Friday, 9^th October, 2020

 

The House met at 0900 hours

 

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

 

NATIONAL ANTHEM

 

PRAYER

 

_______

 

BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE

 

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

 

Sir, on Tuesday, 13^th October, 2020, the Business of the House will begin with Questions for Oral Answer. This will be followed by presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. Thereafter, the House will continue with the debate on the Motion of Supply on the 2021 National Budget.

 

Mr Speaker, on Wednesday, 14^th October, 2020, the Business of the House will start with Questions for Oral Answer. Thereafter, the House will consider Private Members’ Motions, if there will be any. This will be followed by presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. Thereafter, the House will conclude the debate on the Motion of Supply and resolve into Committee of Supply to consider the following Heads:

 

1.           Head 01 – Office of the President – State House;
2.           Head 03 – National Assembly; and
3.           Head 04 – Ministry of Gender.

 

Sir, on Thursday, 15^th October, 2020, the Business of the House will commence with Questions for Oral Answer. This will be followed by presentation of Government Bills, if there will be any. The House will, then, resolve into Committee of Supply to consider the following Heads of Expenditure:

 

1.           Head 05 – Electoral Commission; and
2.           Head 07 – Office of the Auditor-General.

 

Mr Speaker, on Friday, 16^th October, 2020, the Business of the House will commence with Her Honour the Vice-President’s Question Time. This will be followed by Questions for Oral Answer. Thereafter, the House will consider the Second Reading stage of the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill No. 10 of 2019. The House will, then, resolve into Committee of Supply to consider the following Heads of Expenditure:

 

1.           Head 13 – Ministry of Chiefs and Traditional Affairs; and
2.           Head 14 – Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

_______

 

THE VICE-PRESIDENT’S QUESTION TIME

 

Mrs Chinyama (Kafue): Mr Speaker, yesterday, the Government flagged off the distribution of farming inputs, fertiliser in particular, in Kafue, through the hon. Minister for Lusaka Province. Is Her Honour the Vice-President aware that even as this exercise was taking place, the people who produced the fertiliser have not been paid for the last four months? What is the Government doing about that?

 

The Vice-President (Mrs Wina): Mr Speaker, Government workers at the Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) in Kafue who have not been paid for the many months that the hon. Member has mentioned will be paid when the Treasury has allocated money for that exercise.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Mwila (Chimwemwe): Mr Speaker, the people appreciated Her Honour the Vice-President’s visit to Kitwe last week where she sounded a warning to individuals who are encouraging people to commence construction works one metre away from an active railway line. In other cases, they encouraged residential construction works in areas licensed for mining where minerals are yet to be exploited. So, I would like to find out from Her Honour the Vice-President whether she is happy, so far, with the implementation of her directives by the policy implementers in our province.

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, the exercise of allocating land to various stakeholders is usually undertaken by the councils on the instruction of the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources. The hon. Member may be aware that even as early as last week, the council revoked some of the allocations it had made earlier using a certain legal provision which was more or less all-encompassing and could not protect the legal limits of the council. So, the stopping of encroachments on vacant pieces of land is being looked into by all councils, including the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr A. B. Malama (Nchelenge): Mr Speaker, the performance of the Kwacha remains poor against the United States Dollar and other convertible currencies. Could Her Honour the Vice-President outline measures being taken, in the short run, to stabilise the currency and the economy in general.

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, the depreciation of the Kwacha over this period has been on account of increased demand for foreign exchange amidst constrained supply. The demand for foreign exchange has risen due to import requirements, particularly for oil and agricultural inputs such as fertiliser and seed. In addition, on one hand, the demand for health related imports has increased due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. On the other hand, the supply of foreign exchange, particularly from the mining sector, has reduced. Furthermore, adverse market sentiments associated with Zambia’s credit rating downgrades and fiscal challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic have also weighed down on the Kwacha.

 

Sir, to achieve exchange rate stability in the short run, the Government, through the Bank of (BoZ), has put in place measures which include interventions through the sale of foreign exchange to provide relief to the market. This has contributed to the moderation in the rate of depreciation and reduced the volatility in the exchange rate. We hope that some of the measures being put in place by the Bank of Zambia will help to stabilise the Kwacha.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Mwiinga (Chikankata): Mr Speaker, it is indisputable that our farmers, especially in the Southern Province, are miserable.

 

Sir, the Southern Province only has the Electronic Voucher (e-Voucher) System, through which our farmers only get three bags of fertiliser, whilst other provinces are on direct input supply where they get eight bags. I would like to find out from Her Honour the Vice-President why our farmers should be discriminated against.

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, there is no segregation whatsoever in the determination of the mode of agriculture input distribution to certain parts of the country. We know that in the past few years, the southern part of Zambia has suffered from climate-related disasters such as drought and floods. So, it is in this unpredictable situation that the Government realised that it cannot have the same policies for the areas that receive good rainfall and those that are drought-prone. Therefore, as a result, farmers in the southern part of the country were given some leeway to choose the type of commodities or farming inputs they would prefer, that is, either buying livestock or climate resistant seed instead of maize.

 

Sir, this is the situation that led to the Southern Province being one of the areas to which the e-Voucher System was introduced so that a choice can be made by our farmers. Instead of confining them to the same maize seed and fertiliser, they can either buy fertiliser using the e-Voucher System or go for inputs that are appropriate for the type of agriculture activities they engage in.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Mwiimbu (Monze Central): Mr Speaker, I would like to thank you for giving me this opportunity to raise a very important national issue.

 

Sir, yesterday at Mulungushi International Conference Centre, presidents of political parties in this country met to discuss a number of issues that pertain to elections. Issues were raised and in response, the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) guided that all political parties should go flat-out to sensitise members of the public pertaining to the forthcoming registration of voters.

 

Mr Speaker, Her Honour the Vice-President is aware that the Ministry of Home Affairs, through the Zambia Police Service, has been stopping political parties from engaging members of the public in this particular situation. Taking into account that she is the spokesperson of the ECZ on the Floor of this House as well as the Vice-President of the Republic of Zambia, I would like to find out from her what guidance she is going to give to the hon. Minister of Home Affairs pertaining to sensitisation, given the fact that sensitisation requires public meetings so that members of the public are educated by political parties. Is she going to allow political parties to engage members of the public in this process?

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, the police have not stopped members of the Opposition from organising political meetings, provided it is done in accordance with the Public Order Act.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

The Vice-President: This has been said before.

 

Sir, to defy the laws of the country and even exhibit feelings or attitudes of impunity, for example, where a political party can say it will go ahead with a demonstration whether it will get permission or not, will not be allowed because it is an introduction to anarchy. I do not think that is possible. We can undertake these activities with the blessings of the police. The police should not bar people from proper and organised demonstrations that will not disrupt public order and peace.

 

Mr Speaker, the meetings will continue although some of the meetings do not need big public gatherings, especially under COVID-19. However, some of the meetings can be arranged in such a manner that we do not compromise the health of Zambians. Our people have to be told because, sometimes, they do not understand. They think that when a leader visits them, they all have to go and see or meet their leader. So, it is up to us, as leaders, to educate our voters that there are certain health limitations that have been put in place that we need to be observe in order for us not to spread the COVID-19.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Siwanzi (Nakonde): Mr Speaker, the Nakonde/Mbala Road is getting damaged at a very fast rate. The reason is that there is no weighbridge on this particular highway all the way from Nakonde to Mbala, Mbala to Kasama up to Mansa into Chembe and all the way into the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). So, the truckers from Tanzania are taking advantage of this situation, hence coming in with over-loaded trucks.

 

Sir, the Great North Road Project currently underway is progressing very well and has a weighbridge facility to be constructed in Nakonde. I would like to find out from Her Honour the Vice-President when the Government is going to consider engaging a contractor to work on the Nakonde Project so that the Government can take advantage of this and construct a weighbridge in order to save this road, which was commissioned in 2016, but is getting damaged at a fast rate?

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, indeed, this is a very valid concern. The Government will instruct the Road Development Agency (RDA) to expedite the works on the mentioned bridge.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr Mutelo (Mitete): Mr Speaker, during Her Honour the Vice-President’s recent visit to the Western Province, Patriotic Front (PF) cadres in Mongu attacked her, the number two in command in this nation. I would like to hear from her what has been done to the PF thug cadres, who attacked Her Honour the Vice-President at the airport and where she was lodging?

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, I would like to inform the House and the nation that there were no cadres who attacked Her Honour the Vice-President in Mongu. 

 

Mr Speaker, what happened is that many young people came to the airport carrying banners of prospective candidates for 2021 and that was it. There was no attack of any sort, whatsoever. I think this is an exaggeration of the matter. I do not know to please who, but there was no attack. The youths were there and I talked to them. In addition, some of the youths followed me to the Hotel to air their grievances regarding certain happenings in the province. Furthermore, the PF youths are stronger in the province now than I have ever seen before ...

 

Hon. PF Members: Hear, hear!

 

The Vice-President: ... and they are100 per cent behind the party.

 

Mr Speaker, I can assure the country that the mood in the Western Province has changed because they now consider the PF to be a salvation in their livelihoods. Equally, the youths in the province are demanding that they be empowered in the same manner as the youths in urban areas. Therefore, there was no attack on Her Honour the Vice-President.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Jere (Livingstone): Mr Speaker, obtaining the National Registration Cards (NRC) by all Zambians who have attained the required age is not a privilege, but a right. It is clear that we have encountered many challenges in the second phase of the issuance of NRCs. I would like to find out from Her Honour the Vice-President whether the Government will consider extending the period of issuance of NRCs.

 

 The Vice- President: Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister of Home Affairs was on the Floor of the House explaining the timetable for the issuance of NRCs. Equally, yesterday, the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) during the summit with the heads of political parties explained in detail how the activities regarding the issuance of NRCs and the registration of voters will be conducted between now and November 2020. So, the issue of extending the period has not been considered yet. As it was said before, the hon. Member should encourage the people in Livingstone to go to the centres that have been designated for the issuance of NRCs so that they are not disappointed when the registration of voters begins.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr Muchima (Ikeleng’i): Mr Speaker, the tenets of democracy demand that citizens are treated equally. In the past, civil servants who were associated with politics were removed from service or retired in public interest or national interest. However, of late, we have witnessed civil servants, who are part of the Patriotic Front (PF), especially in Ikeleng’i, being actively involved in politics.

