Thursday, 10^th December, 2020

 

The House met at 1430 hours

 

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

 

NATIONAL ANTHEM

 

PRAYER

 

_______

 

ANNOUNCEMENT BY MR SPEAKER

 

COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY CONFERENCE (CPC) FOREST PROJECT

 

Mr Speaker: Hon Members, following the launch of the 64^th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) Forest Project on Monday, 23^rd November, 2020, arrangements have been made for you to implement the project in your constituencies.

 

In view of the foregoing, hon. Members of Parliament are requested to contact the Provincial Forestry Offices, in order to access information relating to the district office that will provide the seedlings for planting, and the species to be planted in your respective constituencies.

 

I thank you.

 

_______

 

RULINGS BY MR SPEAKER

 

POINT OF ORDER RAISED BY THE LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION AND MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR MONZE CENTRAL PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCY HON J. J. MWIIMBU, MP, AGAINST HER HONOUR THE VICE-PRESIDENT, REGARDING HER STATEMENT THAT MEMBERS OF THE UNITED PARTY FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (UPND) WERE HIDING DURING THE ISSUANCE OF NATIONAL REGISTRATION CARDS

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Members, you will recall that on Friday, 4^th December, 2020, when the House was considering Question for Oral Answer No. 71 on the Order Paper, and the hon.  Member of Parliament for Kabompo Parliamentary Constituency, Mr A. Lufuma, MP, was about to ask a follow-up question, the Leader of the Opposition and hon. Member of Parliament for Monze Central Parliamentary Constituency, Mr J. J. Mwiimbu, MP, raised the following point of order:

 

“Mr Speaker, I rise on a point of order on Her Honour the Vice-President, arising from the statement she has issued on the Floor of the House. Mr Speaker, the sanctity of this august House must be protected. She had alleged that hon. Members on your left were hiding during the issuance of the National Registration Cards (NRCs).

 

“Mr Speaker, that was the time when the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill No. 10 of 2019, was on the Floor. You may recall that the hon. Minister of Home Affairs issued a statement on the Floor of the House that he was not going to allow anyone to be involved in supporting the issuance of NRCs apart from his officials.

 

“Now, how can Her Honour the Vice-President say that hon. Members were hiding when the hon. Minister gave a directive that he would not allow any other person to be involved? She knows that there is no evidence that hon. Members were hiding. We were in the House, and that is when we raised these issues.

 

“Is she in order to make a statement which is untrue, misleading and that should not be entertained by this House?””

 

Hon. Members, you will also recall that on the same day, the hon. Minister of Home Affairs, Mr S. Kampyongo, MP, and the hon. Member of Parliament for Katombola Parliamentary Constituency, Mr D. Livune, MP, respectively, raised points of order related to Mr J. J. Mwiimbu, MP’s point of order.

 

Hon S. Kampyongo, MP’s point of order was expressed in the following terms:

 

“Mr Speaker, I have been seated here following the Business of the House, attentively, until my name and ministry was drawn into a debate. I have made very clear statements in this august House which are on record. At no point did I say that hon. Members of Parliament were not to participate in the process of sensitisation of their constituents on the importance of being registered as citizens and obtaining National Registration Cards (NRCs). Regarding Her Honour, the Vice-President, I know you have reserved your ruling, Mr Speaker.

 

“Mr Speaker, I have further gone to engage my fellow colleagues, the hon. Members of Parliament, including those from the Western Province. It is true that when the Permanent Secretary for the Western Province tried to get hold of the hon. Members of Parliament from that province, they avoided him and his calls, when we extended the exercise of mobile registration for five days.

 

“Is the hon. Member for Monze Central and Leader of the Opposition in the House in order to mislead this august House through this point of order and indeed, the nation, when all the statements pertaining to the mobile issuance of NRCs are very clear?

 

“Mr Speaker, I even came here to pronounce extensions to the exercise of both Phase 1 and Phase 2. I know you have reserved your ruling, Mr Speaker, but I equally deserve my point of order to be taken into account.

 

“I seek your serious ruling.””

 

Mr D. Livune, MP’s point of order was as in the following terms:

 

“Mr Speaker, both Her Honour the Vice-President, and the Minister of Home Affairs have referred to the five days which were added to the National Registration Card (NRC) registration period.

 

“Mr Speaker, it is a known fact countrywide that the five days extension was not backed up with funding. As a result, no work was done in that five days they referred to. Therefore, are they in order to mislead the nation and deprive the citizens the required opportunity to get NRCs, since the five days they referred to, was not backed up with funding?””

 

In my immediate response to all three points of order, I reserved my ruling.

 

Hon Members, I wish to begin by addressing the points of order raised by Mr S. Kampyongo, MP, and Mr D. Livune, MP, which both hinged on the point of order raised by Mr J. J. Mwiimbu, MP, and were, therefore, evidently points of order on another point of order. This raises the issue or question whether a point of order can be raised on another point of order.

