraged the practice of suggesting the content of a debate. I think everyone should be free to determine his or her own content. We should only become concerned when someone says something really out of the way. However, even then, it becomes largely my business to bring such an hon. Member on track. I do not think that it is fair to suggest details that should be incorporated in another person’s debate. So far, the hon. Deputy Minister is debating within the remit of his portfolio and he is clearly ready for debate.

Continue, hon. Deputy Minister. 

Mr Kufuna: I thank you, Mr Speaker.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kufuna: Mr Speaker, the Government, through the Ministry of Local Government and Housing, is facilitating the construction of over 2,178 km of roads in urban and rural areas. A total of 778 km of urban roads and over 1,400 km of feeder roads will be constructed under the rural and urban accessibility and mobility programme under my ministry. My ministry is also facilitating the construction of more than 2,000 community transport infrastructure such as footbridges, river and stream crossings in order to improve rural community mobility and access to socio-economic facilities such as schools, health centres, markets and agricultural depots. 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kufuna: Mr Speaker, therefore, the assertions that the road construction works are only taking place in urban areas are not true …

Mr Livune: Question!

Mr Kufuna: … because a number of feeder and community roads will soon be constructed.

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

Mr Kufuna: Mr Speaker, the Grand Lusaka Inner Ring Road, which is being constructed at a cost of about K150 million with the support of the Government of Japan, through the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA), is progressing well. This road will link the Lusaka South Multi-Facility Economic Zone to other areas and ease road traffic congestion, in addition to improving the living conditions of the people in the southern part of the City of Lusaka.

Mr Speaker, let me talk about the urban renewal and improvement of unplanned urban settlements. The allocation of K661.0 million in the 2014 Budget towards housing and social amenities is a direct investment towards improving the lives of the majority of our fellow citizenry. Of this amount, K417.8 million is for water supply and sanitation, while K243.2 million is for housing-related activities. This allocation is timely as it comes at a time when we are in the process of merging the Statutory Housing and Improvement Areas Act and the Town and Country Planning Act, to come up with a consolidated new Act to be called Urban and Regional Planning Act. The Act will be anchored on the Urban Development Policy, which my ministry is formulating with the support of the United Nations Human Settlement Programmme (UN Habitat)

Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity accorded to me to contribute to the Motion which has set the stage for “Moving Forward to Consolidate Growth and Social Justice in Peace and Unity.”

I thank you, Sir.

Mr Livune: Question!

Hon. PF Members: Ema Ministers aba.

Mr Speaker: Order!

ADJOURNMENT

The Minister of Home Affairs (Mr Lungu): Mr Speaker, I beg to move that the House do now adjourn.

Question put and agreed to.

__________

The House adjourned at 1921 hours until 1430 hours on Wednesday, 30th October, 2013.