 

Mr Speaker, presently, even as early as yesterday, some teachers have abandoned schools. They are busy campaigning for 2021 in the company of a gentleman whom I will not mention, but was a candidate for Solwezi West. I would like to find out from Her Honour the Vice-President what the Government or the PF Party is doing about civil servants who are actively involved in politics in broad day light? Is the PF above the law and why is it being segregative?

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, if the hon. Member for Ikeleng’i has evidence of civil servants who are engaged in partisan politics, he should bring that evidence to relevant authorities.

 

For now, I do not know that there are civil servants who are primarily in the field now campaigning for the Patriotic Front (PF). In any case, the campaign period has not yet commenced. So, I cannot see how these civil servants can do that if at all there is one who is already campaigning. However, I would still urge the hon. Member to report such matters so that the Government can also be assisted in knowing the activities of our civil servants, if there are any.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Kintu (Solwezi East): Mr Speaker, when delivering the State of the Nation Address early this year, His Excellency the President told the nation that he was going to institute a commission of inquiry on the gassing of the citizens by unknown people in which over fifty people lost their lives. Most people welcomed the intention to set up a commission of inquiry on the gassing incidents because many people were affected either directly or indirectly. When are we going to see this commission of inquiry instituted unlike setting up a commission of inquiry on the privatisation of parastatal organisations, which happened thirty years ago?

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, gassing matters were taken to the courts of law. If the hon. Member read the newspaper last week, he would have known that one of the gassers has been convicted. For that reason, the Government cannot constitute a commission of inquiry at a time when the matter is before the courts of law. That is not possible. So, for now, we will await the courts to determine the fate of the remaining people who were arrested during the period of gassing.

 

Mr Speaker, the commission of inquiry in the privatisation process has a lot of issues which need to be exposed so that the people who suffered at the hands of the privatisation can rest their case in peace. Otherwise, they continue to be agitated and a lot of innuendoes and speculations have been in the air. So, we would like to conclude this matter and bring it to an end so that there are no more accusations in future.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Kamondo (Mufumbwe): Mr Speaker, the people of Mufumbwe have always asked this Government to open Kalengwa Mine. During the by-election in Kalengwa, the Patriotic Front (PF) Government promised the people of Kalengwa to reopen the mine if they voted for the PF. I would like to find out from Her Honour the Vice-President what the plans are for Kalengwa Mine and when it is going to be opened.

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, the Government is very anxious to open Kalengwa Mine. However, it is constrained by the fact that the cases regarding Kalengwa Mine have been before the court of law for the past so many years. So, the Government cannot make a decision on an issue that is still in court. Definitely, we would like to see that mine opened because it will change the economic life of the community in that area. Further, even chiefs have been requesting the Government to open the mine, but the Government’s hands are tied because of the court actions

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mrs Jere (Lumezi): Mr Speaker, there is grumbling in some pockets of our society that, perhaps, we do not need a new voters’ register. Could Her Honour the Vice-President shed more light on this matter.

 

The Vice-President: Mr Speaker, it is very important for the nation to know that when a new policy is introduced, there are reasons for doing so. The ECZ has announced that all eligible voters will have to register in the forthcoming 2020 Voter Registration Exercise, which will commence on 28^th October, 2020 and run up to 30^th November, 2020. Even the current registered voters will be required to register.

 

Sir, there are reasons for this to be undertaken. The ECZ did not just wake up one day and say that it wanted a new register. Various factors, as enumerated below, necessitated the current registered voters to register again:

 

1. audit of the 2016 Register of Voters recommended that the ECZ should come up with the new register of voters for the 2021 General Election;
2. the Post 2016 General Elections reviews and recommendations from local and international observer missions also recommended the same;
3. removal of deceased voters that may not have been declared to the ECZ or traced with the available systems for removing them; and
4. more importantly, the implementation of the 2019 Delimitation recommendations for new electoral boundaries, polling stations, constituencies and wards has necessitated this. In addition, the improved biometric processing, accurate election planning and logistics and realistic voter turnout statistics have equally necessitated this.

 

Mr Speaker, all these are arising from this analysis. Therefore, the commission concluded that it would be in the best interest of all the stakeholders and the general public to undertake a fresh registration of voters.

 

I thank you, Sir.       

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

____________

 

QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER

 

PROVINCIAL INVESTMENT EXPOSITION

 

45. Mr Samakayi (Mwinilunga) asked the Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry:

 

1. which provinces hosted the Investment Expositions from 2017 to 2019, year by year;
2. what tangible benefits have accrued to each province that hosted the expositions;
3. whether the hosting of the expositions has met the expectations of the Government; and
4. if the expectations have not been met, what other measures the Government intends to take to attract investors.

 

The Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry (Mr Yaluma): Mr Speaker, the following Provincial Investment Expositions were undertaken from 2017 to 2019 and they are as follows:

 

1. Luapula Province dubbed Luapula Expo and Investment Conference from 26^th to 31^st July, 2017 in Mansa;
2. Central Province dubbed Central Province Investment Forum and Expo from 8^th to 13^th October, 2018 in Kabwe;
3. Northern Province dubbed Northern Province Centenary and Investment Expo from 20^th to 25^th November, 2018 in Kasama;
4. North-Western Province dubbed Unveiling the Hidden Treasures from 18^th to 24^th August, 2019;
5. Southern Province dubbed Accelerating Development Through Value Addition and Inclusiveness from 9^th to 15^th September, 2019; and
6. Copperbelt Province dubbed Broadening Copperbelt Economy through Investment from 24^th to 29^th June, 2019.

 

Mr Speaker, it is noted that attraction and actualisation of investment in provinces is not a short term, but a long-term process. In this regard, provinces that hosted the investment expos have since accrued the following tangible benefits:

 

Luapula Expo and Investment Conference

 

1. the establishment of a 2,000-seater Samfya International Conference Centre;
2. a three Star Hotel and mining shopping mall set to begin in August 2020 by the Workers’ Compensation Fund Control Board;
3. the 200 million Palm Oil Project in Mwansabombwe by Consolidated Farming Limited;
4. the revamping of Kawambwa Tea and Expansion Project by the Zambia Forestry and Forest Industries Corporation (ZAFFICO);
5. the Kashiba/Kasenga Harbour upgrade project to enhance trade with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is set for commissioning in August 2020;
6. the introduction of commercial flights into Mansa by Mahogany Air four times a week (before the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)) pandemic and this is a sign that there is economic activity in the area; and
7. the Luapula Expo Investment Programme has fast-tracked old projects such as the Mansa Sugar Plant, which was commissioned in 2019, ZAFFICO Pine, Mwenda/Kasomeno, a PPP road project with the DRC and the Groupe Europeen de Development (GED) Africa Limited, Sunbird Bio Ethanol Cassava Project, which was commissioned in 2020 and out growers in tea, cassava, sugarcane, pine and palm.

 

Sir, of the over 100 companies that have expressed interest and are engaged in feasibility studies, most are recording good feedback of viability and these include Pendulum Fisheries, Eco-power, Tourism hubs in Samfya, Kawambwa/Lumangwe/Kabwelume Waterfalls Tourism Belt, Chiengi Salt Pans and Nchelenge Tourism potential.

 

Mr Speaker, the expo and investment conference had three main key objectives:

 

1. to trigger investment in the province, through the attraction of both local and international investors;
2. to provide an avenue for investors and the residents of Luapula to gain greater access to information and alternate economic potential options available;
3. to stimulate province-led development implementation through dialogue and collaboration with all key stakeholders by collectively addressing the gaps in the development agenda for sustained and shared growth in Luapula Province.

 

Mr Speaker, it is worth noting that the Government, through the Luapula Expo and Investment Conference, met the expectations set out through the expo’s objectives that were laid down. The investment actualisation in the Luapula Expo Investment Programme stands at about 10 per cent of the over 100 investment inquiries that have, so far, been received. Over 4,000 jobs, both permanent and seasonal, have been created at various on-going projects in the province since the 2017 Expo, which was held in the province.

 

Central Province Investment Forum and Expo

 

Sir, the Central Province Expo was held from 8^th to 13^th October, 2018 in Kabwe and below are some of the attracted investments and their status:

 

1. Surya Biofuel, an Indian company, is investing in energy (construction of Ethanol Plant in Chibombo), and it has reached 100 per cent completion with the disbursed amount of US$50 million. The plant has since created 300 jobs; and
2. Greenfield Investment is in its inception stage conducting a Social and Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA) and to date, from the pledged US$72 million, it has disbursed US$720,000 for the establishment of a 6,000 ha paprika plant. Over 400 jobs are expected to be created.

 

Jiangxi United Multi-Facility Economic Zone (MFEZ)

 

This is a Chinese company which is at the inception stage of developing a Multi-facility Economic Zone (MFEZ) in Chibombo and has disbursed US$60 million. Over 5,000 jobs are expected to be created once fully implemented.

 

Mount Meru Petroleum (Zambia)

 

This company has constructed the first ever filling station in Itezhi-tezhi at the cost of US$500,000. The project has since been completed.

 

Hua Cheng Mining Zambia Limited

 

This is another Chinese company which is establishing a manganese processing plant in Kapiri Mposhi and it is at 80 per cent completion stage. It has disbursed about US$12 million. About 200 jobs are expected to be created once this venture is completed.

 

Safi Industries Ltd

 

This is a Somali company which is investing in cooking oil manufacturing in Kapiri Mposhi. The project is 98 per cent complete having had about US$1.97 million disbursed and over thirty jobs are expected to be created once the project is fully implemented.

 

China Metal

 

This company is establishing a manganese processing plant in Serenje. It is at its completion stage of 90 per cent. About US$9 million has been disbursed and over 400 jobs are expected to be created once the project is completed.