 

Hon. Members, I must state from the outset, that our Standing Orders do not provide any guidance on raising a point of order on another point of order. However, in accordance with Standing Order 179, where our rules do not provide any guidance on any issue, we fall back on the practice in other Commonwealth Parliaments. In this regard, it is instructive to consider the discourse of learned authors M. N. Kaul and S. L. Shakdher, in their book entitled Practice and Procedure of Parliament, Seventh Edition, (New Delhi, Lok Sabha, 2016), which states at pages 1043 to 1044 as follows:

 

“There cannot be a point of order on a point of order.”

 

It is, thus, self-evident that a point of order on another point of order is inadmissible. I also recently, guided Members of this House, on this issue, on 13^th November, 2020, when the Deputy Government Chief Whip and hon. Member of Parliament for Kabwe Central Parliamentary Constituency, Mr T. S. Ngulube, MP, sought to raise a point of order on a point of order raised by the hon. Member of Parliament for Mazabuka Central Parliamentary Constituency, Mr G. G. Nkombo, MP. My guidance in that instance was that hon. Members cannot raise a point of order on a point of order.

 

Premised on the foregoing, my ruling, therefore, is that Mr S. Kampyongo, MP and Mr M. D. Livune, MP’s points of order were points of order on another point of order and, are therefore, inadmissible.

 

I now turn to address Mr J. J. Mwiimbu, MP’s point of order. The gist of his point of order is that Her Honour the Vice-President made an untrue statement, and misled the House that hon. Members on the left were hiding during the issuance of National Registration Cards (NRCs) due to the debate on the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill, N.A.B. No. 10 of 2019. He contends that that statement was untrue, because the non-involvement of Members of Parliament in the issuance of NRCs was as a result of a statement issued by the hon. Minister of Home Affairs prohibiting anyone, except for officials in his Ministry from being involved in, and supporting the issuance of NRCs.

 

The debate of Her Honour the Vice-President, which is the subject of the point of order, was in response to a question asked by the Member of Parliament for Nkeyema Parliamentary Constituency, Mr K. A. Mbangweta, MP, during the Vice-President’s Question Time on Friday, 4^th December, 2020. Mr K. A. Mbangweta, MP, asked Her Honour the Vice-President whether her office would consider extending the mobile issuance of NRCs, and send officers to issue NRCs to those who had missed the opportunity in Kaoma. In response, Her Honour the Vice-President stated as follows:

 

“Mr Speaker, a lot of information was disseminated to the hon. Members at the beginning of the Mobile Issuance of the National Registration Cards (NRCs) Exercise. However, this was the same period that some hon. Members were literally hiding from Parliament due to the debate on the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill, N.A.B. No. 10 of 2019, so they missed out on a lot of information that was required for that five-day extension for the issuance of NRCs. You will find that the areas that were left out were those where the Permanent Secretary (PS) was trying to get in touch with people to inform them about the one-week extension, following complaints during the first phase of the NRCs issuance exercise.

 

“Mr Speaker, therefore, I cannot guarantee, 100 per cent, returning of officers to all areas that had missed out. However, the Ministry of Home Affairs is still looking into this matter, particularly, in acquiring resources to undertake this exercise. This is a costly exercise which requires teams to be moved to provinces.””

 

Hon. Members, I will begin by outlining the background to this matter. The hon. Minister of Home Affairs issued a number of Ministerial Statements regarding the Mobile Issuance of National Registration Cards (NRCs) Exercise as follows:

 

1.  on 23rd September, 2020, he issued a statement, notifying members that Phase I, covering the Northern, Luapula, the Eastern, the North-Western and Copperbelt provinces, commenced on 1^st August, 2020. He further advised the House that Phase II, which covered the Central Province, Muchinga Province, the Southern Province and the Western Province, which was earlier scheduled to begin on 1^st September, 2020, commenced on 20^th September, 2020;
2.  on 7^th October, 2020, he issued another statement which focused primarily on police shootings that occurred during the exercise. He explained the challenges facing the registration officers, including harassment and attacks;
3. on 3^rd November, 2020, he issued a statement that phase II, had been extended to 4^th November, 2020, and that he would issue a comprehensive statement on the exercise, once it had been concluded; and
4. on 24^th November, 2020, he rendered another statement in which he highlighted the outcome of the exercise.

 

Hon. Members, from the foregoing, it is noteworthy that information on the mobile issuance of NRCs was disseminated to Hon. Members through Ministerial Statements over the period ranging from 23^rd September to 24^th November, 2020. In the meanwhile, the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill, No. 10 of 2019, was scheduled, and in fact, placed on the Order Paper for debate and voting, at second reading stage, on 29^th October, 2020. This was just a few days before the conclusion of the mobile issuance of NRCs exercise. 

 

In the circumstances, the assertion or allegation by Her Honour the Vice-President that: “Some Hon. Members were literally hiding from Parliament due to the debate on the Constitution of Zambia (Amendment) Bill, No. 10 of 2019,” in relation to the mobile issuance of NRCs was unnecessary.