 

Champion Minerals Zambia Ltd

 

This company is establishing a manganese processing plant in Serenje and it is about 60 per cent complete. It has disbursed about US$6 million and over 200 jobs are expected to be created.

 

San Hae Steel Plant

 

This is a Chinese company which is investing in a Steel Processing Plant in Chisamba and construction has reached 20 per cent completion having disbursed about US$30 million. About 1,000 jobs are expected to be created once fully completed.

 

National Pensions Scheme Authority (NAPSA)

 

This institution intends to invest in the construction of a shopping mall and an office complex in Mkushi and it is at 3 per cent completion. At this point, a 5 ha land has been acquired.

 

Tokyo Investment Limited

 

This is a Pakistani company which is establishing a Saudi Arabian Goats and Farm at commercial level where local farmers will form co-operative groups in Mumbwa. It is in its inception stage and US$75,000 has been disbursed.

 

Northern Province Centenary and Investment Expo

 

Mr Speaker, the Expo took place from 20^th to 23^rd November, 2018, in Kasama and the pledged investments and their status are as follows:

 

1. Mikalile Trading Limited intends to build a shopping mall and a hotel in Kasama with an investment of US$12 million;
2. Seth James Group of Companies will build hotels, lodges and golf courses along the Kasaba Bay with investment of about U$S42.5 billion; and
3. Lufubu Hydro Power Company has pledged to construct a hydro power station on Lufubu River with an investment of about US$700 million.

 

Sir, the provincial investment forums have achieved Government expectations.

 

North-Western Province Unveiling the Hidden Treasures Expo

 

Mr Speaker, as regards the North-Western Province, –

 

Interjections

 

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, may I be protected from the Deputy Chief Whip and the hon. Colleague there. They are distracting me a little bit.

 

Mr Speaker: It is strange that you require protection from the Whip.

 

Laughter

 

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, the Deputy Chief Whip is involved in the act. He is indirectly whipping.

 

Sir, the North-Western Province Investment Expo took place from 18^th to 24^th August, 2019. The following companies or investors have shown interest:

 

1. Global Human Benefits Zambia Limited – establishment of the Macademia Production in Manyinga District. US$32 million has been pledged and this is going on it will be on a 5,000 ha piece of land;
2. Kalene Hills Food Processing Limited will be producing 24,000 metric tonnes per year of fresh food, vegetable juice and dry foods. K115 million has been committed. The IDC has, so far, spent K50 million, which is at 75 per cent completion;
3. Atlas Mara has constructed an ultra modern bank with an investment of K6.9 million. Construction has been completed and the bank is operational;
4. Fraca Mining, National Pension Scheme Authority (NAPSA) and Consolidated Farming will invest in the construction of a university, housing units and warehousing. US$425,000 has been invested and this is ongoing;
5. AKIO Limited will construct a one-stop border post in Mushindamo and US$30 million has been committed. This is a concession proposal under consideration; and
6. REV-UP Solar Ventures will invest in solar and storage. This is an Independent Power Producer (IPP) project. The feasibility study for this project is ongoing, but it is about to be concluded.

 

Copperbelt Economy through Investment

 

Mr Speaker, the expo was held from 24^th to 29^th June, 2019. The pledged investments and their status are as follows:

 

1. DK Business Park Limited, this is investment into energy and it is at its inception stage;
2. SIDOMEC is also an energy project committing US$450 million and it is at its inception stage;
3. Zambia National Building Society will invest in infrastructure of US$3.5 million, and it is also at its inception stage;
4. MGC Galaxy will invest in infrastructure and it is at its inception stage;
5. MEGA energy is also an energy project and it is at its inception stage; and
6. Trans-Delta Corporation will invest in agriculture, livestock and tourism and is at its inception stage.

 

Sir, these were the projects which were committed at the Copperbelt Expo.

 

Southern Province Expo: Accelerating Development through Value Addition and Inclusiveness

 

Sir, this was held from the 9^th to 15^th September, 2019. The following are some of the attracted investments and their status:

 

1. Kermac will invest in solar energy. It has committed about US$1 billion and work is in progress;
2. African Safari Experience will invest in hospitality industry.US$41 million has been committed;
3. Herocean Enterprises will invest in manufacturing and distribution of building materials. K500,000 has been actualised;
4. Goviex Uranium, these are people who took up uranium mining in Siavonga and around Chirundu. They have committed US$121 million and work is in progress;
5. ZICA Hospitality Industry has committed US$200,000 and work is in progress;
6. Benash Transport Haulage has committed US$500,000 and work is in progress; and
7. Maamba Collieries Limited has indicated recapitalisation of US$11 million to its existing plant and this is ongoing.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Livune (Katombola): Mr Speaker, one would think that these investment expositions (expos) are a duplication of the other activities which take place in many areas. We also have the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA), which is an investment promoter, the agriculture shows, the commercial shows, the mining shows and all those activities which work towards taking investment to particular districts of our Republic.

 

Mr Speaker, could the hon. Minister distinguish investments which come through investment expos and those that come through other avenues that I have mentioned.

 

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, expos just stimulate the lobbying of investment into the country. All the investments go through the Zambia Development Agency (ZDA) whether they came through mining expos, the provincial expos or any other channel. So, once investors commit and the implementation starts, they go through the ZDA and follow the normal procedure.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mrs Chinyama (Kafue): Mr Speaker, what investment potentials could have arisen from the Lusaka Province Exposition for Kafue in general, and the Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) in particular?

 

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, firstly, I would like to advise the hon. Member that we are talking about the identified expos from those identified areas. The Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ) is another issue which is being dealt with at a different level, as we try to see how we can manage to bring it up to speed.

 

However, it is not part of these expos we are talking about. We are not talking about Lusaka Expo and the ones I have just talked about. We are actively involved in trying to look at the NCZ and I know it is at the heart of the hon. Member for Kafue. I will come back to the House and give her some feedback on the NCZ.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr S. Banda (Kasenengwa): Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Minister for giving that comprehensive report which provides that the investment expositions are a prompt to stimulate investment. That said, is the hon. Minster able to quantify the employment rate generated through these activities? Could the hon. Minister also quantify employment attributed to the youths.

 

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, I hope I got his question well. As I read through all the expos which were held from one province to the other, I referred to the number of jobs being created. I did not miss any without highlighting that aspect. So, I was very categorical and made sure I mentioned the number of jobs being created. If I may ask, the hon. Member may see me after this and I will give him the document so that he sees the numbers I went through and does not bore the House by going through them again.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

The Government Chief Whip (Mr Mundubile): Mr Speaker, I have not indicated.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Speaker: Very well. It is listed, Government Chief, wherever you may be.

 

Mr Kabanda (Serenje): Mr Speaker, the objectives of the Central Province Investment Exposition were to link the province to the global world in order to promote growth and investment through sustainable development. Zambia is not a stand-alone country, as it is linked to the entire world. In light of the global Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, does the hon. Minister think we have achieved the objectives which these investment expositions were expected to achieve?

 

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, the most cardinal question on the Order Paper was to assess whether we have achieved the expectations, which I said we had, except on one project which was stretched to the first quarter of this year because of the impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19). However, most of the provincial expositions took place before COVID-19 came in, which has had a negative impact because a good number of investors who had pledged have not actualised their pledges. Where I talked about 11 per cent and 12 per cent completion, it could have been more because the investors were still planning to move in, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they could not do so. So, I would say we have achieved our expectations because there have been some movements, but it could be better.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Speaker: I will take the last four questions from the following, namely the hon. Member for Mongu Central Constituency, the hon. Member for Mufumbwe Constituency, the hon. Member for Feira Constituency and end with the hon. Member of Parliament for Mwinilunga Constituency.

 

Dr Imakando (Mongu Central): Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Minister for that clear presentation. I would like to know whether the hon. Minister is in a position to tell us how the actual commitments that have been actualised compare with the number of expressions of interest in percentage terms. In other words, how does what has been actualised compare with the number of interests that were presented to him?

 

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, this question is similar to the one which was asked by the hon. Member of Parliament for Serenje. In most of my presentation, I was quoting the percentages achieved. Although not very impressive, we realise we are moving in the right direction. What the hon. Member has asked is an academic question which, even when I move out of here, I can punch the figures of the number of people who committed in a particular region and how many have actualised their pledges. So, we can calculate the percentage.

 

Mr Speaker, in this document, I have highlighted the pledges that were made for quite a number of projects and how much we have realised. For those whose pledges have not been actualised, I have indicated that they are at inception stage. As it is, at the moment, we can quantify for each and every province in which we have had an exposition and let you know what has been achieved of the total pledges.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Kamondo (Mufumbwe): Mr Speaker, I would like to find out from the hon. Minister, whom I have followed very well. According to my observation, very little progress has been made regarding the pledges made during the North-Western Province Exposition. In fact, if I followed the hon. Minister very well, it is only, maybe, a bank that could have been constructed in Zambezi. What could have led the people who pledged to not make progress? Could it partly be that the Government has not made follow-ups? Even in percentage terms, we are very low in comparison to other provinces. What could be the problem?

 

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, there are various reasons we do not fully realise what was pledged. Like the hon. Member said, we need to follow up regularly. This exposition was held last year and the biggest time we had to follow up was this year. However, COVID-19 and what has happened has had a serious impact on the committee’s efforts to follow up the commitments that were pronounced during the exposition. If we pick it up where we left off before the onset of the pandemic and accept to carry on with business as usual, we will see pledges that were made at the North-Western Province Expo fulfilled. Remember we held the North-Western Province Exposition just last year, while in Luapula Province, we held it in 2017, hence the difference in numbers of realisations compared to the North-Western Province. It is because of the time it took place. However, we still have many opportunities for the people who made pledges to fulfil them.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr S. Miti (Feira) was inaudible.

 

Mr Speaker: Try again.

 

Mr Miti: Mr Speaker, I was saying that the hon. Minister outlined a number of projects that have been attracted through these expositions. However, getting actual results from them is not possible. Is the hon. Minister –

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Member for Feira, are you in motion?

 

Mr Miti: Mr Speaker, are you able to hear me?

 

Mr Speaker: You are in a very difficult environment, hon. Member for Feira. We cannot hear you.

 

Mr Miti: Mr Speaker, I beg that my question passes.

 

Mr Samakayi (Mwinilunga): Mr Speaker, one of the reasons we have not realised the investments that were promised is the lack of follow-up action, like the hon. Minister said. However, does the hon. Minister not think that fulfilment of some these promises was dependent on the Government creating an enabling environment such as constructing roads and taking power to the areas so that people would provide the investment that they promised?

 

Mr Yaluma: Mr Speaker, I think the hon. Member of Parliament for Mwinilunga is right. However, the Government has made serious effort in ensuring to create an enabling environment that fosters quick actualisation of commitments wherever interests have been expressed or pledges made. For instance, we have looked at power supply to Multi-Facility Economic Zones (MFEZs). This power will sustain the operations of the investments that were pledged when they are fulfilled. We have also looked at other issues.

 

Mr Speaker, I will give an example of China Jiangxi MFEZ in Chibombo that is almost being realised in six months time. The first time the company moved to site, it had problems accessing power, as it was located in a site where there was no power. So, we moved it to a place where power was secured for it. By the time the companies that will be part of the MFEZ begin their full operations, they will have power, and that will make the MFEZ progress. We are getting new in-feeds into the national grid. So, come January next year, we will have adequate power to support the industries there. Local interconnections have been done already. It is now a matter of connecting to the grid and, then, everything will be alright. Be that as it may, the Government must be cautious and cognisant of the need to provide firm services in order to sustain the operations of companies in those areas. We have to look into providing services critically so that the pledges that have not been actualised come into being.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

 

 

______

 

BILL

 

HOUSE IN COMMITTEE

 

[THE CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES in the

Chair]

 

THE BANKING AND FINANCIAL SERVICES (Amendment) BILL, 2020

 

Clauses 1, 2, 3,6, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and14 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

_______

 

HOUSE RESUMED

 

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

 

The following Bill was reported to the House as having passed through Committee without amendments:

 

The Banking and Financial Services (Amendment) Bill, 2020

 

Third Reading on Tuesday, 13^th October, 2020.

 

______

 

 

MOTION

 

BUDGET 2021

 

(Debate resumed)

 

Mr Mutelo (Mitete): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me this opportunity to add the voice of the people of Mitete to the debate on the 2021 Budget Address.

 

Sir, in summary, this Budget can be titled, ‘Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Budget’ because the Cabinet or the Patriotic Front (PF) Government is just mentioning the challenges due to COVID-19. The 2020 Budget was about climate change, while the 2021 Budget is about COVID-19. As much as we are seeing the challenges that have arisen due to COVID-19, we would like to see the opportunities. Where are the opportunities. There should not only be challenges because to any given problem, some people see opportunities. Is COVID-19 not bringing money to Zambia? I will leave that question to the hon. Minister of Finance.

 

Mr Speaker, allow me to quickly comment on the President’s Speech. When the President was winding up the speech on pages 68 and 69, he talked about hope and that there is hope in the future. I agree with the President that there is hope in the future. He also referred to Romans Chapter 15 Verse 13. 2021 will be like in the days of Daniel. It took only twenty days and on the twenty-first day, the answers came. So, in 2021, there will be answers. However, those answers shall come through the seventh President because it is on the seventh day that you have peace and rest, like it is written in the book of Romans that you will have joy and peace. So, I agree with the President that there is hope. He is the prophet for 2021. The hope for 2021 will come through the seventh President, who shall be elected next year in 2021. Therefore, we see hope where the PF is just seeing challenges and problems.

 

Sir, I have been in this House since 2011 and this Budget is the climax of the PF’s failures. What we were told in 2011 when we came to this House and all these years that the PF has been in power has just been a demonstration of a nose diving graph and our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate is now negative 4 per cent. The PF’s climax has come and, indeed, we need renewed hope. That new hope will come after the 2021 General Elections with the seventh President who shall be elected to bring hope and help.

 

Mr Speaker, thank you very much.

 

Mr Kakubo (Kapiri Mposhi): Mr Speaker, it has been exactly fourteen days today since the hon. Minister of Finance presented the 2021 Budget here in this House. In the second paragraph of the Budget Address, the hon. Minister mentioned that he was only a bearer of a note from the Republican President. So, for us in Kapiri Mposhi, this is the President’s Budget. In spelling out that Budget, the hon. Minister provides a basis for certain decisions that the Republican President made. So, for us, this Budget lays out the future of our economy, the men and women of this country, the youths, boys and girls, and all of us, including the farmers and companies, both corporations and small businesses that should, in effect, be the engine of our economy.

 

Sir, there are two things that are confirmed in the President’s decisions that I referred to. First of all, to me, it means that the President has not grown in the job because the economy has been declining and he has been consistently ignoring warnings of experts and politicians in this country. What makes it even worse for him and for all of us, as Zambians, is that some hon. Members in this House cheer him on. There is that lack of empathy –

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

Hon. Member for Kapiri Mposhi, let me give you some guidance. Debate the Budget. Do not debate your hon. Colleagues because the rules do not allow us to do that. Whether they cheer him on or otherwise is neither here nor there. Your focus should be on the Budget.

 

You may continue.

 

Mr Kakubo: I am most obliged, Mr Speaker.

 

Sir, the Budget is about the economy of our country, but the President and his Cabinet decided that the only way they will manage it is to toe the line of building roads, but this is just among the many reminders that we gave them. The economy is not just about roads. It is the President’s responsibility to ensure that the price of food in our country does not escalate, but that is what the people are experiencing. In this economy, it is the President’s responsibility to ensure that electricity is affordable for our people. It is also his responsibility to set out a national budget that will make the lives of our people much easier, not worse.

 

Mr Speaker, I think the time has now run out for us to ask our hon. Colleagues in the Patriotic Front (PF) to turn this economy around. There is really no time. It is too late. What we ask our hon. Colleagues, on behalf of the people, is that whatever they do, they should not make the lives of our people worse than they are. That is all we ask. They should leave behind an economy that we, as the United Party for National Development (UPND), can salvage. There should be something that we can salvage for our people.

 

Mr Speaker, with this kind of budgeting, you will see that the time for ‘anything goes’ kind of leadership has now ended. So, I encourage the people of Zambia that Budgets will be better once President Hichilema is sworn in. Budgets will be people-centric and the economy will not be budgeted for in the manner it has been done. Otherwise, there is no point in bringing the Budget if the focus is only on one sector. The Government is in debt and our ratings on the global economy are worsening. This is not the team that will get us out of poverty. The nation must handle this situation with the urgency that it deserves, and it starts with budgeting.

 

Sir, over the years, we have seen the Budget increasing in percentage terms, but it is child’s play. It is incorrect to continue growing a Budget that you cannot support with growing revenue. The first excuse was that of the global climate and that is all we remember from the current Budget. This time, the excuse is COVID-19, but look at the countries around us. Presidents like President Kagame in Rwanda have economies that are not in a recession. Negative 4 per cent growth rate for the Zambian economy is embarrassing while our friends in similar circumstances have projected growth rates much higher than ours.

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

The hon. Member’s time expired.

 

Mr Miyutu (Kalabo Central): Mr Speaker, thank you for according me this opportunity to contribute to the debate on the 2021 Budget.

 

Sir, I am saddened by the nature of this Budget, which is supposed to bring life to Zambians, including the people of Kalabo. How can the Government come up with a Budget that relies on continuous borrowing? To date, we have a Government that is focusing on borrowing. How does it subject the lives of the Zambian people to borrowing?

 

Mr Speaker, the Government knows that we have a challenge of debt, yet it still adds on. Surely, is the Government focusing on alleviating problems in the communities in Zambia? The answer is no because it is basing its hope on borrowing. Even in our small communities in the villages, we would not continue borrowing because we would be selling off our households through borrowing.

 

Sir, the centre of budgeting should have been to improve the livelihoods of Zambians. Look at the budget allocation for drugs. The Government knows that it owes suppliers of drugs a heavy debt. Can people in this country live without drugs? Where is the money to employ teachers? Where is the money to employ health staff who should look after the people of Zambia? We have seen those who are well-to-do boarding aero planes to Europe in search of lifesaving medical treatment. What about the people in the villages who cannot afford to board aero planes? Who is going to take drugs and health staff to the people in the villages? The Government should have focused on saving the lives of the people of Zambia.

 

Mr Speaker, I am sure the President and hon. Ministers know that the majority of the people in this country are vulnerable. The Government might have increased the allocation of the Social Cash Transfer Scheme, but is it sure that it will take all that money to the people in the villages? The answer is no. The Government knows that it will not. The money will not be released and it will not reach the people in the villages. The Government wants to please us by indicating that it has increased the amount of the Social Cash Transfer Scheme, but this is just on paper. When did the Government ever take funds to the people in the villages? There has not been any Budget that the Government has fulfilled.

 

Therefore, Sir, I have no hope that this Government is going to release the K119.6 billion, which should serve the people of Zambia. My hope relies on the outcome of the general election, which we are supposed to have in August 2021. Otherwise, I am saddened by the 2021 Budget. What new measures is the Government going to implement to ensure that all the funds reach the people? The people in Kalabo are currently crying for the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) because of the erratic release of money.

 

Mr Speaker, I have no hope for 2021.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Dr Chibanda (Mufulira): Mr Speaker, thank you very much for according me this opportunity to add the voice of the people of Mufulira to the debate on the Budget that was presented by the hon. Minister of Finance to the nation, through Parliament, on 25^th September, 2020.

 

Sir, the hon. Minister of Finance has done a commendable job owing to what is happening in the world. We are aware that all economies worldwide are in recession owing to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Therefore, it is unfortunate to hear hon. Members of Parliament from the Opposition say that no other country is going through a recession and that is quite tricky.

 

Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister of Finance deserves to be commended because it has been very difficult for any Budget to be managed in the manner he has done owing to the reduction in income. We are aware of the fact that our country’s income has dwindled owing to the slowdown in our economy, but we still have to spend. So, from an economic perspective, I commend him in the sense that he was able to draw a Budget that will spend more than what is being earned.

 

Sir, I will straightaway go to what probably sits well with the people of Mufulira, going by the fact that it is a mining constituency and a mining town. I commend the Government for coming up with a different company by the name of Zambia Gold Company, which will manage the discovery of gold in the country. We are all aware of the fact that copper has always been referred to as the red gold of Africa, including Zambia, but God has now given us the chance to discover that apart from the red gold that we have in our country, we also have the actual gold. Therefore, I implore the Government to make an expeditious and vigorous drive through the Zambia Gold Company to ensure that, as a country, we learn from the mistakes that we made with our copper. The discovery of gold in our country may be a turning point in our history, not only now, but also for posterity. Therefore, I would like to urge the Government to take this discovery of gold to a very serious economic level that will change the country’s financial position forever.

 

Mr Speaker, I am also indebted because before the hon. Minister of Finance presented the Budget, the President addressed the nation. In his speech, the President reiterated the word ‘stimulus’ sixteen times. The hon. Minister of Finance also had this word in his theme for the Budget, which clearly speaks to the fact that there is a lot of hope. There is hope in the sense that although we are faced with an economic pandemic, we have a way forward. The way forward is in us making sure that we stimulate our economy. We must build resilience to safeguard the livelihood of the Zambian people. Therefore, on behalf of the people of Mufulira, I would like to encourage the hon. Minister of Finance and the Government to still stick to the trajectory of this Budget because it is well-intended.

 

Mr Speaker, currently, Mufulira has seen a lot of development in terms of road infrastructure and hospitals. When I am driving in Mufulira during the night, I am not sure whether I am in Dallas City or Mufulira because of the infrastructure development resulting from the good leadership of His Excellency the President, Mr Edgar Lungu.

 

Mr Speaker, with these few words, I would like to say that we, the people of Mufulira, support this Budget. It was a well-thought-out Budget intended to achieve the fiscal space of our country in a difficult and very frustrating economic time owing to the global meltdown. Once again, I would like to say that it is unfortunate that hon. Members of Parliament are taking an opposition stance on this Budget, yet we need to applaud and acknowledge a good deed. The hon. Minister of Finance has done a commendable job and it is my hope that the Budget will be attained.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr Miyanda (Mapatizya): Mr Speaker, thank you very much for according me the opportunity to add the voice of the people of Mapatizya to the debate on the Budget Address.

 

Mr Speaker, let me start with the generation of those I consider to be the forgotten people. These are the people we call retirees, the people who have served this country diligently and retired from about 2008 to date. This is twelve years down the line and they have not received their repatriation, leave days and even the lump sum. Some of the retirees from all the ministries across the country have passed away leaving behind children and families struggling.

 

Mr Speaker, in the 2021 Budget, I hope the retirees will be taken into consideration and be paid, especially those who have passed on, and even those who are still alive.

 

Mr Speaker, the other issue that I want to take on is in paragraph 121 under Economic Affairs, in particular the Farmer Input Support Programme. The hon. Minister has proposed to spend K21.5 billion on Economic Affairs. He has said:

 

“Notable expenditures include K5.7 billion on the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP), targeting one million farmers across the country.”

 

Mr Speaker, currently, the Government is subsidising FISP at K1,700 per farmer. It is now proposing to spend K5.7 billion on one million farmers. I am asking myself how the Government intends to spend all this money on a million farmers. When you do rough mathematics, you will see that when you give K1,700 to each of the one million farmers, the total will not amount to K5.7 billion. To me, this money against one million farmers is too much. The hon. Minister of Finance must come out clearly and tell us if he is going to increase the number of beneficiaries from one million to, maybe, two million for us to appreciate that he is going to spend K5.7 billion.

 

Mr Speaker, the Electronic Voucher (e-Voucher) System is a failed project, whether we want it or not. It is just unfair that we are creating another group of very poor farmers to-be, by next year. There is no way a family of eight or six can survive on 3 by 50 kg of fertiliser and 1 by 10 kg of 401 seed which is a raw yielding variety.

 

Mr Speaker, it is also important that as the hon. Minister Finance comes through, he indicates to the country how many vulnerable, but viable farmers there are across the country. What is the total number of farmers that only about a million are benefitting?

 

Mr Speaker, the other issue I have in mind is youth empowerment. In paragraph 124 of the Budget Speech, the hon. Minister has proposed to spend K266.3 million on various empowerment programmes. Of that amount, K155.2 million will be allocated specifically to the youth. My appeal is that the rural youths be considered.

 

Mr Speaker, my last contribution is on roads. The President made it clear that roads in the country were in a good state. In Mapatizya, the roads are in a bad state. The Kalomo/Mapatizya Road, through which the Government is earning tax from mining amethyst, is very bad. I hope that the Mapatizya/Kabanga/Kalomo Road and other feeder roads will be worked on under the 2021 Budget.

 

Mr Speaker, it is just paramount that the people of Mapatizya also enjoy the cake. We are not blind. We see what the Government is doing in other areas.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mrs Chinyama (Kafue): Mr Speaker, the cry of the people of Kafue when they gave me the mandate was that they hoped to see a Kafue transformed back into an industrial hub that it was in yesteryears. Alas, this is the last Budget I am debating in this particular tenure. Just as well, I have five minutes to debate because I do not know what else this Government could have wanted me to say on behalf of the people of Kafue to make the Government do what was expected of it.

 

Mr Speaker, just this morning, I talked about the usual problems that have characterised our only industry in Kafue. We were hoping that over these five years, the outlook would be different. However, in looking at the Budget, I also went to the section which talks about industrialisation, but it only contained two sentences.

 

Mr Speaker, this showed me that this Government has not been serious about the agenda of industrialisation. Instead, we have seen what has happened in the last five years. It has been more of electioneering and nothing else. My wish has always been that people who want to be in these positions, no matter how they got there, either by hook or crook, do the right thing for the people. However, this Patriotic Front (PF) Government clearly has been a disappointment not only to the people of Kafue, but also to the country at large.

 

Mr Speaker, therefore, I join hon. Colleagues who have been giving a red card sign to this Government that it is time to pack up and go because it cannot continue like this. We cannot continue on this developmental trajectory.

 

Mr Speaker, we are talking about five years gone in the drain just like that and another five years behind. If we continue like this, it will be another five years and before we know it, we will have reached 2030. Meanwhile, we would have been envisaging to achieve developmental milestones by 2030. However, the current leadership does not give hope that we would ever reach there, hence the need for us to make a change.

 

Mr Speaker, I am sad. I did not know that I would see this day when the education budget would go down to 11 per cent, from the 20 per cent that we fought so much hard to reach under the able leadership of the late President Mwanawasa. Where are our priorities today? Most of those secondary schools we had anticipated would be completed remain incomplete.

 

Mr Speaker, on the Pay as You Earn (PAYE), many people, are being fooled to think that there has been an exemption of K700. If you do your mathematics right, you will find that the increment is only a paltry under K200, which will just enable a worker to get an extra bag of mealie meal while a lot of commodities have become expensive.

 

Mr Speaker, I would like to end this submission with an appeal, maybe, to the incoming government of the United Party for National Development (UPND), which I know will be a serious government, to really focus on priorities and the needs of the people. We should not just seek power for the sake of it and for our benefits at the expense of the majority who are suffering out there.

 

Mr Speaker, as we approach next year’s elections, I leave it to the people of Kafue to judge who has really been a failure between the Government and this hon. Member of Parliament, who has ably represented them, especially on the issue of the Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ), which is the only industry we were hoping this Government would revive. The hon. Minister of Commerce, Trade and Industry has promised to come back over that matter, and I hope he could come back soon to give us what the Government is planning at this very minute for the people of Kafue.

 

Mr Speaker, I watched a documentary this morning on Bata Tannery. I almost shed tears when they profiled the potential of the tannery industry, yet Bata is one of the industries in Kafue on which we would have been talking about a different scenario in terms of job creation had the Government been walking the talk. Cry my beloved country.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Livune (Katombola): Mr Speaker, I am grateful that an opportunity has been given to the people of Katombola Constituency in Kazungula District to add some input to the debate on the Budget Speech presented by the hon. Minister of Finance.

 

Mr Speaker, like Hon. Kakubo mentioned earlier on, the hon. Minister of Finance is a bearer of a message from the President. To state that this Budget could stimulate economic recovery and build resilience to safeguard livelihoods and protect the vulnerable is to mock the people who are over-burdened by the mismanagement of this country by the Patriotic Front (PF) Government.

 

Mr Speaker, the Budget, being a wishful list, the PF should have wished that what it says comes becomes reality. We can narrow it to the understanding of the people who are being affected by the poor leadership of the PF. When we go to the disbursement of last year’s Budget, my question is: Is the PF morally right to bring a Budget with an increased float when it failed to release money to the main sectors of the economy? Our education institutions are lamenting. Hospitals and clinics have not been receiving their funding and nothing has been going to community schools. However, the Government has brought in an increased Budget when it failed to run the current Budget.

 

Mr Speaker, in the past years, monies appropriated by Parliament, such as the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), have not been released by this Government. The Government should not brag about the CDF it has just released because there is money owed for our consistencies. We, as hon. Members, from villages rely on the CDF. If it does not come for two years, it means that there is serious underdevelopment in our constituencies. Actually, the other year, the Government got half the amount of the CDF and brought it to Lusaka to fight cholera, as if there was no cholera in our areas. This is a Government which does not even feel for the people in rural areas. So, this Budget will not remove people from poverty zones.

 

Mr Speaker, there was a statement about money being given to the youths. Currently, young people in our constituencies are not obtaining National Registration Cards (NRCs). They are being deprived by this poor PF, through its agencies. Young people are being left out of the Phase II of the mobile issuance of NRC exercise in the Southern Province. Those who have attained the age of sixteen and seventeen years do not vote, but this PF thinks that whoever gets an NRC will vote it out. It is very unfortunate. These are documents which people must use to obtain empowerment funds. They need NRCs to get fertiliser, through the Farmer Input Support Program (FISP), and to seek employment. The people who are being punished are young people. Therefore, I call upon those who will hear the cry of the young people to help in voting the PF out so that we can bring in a Government that will respond to the cries of the young people.

 

Mr Speaker, in Katombola Constituency, the roads are very poor. Kazungula District is one of the largest districts in this country, but get there and see what is happening. The road network and the communication system are very poor.

 

Mr Speaker, most farmers were robbed by agro agencies. The Government itself and the agro dealers are culprits of stealing from the people. They take away the little from the poor. There is nothing happening there. At the moment, people are being told to deposit the money even when their entitlement from the previous year has not been given to them. This Government has failed to respond by giving the people what is due to them. If farmers cannot be given what is due to them, for example, fertiliser, even when they have deposited the required K400, which the Government steals, will it be able to free them from the shackles of poverty? It cannot.

 

Mr Speaker, at the moment, this PF Government has failed to bring changes to the –

 

Interruption

 

Mr Speaker: Order, hon. Member for Katombola!

 

Mr Livune: Yes, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Speaker: Withdraw the word ‘stealing’.

 

Mr Livune: Mr Speaker, yes, this PF is good at tactfully and illegally taking away from the people.

 

Mr Speaker, the PF Government has failed to bring legislation to harmonise the pension sector. Currently, there is money under the National Provident Fund (NPF), but the Government cannot bring the law to help people get their money. That money is doing nothing. It is just being eroded by inflation. This Government does not understand these things. Let us, who understand the industry, come in with President Hakainde Hichilema to help the nation and redeem it from this poor PF. The PF must go.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Jere (Livingstone): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving me an opportunity to add my voice to the debate on this very last Budget of the Patriotic Front (PF) Government.

 

Mr Speaker, Zambians are wondering whether this Budget shall alleviate poverty or if it is going to reduce inequalities which have brought about untold misery to most parts of our country, especially rural areas.

 

Mr Speaker, the other question is: Is this Budget going to create the one million jobs that the PF promised? The answer is ‘no’. Time has run out. We had advised the PF that in order to create jobs, it needed to spend where it mattered most, and manufacturing should have been the way to go. We could have embarked on value addition way before the onset of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. When borders were closed, we were not going to panick about where to import goods, as the case has been.

 

Mr Speaker, value addition is very important for our country. There is an open market in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), but we see our roads being damaged by trucks from South Africa that carry goods like Jiggies en route to the DRC. There is an open market in the DRC, but we could not exploit it because the PF Government could not listen to the advice that we gave it.

 

Mr Speaker, when you look at the ‘Buy Zambia Campaign’, you will see that this is a sector in which the Government should have taken a lead by empowering small-scale businessmen and businesswomen in this country. Look at the welders and those making tables. The Government was supposed to make it a policy to start purchasing goods from such people.

 

Sir, we are talking about social distancing in schools, but in the fifty-sixth year of our Independence, our pupils are still sitting on the Floor because we do not have enough desks in our schools. So, if the Government wanted to empower our people, it was going take a lead by buying local products from the Zambian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

 

Mr Speaker, the tourism industry sector was the hardest hit by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), but in this Budget, we have not seen any stimulus package. We have not seen other taxes that people had wished were waived. For example, Zambia is perceived to be one of the most expensive tourist destinations. That being the case, we are supposed to think of how we can repackage and reduce the bed rate so that when we talk about local tourism, it should be practical, bearing in mind that people do not have disposable income. The rates per night are still charged in United States Dollars and because of the exchange rate, the room rates have also gone up. For example, a room rate that is at US$100 is already K2,000 in kwacha. How many Zambians can afford that?

 

Sir, let me also talk about visas. I think it is important to do away with the visas completely because tourists will be coming through Zimbabwe and, thereby, we will lose out because they can view the Victoria Falls from the other side. We all know that we have not done well in this sector because there are a lot of fees and charges. We also have the airport landing fees and people are complaining about these fees being too exorbitant. We need to reduce or do away with such fees so that our tourism industry becomes cheap and competitive. Our colleagues are still using the KAZA UNIVISA that enables them to visit, probably, three countries. Why can we not do the same in this country? We know that the Victoria Falls is being advertised in South Africa, yet it is here in Zambia. When you get to South Africa, they will say, “Welcome to the land of the Victoria Falls.” This is because of how much they have invested in advertisements. However, when you look at our Budget, how much is there towards the sector? It is a drop in the ocean.

 

Mr Speaker, under diversification, we talk about agriculture and tourism and we should spend money where it matters most.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you.

 

Mr Ng’ambi (Chifubu): Mr Speaker, I thank you for giving the people of Chifubu an opportunity to contribute to the debate on this very important Motion on the Floor of the House.

 

Mr Speaker, I want to commend the hon. Minister of Finance for coming up with a Budget that is speaking to the challenges that Zambia is facing today. The theme of the 2021 National Budget is, ‘Stimulate Economic Recovery and Build Resilience to Safeguard Livelihoods and Protect the Vulnerable.’

 

Mr Speaker, at this point when Zambia is part of the global world, which is faced with challenges of climate change and the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there cannot be any better leadership than that of the Patriotic Front (PF) Government to directly address economic challenges that this country is experiencing.

 

Sir, you may note that it is this Government that came up with a K10 billion economic stimulus package to serve the capital markets. This alone extends to the entire economy because it is meant to insulate or protect companies or enterprises that had loans in order for them to continue being afloat to maintain jobs for our people and to ensure that they may continue contributing to the resource basket of this country.

 

Mr Speaker, I am also very mindful of the fact that the hon. Minister recognises that Zambia is part of the global economies which are interdependent on each other.

 

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

 

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

 

Mr Michelo: Mr Speaker, I am rising on a very serious point of order this morning. The Phase II issuance of the National Registration Cards (NRCs) is a big disaster in this country. Is the hon. Minister of Home Affairs in order to remain comfortably quiet and not come to the Floor of this House to discuss the challenges which the people of the Southern Province, especially the young ones, who want to acquire NRCs are facing? The people of the Southern Province have suffered because they are not able to acquire NRCs. Is he in order to remain silent and not to come to the Floor of this House to furnish the people of Zambia with information on why he has failed in his duties? I think he should even resign because he is the biggest disaster in this country at the moment.

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Member for Bweengwa, I am perturbed. I do not know whether you are participating in these proceedings because the hon. Minister of Home Affairs was here and he explained these matters.

 

Mr Michelo: Mr Speaker, there is nothing that he told us. I followed the debate.

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Member for Bweengwa, I am speaking.

 

Mr Michelo: Yes!

 

Mr Speaker: You do not intervene when I am speaking. This is just a sheer waste of time.

 

Hon. Member for Chifubu, continue.

 

Hon. Government Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Ng’ambi: Mr Speaker, as I tried to explain that this Budget speaks to the challenges that Zambia is faced with today, I referred to the K10 billion stimulus package that this Government has offered in order to maintain and sustain the economy of this country. There are various packages that the hon. Minister of Finance has put in this Budget in order to ensure that we continue scoring positive development in the economy. The hon. Minister has also included funds to ensure that we sustain the developmental trajectory that Zambia has embarked on so that the road construction and the building of schools and hospitals continues.

 

Sir, I refer to Page 2 of the Budget which states that:

 

“Sir, as stressed by His Excellency Dr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, President of the Republic of Zambia, the success of the economic recovery programme will require a mindset change, innovation, entrepreneurship, dedication, endurance and resilience of our people in the face of the current challenges.”

 

Mr Speaker, it is time for the Opposition to have a very positive change of mind because, now, Zambia requires a leadership that will rise to the occasion and begin to bring interventions and solutions to the problems that we are faced with. It is not time for the Opposition to start lamenting the lack of education of their grandmothers in Luangwa or Sinazongwe. It is time for the people of Zambia to realise that the only leadership that is available in Zambia, today, is the one headed by the PF, under the leadership of President Edgar Chagwa Lungu. The PF Government is here to find solutions for Zambians and it is being innovative in order for our enterprises to sustain economic activities.

 

Mr Speaker, this is not time for child’s play. We do not want cry baby type of leadership. When you look at most of the contributions by our colleagues on your left, their lamentations are those of just a cry baby. It is time to invite Zambians to come on board and judge for themselves whether they need people who will lament or those who will look for solutions that will transform the lives of our people.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Mr Kalobo (Wusakile): Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity to comment on this first ever pro poor Budget. We are faced with both global and national recession. Almost all the economies in the world are faced with this problem and only China is expected to have a plus one economic growth.

 

Sir, how to respond to the negative 4.2 per cent economic recession is what matters. Learning from the 2008 Economic Recession, countries like the United States of America (USA), which embraced the stimulus strategy, emerged strong from the economic crisis whilst countries like Spain, Portugal and Greece, which embraced austerity measures, are still limping from the effects of the economic crisis.

 

Sir, if we check this Budget Speech, we are able to see that the Patriotic Front (PF) Government has embraced the stimulus strategies. This is the way to go. There is a saying in Bemba that, “impanga isapile yenda abakalabene.”

 

Sir, we need pragmatic leadership –

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Member, you need to translate what you have said.

 

Mr Kalobo: Mr Speaker, I will it translate it now. We need pragmatic leadership to make way where there is none or as the saying goes, "when the going gets tough, the tough get going".

 

Sir, paying suppliers K2.8 billion and retirees K1.1 billion, providing the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with K10 billion re-financing funds, and offering tax reliefs is to stimulate the economy. This should continue so that we get back to the positive economic trajectory.

 

Mr Speaker, in this Budget, I have seen where the PF Government is trying to reduce financial inequalities through progressive taxation. I have followed many hon. Members who have debated negatively. In Wusakile, we are not going to join them. We understand the that Government’s undertaking of taxing the higher income bands more than the lower income bands is in attempt to reduce financial inequalities. The Government is putting more money in people’s pockets.

 

Sir, on agriculture, we have seen a growth rate of 69 per cent. Development should not come by accident but by design. Where we have come from, we saw the Patriotic Front (PF) Government embark on economic diversification. It started on paper and many critics here questioned how the economy could be diversified without funds, but here we are today at 69 per cent growth.

 

Sir, I attended an interview where the interviewer expressed surprise at why the funding this time is more than 400 per cent. I told that interviewer to not be surprised because we have seen this documented. We saw the minimal increase to the funding of the previous Budget and we are now able to see the growth.

 

Mr Speaker, with the assured food security in the country, it is time now to view maize as white gold. It is not time to see soldiers and police officers manning the borders to arrest people for exporting their produce. This is the time to revive co-operatives.

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

The hon. Members time expired.

 

Mr Michelo (Bweengwa): Mr Speaker, on Friday, I contributed to the debate on this Budget Speech, which the Zambian people are discussing on a daily basis.

 

I am sorry if my name is appearing on your list.

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Member, very well. You are commended for being gracious.

 

Mr Lumayi (Chavuma): Mr Speaker, I thank you for the opportunity given to the people of Chavuma to add a voice to the debate on this important document presented before this House by the hon. Minister of Finance.

 

Mr Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. Minister of Finance for accepting, before this Parliament, that our economy is facing many challenges. That is the way it should be. It is always important, as a country, to accept when we are facing challenges than to hide with pleasure.

 

Sir, this document called the Budget is the document every department of this country in Government is looking to. Every head of department is busy waiting to see how much money will go to his/her ministry. So far, you will agree with me that this is the first Budget of the last four Budget presentations I have witnessed where I have not seen the Yellow Book brought before this Parliament so that I am able to check what has been provided for the people of Chavuma and Kasempa. We do not have the Yellow Book up to now, yet we –

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Member for Chavuma, let me intervene. The Yellow Book, so to speak, is on your tablet. You should search for it under documents. You will find it. If you cannot find it, consult the Information Communication Technology (ICT) specialists who, probably, are even in the same room you are in. They will show you the Yellow Book.

 

You may continue with your debate.

 

Mr Lumayi: Mr Speaker, I may agree with you when you say the Yellow Book is on our tablets. We have two documents in this Republic which are very important, that is, the Constitution and the Yellow Book itself, and the other documents. I have been to my pigeonhole and I have seen –

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Member for Chavuma, this is no time to debate those domestic issues. Debate the Budget.

 

Mr Lumayi: Mr Speaker, thank you for your guidance. As I said, the hon. Minister of Finance accepted that we are facing challenges. Allow me to accept and support the lamentations of hon. Members from the Opposition on this Budget. The last Budget has proven to the citizens of this country that they have been poorly managed.       

 

It is very difficult for the Government to provide commodities like fuel, paper for heads of departments in ministries and provinces. We, as Parliamentarians from the Opposition, feel this Budget will be managed through borrowing, but I urge the hon. Minister of Finance to ensure that the little money that we have is used on the urgent needs for running the affairs of this country.

 

Mr Speaker, I recall that in the 2018 Budget, the Government of the Republic of Zambia approved K50,000 for the construction of a toilet at Lihukwa Hospital. However, this money was not released. Chavuma Constituency has not received anything from the Government which is budgeted for in the Yellow Book. Even the money that was budgeted for the completion of a police station in Chavuma, which is at 90 per cent completion, has not been released to date. So, I urge the hon. Minister of Finance to ensure that what has been approved in this Budget is used for important things like the running of departments in our provinces and ministries.

 

Sir, it is always a sad story to learn that whilst we are undergoing serious economic challenges, the Government is at liberty to allow its agents to cause by-elections in our constituencies. So, the question we ask ourselves is: Who releases money for by-elections that are unbudgeted for? Government officials who go to campaign benefit more than the country. So, despite these challenges, the hon. Minister of Finance should ensure that the little money which he has budgeted for this country is used accordingly.

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

The hon. Member’s time expired.

 

Mr Speaker: This is the last opportunity for hon. Backbenchers to debate. Come Tuesday, next week, we will move to hon. Members on the right. I hope hon. Ministers will be ready to debate the Budget in earnest on Tuesday. They will only have two days to debate, Tuesday and Wednesday. For any Backbencher, this is the last opportunity to debate. There will be no need to indicate on Tuesday, next week. We still have time before we adjourn at 1155 hours.

 

Mr Syakalima (Chirundu): Mr Speaker, thank you very much, and good morning to the hon. Minister of Finance.

 

Sir, I would like to state that this Budget has already crushed, before it even takes off. I said the same thing last year in December as we debated the 2020 Budget. I warned the hon. Minister of Finance that the Budget was going to crush either by February or March this year. These people in the Patriotic Front (PF) disagreed with that. In January, this year, because of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Budget began to crush. However, I had said that since the economic fundamentals were not properly set, the Budget was going to crush.

 

Mr Speaker, the 2021 Budget seems to have increased, but it has not. Last year, when we were debating the 2020 Budget, the exchange rate was about K13 to US$1, but today, it is at K20 to US$1. If you make better projections, you will discover that the Kwacha has depreciated by over 30 per cent. So, the Budget we are seeing now is less than 30 per cent in real terms. Therefore, we have no Budget, at all, for 2021. If all the fundamentals do not work out this year, the exchange rate of the Kwacha to the United Stated (US) Dollar will be at K24.80 or almost K25. So, what Budget does the Government have? It has none. Which stimulus packages is the Government talking about? It has none. We are being told that the Kwacha is the second worst performing currency in the world. We are topping all the league tables, whether it is corruption, it is high in Zambia. Further, Zambia is the third hungriest country in the world. The Kwacha is now the second worst performing currency because of depreciation. There is no economy whatsoever.

 

Sir, I sympathise with the hon. Minister of Finance, with some empathy. He was juggling with the figures and it was difficult for him, under the circumstances. It would be better if our colleagues accepted that so that, as a country, we can start focusing on something else.

 

However, others commended the hon. Minister and said that the Budget is strong. That is not right. Let us face the reality so that next year, we are ready. In any case, let us tell our people to brace themselves for harder times. There will not be any good times next year in view of this Budget because we are already facing hard times. Some people are not eating in their homes. Others are quarrelling and I saw a family quarrelling over a K20.

 

Hon PF Member: Question!

 

Mr Syakalima: Mr Speaker, people are quarrelling everywhere. Do not speak like that; we are talking about people’s lives here. So, let us not say that this is a good Budget because it is empty. There is nothing in it, including on how we are going to stimulate the economy. Those are things that we must now start rethinking. Once we agree that we have a problem, we will, then, know where to start from.

 

Sir, what is the percentage of releases for this year’s Budget? There is no percentage. So, our country is heading towards the worst doldrums, and we must prepare our people so that when they land, they do so on a cushion. They should not land on a hard stone because there are hard stones ahead of us. We must accept that and start focusing on those things rather than just saying that this is a sweet Budget. It is not a sweet Budget. This is a painful Budget. There is excruciating pain ahead of us. Those are the things that we must start talking about. We should focus on what we are going to do in a normal manner. Next year, the Patriotic Front (PF) Government will clock ten years. If I was asked how the PF ruled after ten years, I would say that it was a lost and wasted decade.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Ms Chisangano (Gwembe): Mr Speaker, thank you for according me this opportunity –

 

Mr Siwanzi raised his hand.

 

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

 

Mr Siwanzi: Sorry, Mr Speaker, it is not a point of order. I was trying to indicate, but I was failing to do so using e-Chamber. So, I just raised my hand, but I want to debate.

 

Mr Speaker: Very well.

 

Hon. Member for Gwembe, you may proceed.

 

Mrs Chisangano: Mr Speaker, thank you for according me this opportunity to contribute to the debate on the 2021 Budget Speech.

 

Sir, the people of Zambia, especially the people of Gwembe Constituency, do not see hope in this Budget because of the many challenges that they are facing. Some people cannot afford three meals a day. Others are failing to send their children to school while others are being paid less salaries. The list is too long.

 

Mr Speaker, there are certain matters that are very important to the people of Zambia, which should have been addressed or included in the 2021 Budget. We want to see drugs in hospitals because, many times, people are forced to buy drugs from chemists or pharmacies. It is very difficult for people from Gwembe, where there are no chemists or drug shops, to buy drugs. We also want the health posts that we talk about every year to be completed. Every project has a life span. It has to be started and completed.

 

Sir, let me talk about the education sector. In rural areas, we do not have enough teachers. Therefore, the 2021 Budget should give room, especially to rural areas, so that they can be given adequate teachers, furniture, teaching and learning materials. When schools were closed because of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), it was saddening that the children in rural areas could not access Electronic Learning (e-Learning) because there are no communication facilities and electricity in rural areas. Meanwhile, their counterparts in urban areas were busy learning and so, our children in rural areas missed out on the learning a lot. Who knows, today there is COVID-19, and tomorrow, there might be something else. So, all the facilities that will enable the children in rural areas to use e-Learning should be spread uniformly across the country.

 

Mr Speaker, let me talk about having enough food on the table for all Zambians. This is about how the agriculture sector is performing in the country. We have seen that a lot of money has been allocated to agriculture programmes. However, the Electronic-Voucher (e-Voucher) System in the Southern Province is not working so well. Therefore, it should be improved. The people on the ground are crying for inputs which have become very expensive for them while those in other areas are receiving good quantities of inputs.

 

Sir, so many projects have remained unfinished for a long time. So, they should be completed in 2021. The Bottom Road in my constituency has not been worked on for a long time. Since 2016, it has not moved an inch. Further, not even one health post has been constructed there. Many roads are being worked on in urban areas every year, but nothing is happening in rural areas. So, in the 2021 Budget, rural areas should be considered for the road network and the bridges.

 

Mr Speaker, we have been talking about Phase I of the construction of palaces for chiefs since 2016. This term is coming to an end and we are still talking about Phase I. When will the Government cater for the chiefs in constituencies whose palaces are not under Phase I and when will it construct communication towers as well as dams?

 

Sir, retirees should be paid on time. So, the hon. Minister of Finance should make sure that the retirees, who are our fathers and mothers, are paid on time. They have already worked for our great nation. However, this Budget has very little hope for the people of Zambia.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Kintu (Solwezi East): Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity to add my voice, on behalf of the people of Mushindamo, to the debate on the 2021 Budget. This Budget can only be described as business as usual. It is not inspiring and it only fulfils the constitutional mandate of the hon. Minister of Finance.

 

Sir, the people of Mushindamo are aware that the Government of the Republic of Zambia prepares the Budget each year. However, each year, they have not seen anything tangible implemented in Mushindamo as per the Budget that is planned for year in and year out.

 

Mr Speaker, regarding infrastructure, the people of Mushindamo are not considered in the so-called development agenda of the Patriotic Front (PF). For example, we have heard that health posts are being constructed in other places, but no health posts have been constructed in Mushindamo. We are always told that people will soon come to construct health posts. During elections in Kalilele Ward, in Mushindamo, the hon. Minister of Health told the people that a mini hospital was going to be constructed in Kalilele Ward. To date, the people of Mushindamo are waiting to see the construction of the mini hospital.

 

Mr Speaker, as we may be aware, Mushindamo District is new. We expected this Government to plan for the construction of administration blocks and hospitals, and include their funding in the Budget. There is no district hospital, but Mushindamo has the status of district. When will this hospital be constructed? I perused the Budget and there is nothing pertaining to the construction of a district hospital in Mushindamo. So, I urge this failing PF Government to ensure that it has something to show in 2021.

 

Mr Speaker, I know that the Government gazetted three secondary schools to be constructed in Mushindamo and these are Yowela Secondary School, Maphande Secondary School and Kichiko Secondary School. The areas to construct these secondary schools were sourced but, to date, nothing has been done about that. However, I know that in other areas, secondary schools are being constructed. Further, there are no feeder roads to talk about in Mushindamo and the last ones were constructed by the United National Independence Party (UNIP) Government. Mafita, Mapunga, Lwamfu, Lunga and Kalindi roads were supposed to be worked on, but nothing has been done about that. So, I hope this last Budget of the PF will attend to these things.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Kangombe (Sesheke): Mr Speaker, thank you for giving the good and humble people of Sesheke the opportunity to say a word or two on the debate on the 2021 Budget.

 

Sir, this Budget is a cocktail of unrealistic things, if I may say so. We are not being real with ourselves, especially the Patriotic Front (PF). I feel pity for the hon. Minister of Finance who came in at a time when the economy of this country was already damaged by the PF Government.

 

Mr Speaker, it is very difficult for me to support this Budget on behalf of the people of Sesheke because of the many failures that have been there from the time the PF was elected into power. I have gone through the Budget, and there is nothing inspiring, whatsoever, to the people of Sesheke when it comes to development. Year in and year out, we have seen hon. Ministers of Finance present the National Budget on the Floor of this House and the people of Sesheke have benefitted literary nothing.

 

Sir, currently, the Sesheke/Kazungula Road, which is an economic road, has been willfully ignored by the PF Government. When I look at this Budget, which I said is full of cocktails of unrealistic expectations in my preamble, I do not see where the PF will get the money to meet many of the issues raised. Our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is already in the negative, which should not be the case. This is already evident enough to the people of Zambia that the PF has lamentably failed and has literary nothing to offer. Our hon. Colleagues do not even have an idea of how to turn around the economy of this country because time is up and it has already gone for them.

 

Mr Speaker, the principle of borrowing is based on the ability to pay back. Unfortunately, this has not been well-defined for our hon. Colleagues and they do not understand the ability to pay back the debt. As a country, we have reached this far, in terms of debt, because of so many illicit financial flaws. Much of the money that we borrow, as a country, finds itself in pockets of individuals instead of its being used for its intended purposes. This has, in turn, put our economy on its knees.

 

Sir, today, we cannot, as a nation, cry that we are where we are basically because of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). To me, the answer is literary no because even before COVID-19, our economy was not improving. Many countries have been hit by the same pandemic, but they are doing much better than us. Today, when you change R100 to Kwacha, you get about K130. This is a note which my people in Sesheke were changing at K35. This is clearly evident that our hon. Colleagues have failed and that there is no hope in this Budget.

 

Mr Speaker, the only hope that I should urge the people of Zambia to look up to is after the 2021 General Elections. This hope cannot be found in the PF, not even in the sweetest dream of any Zambian. It can only be found in a new regime. It can only be found in a new government. The reason we have reached this far, as a nation, is that our hon. Colleagues do not listen to advice. If only they had listened from the outset, we would not have reached where we are. Coming up with this Budget is indescribable because reality will never –

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

The hon. Member’s time expired.

 

Mr Siwanzi (Nakonde): Mr Speaker, thank you for giving an opportunity to the people of Nakonde to debate this Motion on the 2021 Budget. This Budget is so sweet to debate. However, because I am limited by time, I will pick a topic that I am going to debate effectively.

 

Sir, there is no country that can develop economically without proper infrastructure. I can cite examples of countries that were almost at the same economic level with Zambia at the time of her Independence. However, those countries have developed because they worked on one thing; proper road network. I can give examples of Malaysia and Japan. If my hon. Colleagues on the other side read history, they will realise that in the past, these countries were almost at the same stage, economically, with Zambia.

 

Mr Speaker, the Patriotic Front (PF) Government has transformed this country in terms of infrastructure, and we expect that going forward, the benefits that we have already started accruing will make the livelihoods of Zambians better.

 

Sir, what I see among our hon. Colleagues on the other side is only hypocrisy. During part of my childhood, I was at Kazungula Border, where my father worked as a customs officer. No one ever thought that a bridge could be constructed across the Zambezi River. Many times, we used to witness pontoons sinking and goods wasting across the Zambezi River. Therefore, when you hear an hon. Member of Parliament from that region behave as if he/she is not seeing this infrastructure development, you wonder what kind of politicians they are.

 

Mr Speaker, many of our neighbouring countries, which have more resources than we have in this country, are not even performing at our level. I may not go into mentioning names, but I live at the border and I receive many people. I have travelled to most of these neighbouring countries on the east and the west of this country, and I know that surely, our country is doing fine.

 

Sir, to qualify my point, we are looking at infrastructure development, which the hon. Minister has indicated in this K119.6 billion Budget. In Muchinga Province, there is a road that was constructed after Independence in the early 1970s. However, this is when this road has been upgraded to bituminous standard. Before then, this was a very bad road and it was nicknamed ‘the Hell Run’ and we have seen so many accidents on this road. The PF Government has embarked on rehabilitating that road. It has been overhauled at a cost of K1.4 billion. This is what the citizens of this country want to see.

 

Mr Speaker, just on this road, I would like to urge the hon. Minister to ensure that the contractor, as I have always been emphasising, moves to the Nakonde side because I know that even the revenue that we intend to collect next year is somehow limited considering there is a slow movement of traffic across the border. This Government has invested a lot in the one-stop-border post at the Nakonde/Tunduma Border. Therefore, for this new border post to work effectively, we need to support it with road infrastructure so that we can start seeing the benefits.

 

Sir, others may argue by saying that duty is paid even before the consignment arrives in the country, but you collect duty on the goods that arrive in the country and then collect Value Added Tax (VAT) out of those particular goods when they are sold in the country. So, the hon. Minister should look at that point because it will benefit us and we will start seeing the benefits of having that one-stop-border post.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Ms Kucheka (Zambezi West): Mr Speaker, thank you for giving me this opportunity to debate the 2021 Budget. My contribution will be very short. I am just going to look at the allocations to some of the sectors of the economy, as regards the 2021 Budget.

 

Sir, the health sector was given K1,392,443,990 for drugs and medical supplies, K627,263,831 was allocated for operations for hospitals while K1,731,846,564 was allocated for infrastructure projects. If I look at the –

 

Mr Livune: On a point of order, Sir.

 

Mr Speaker: A point of order is raised.

 

Mr Livune: Mr Speaker, my point of order was actually on the hon. Member for Nakonde except that it took a long time for me to be noticed.

 

Mr Speaker: Well, we cannot go back.

 

The hon. Member for Zambezi West may continue.

 

Ms Kucheka: Mr Speaker, I was saying that infrastructure projects were given K1,731,846,564. If you compare that with –

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

Hon. Member for Zambezi West, at this juncture, debate the policy. You will come back to the figures later.

 

Ms Kucheka: Thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Sir, first of all, let me say that I am not happy with the Budget which was presented to the House because of what has been happening all along. Zambezi West has not received anything in successive Budgets. Since I came to Parliament in 2016, how many Budgets have been presented to Parliament and how many of those have been fully funded by this Patriotic Front (PF) Government?

 

Mr Speaker, whenever we ask about projects that are not completed in the infrastructure sector like schools, bridges and roads, we are always told that there is no funding. Why, then, do we have huge Budgets if we do not have money? Why is it that we do not budget according to what we have? The 2021 Budget seems more like a campaign tool than a Budget which is going to alleviate the sufferings of the people.

 

Sir, I tried to compare the amounts given to public order and safety with those given to the health sector. Public order and safety has received about K3 billion compared to the K1.3 billion which has been given to the health sector. What is more important to this country? Many people are suffering. There are no beds and drugs in hospitals, yet we are allocating more money towards fighting. Who are they fighting? Who is this Government afraid of?

 

Mr Speaker, not long ago, we saw a lot of armoured vehicles being brought into this country. Who are they going to fight? We are a very peaceful people. The people of Zambia and the people of Zambezi West want to see and to have access to medication in the health facilities, good hospitals, clinics and schools in our areas. People are suffering. They cannot eat ammunition or guns. They want to have food on their plates.

 

Sir, if the Government thinks that it can bring a lot of ammunition and say that this is the best Budget ever, then, it is cheating itself because the people of Zambia are seeing through this. The Zambians are questioning why instead of working on the roads, giving them food and giving them medication in the hospitals, they are being given ammunition. What is the ammunition for? Who is fighting who?

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

The hon. Member’s time has expired.

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

(Debate adjourned)

 

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The House adjourned at 1156 hours until 1430 hours on Tuesday 13^th October, 2020.

 

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