 

I thank you.

 

POINT OF ORDER RAISED BY HON. T. S. NGULUBE, DEPUTY GOVERNMENT CHIEF WHIP AND MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR KABWE CENTRAL PARLIAMENTARY CONSTITUENCY ON THURSDAY, 3^RD DECEMBER, 2020, ON WHETHER THE HOUSE WAS IN ORDER TO EXCLUDE HIM FROM THE MEETINGS OF THE COMMITTEE ON PRIVILEGES, ABSENCES AND SUPPORT SERVICES IN HIS CAPACITY AS DEPUTY GOVERNMENT CHIEF WHIP

 

Mr Speaker: Hon. Members, you will recall that on Thursday, 3^rd December, 2020, when the House was considering Question for Oral Answer No. 70, and Mr J. B. Ng’onga, hon. Member of Parliament for Kaputa Parliamentary Constituency, was on the Floor, Mr T. S. Ngulube, Deputy Government Chief Whip, raised a point of order. In the point of order, he inquired whether the House was in order to request him to leave a meeting of the Committee on Privileges, Absences and Support Services, which he was attending on behalf of the Government Chief Whip.

 

In her immediate response, Hon. C. Namugala, MP, the First Deputy Speaker, reserved her ruling. I have since studied the point of order, and will now render the ruling.

 

Hon. Members, let me begin by giving a brief background of the events that gave rise to the point of order. On Wednesday, 2^nd December, 2020, the Committee on Privileges, Absences and Support Services, convened to consider a matter of alleged breach of parliamentary privileges, and contempt of the House involving Mr C. Mweetwa, hon. Member of Parliament for Choma Central Parliamentary Constituency. During the Committee’s deliberations, a preliminary issue arose regarding the presence, in the meeting, of Mr T. S. Ngulube, MP, Deputy Government Chief Whip, who was sitting-in, for the Government Chief Whip. The Committee excluded Mr T. S. Ngulube, MP, from the meeting in order to discuss the matter. In deliberating on the matter, the Committee resolved that the Government Chief Whip was the person appointed to the Committee on Privileges, Absences and Support Services. Therefore, the Deputy Government Chief Whip could not attend the proceedings of the Committee. Mr T. S. Ngulube, MP, is evidently, dissatisfied with that decision, and elected to raise the issue on the Floor of the House, through a point of order.

 

Hon. Members, I have guided the House on several occasions on the nature and function of a point of order, and when it can be resorted to. For avoidance of doubt, I will, again, have recourse to the Members Handbook.

 

The National Assembly Members’ Handbook of 2006, defines a point of order, as follows, at page 25:

 

“A point of order is a question raised by a Member who believes that the rules of procedures of the House have been incorrectly applied or overlooked during the proceedings. A point of order can be raised at any time in the proceedings.”

 

Additionally, M. N. Kaul and S. L. Shakdher, in their book entitled Practice and Procedure of Parliament, Seventh Edition, (LokSabha Secretariat, New Delhi, 2016) elucidates, circumstances under which a point of order can be raised, at pages 1042-1043, as follows:

 

“It can be raised only in relation to the business before the House at the moment: the term ‘business before the House’ means business included in the list of business for that day.”

 

Hon. Members, the import of the foregoing, is that for a Member to raise a point of order, the following three critical elements must be present:

 

1. proceedings of the House must be taking place at the time;
2. a rule of the House must have been breached or overlooked during the proceedings; and
3. the point of order must be in relation to the business before the House.

 

Hon. Members, from the foregoing, it is self-evident that a point of order must relate to a breach of the rules of the House at the material time and should be raised contemporaneously; that is to say, soon after the alleged breach occurs.

 

Hon. Members, I am alive to the fact that the House also conducts its business in various Committees. I am also aware that various issues or, indeed, controversies arise during the conduct of such proceedings or meetings. However, given the elements adumbrated above, when a point of order can be raised, it is clear that a point of order cannot be raised on the Floor of the House to bring to the Presiding Officers’ attention, of a matter that transpired in the Committee or indeed, anywhere else outside the Floor of the House, but within, of course, the remit of the National Assembly. Instead, there are other avenues which hon. Members can employ to bring such matters to my attention. These include, approaching my office or submitting a letter of complaint to my office.

 

In the instant case, the point of order raised by Mr T. S. Ngulube, MP, arose from the proceedings of the Committee on Privileges, Absences and Support Services held on Wednesday, 2^nd December, 2020.

 

Clearly, the point of order was not connected to the Business of the House, that is, business transacted on the Floor of the House. In view of the foregoing, it is inadmissible. Be that as it may, given the importance and seriousness of the issues raised in the point of order, I have resolved to refer the subject matter of the point of order to the Standing Orders Committee.

 

I thank you.

 

_______

 

BILLS

 

HOUSE IN COMMITTEE

 

[THE CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES in the

Chair]

 

THE ZAMBIA NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH INSTITUTE BILL, 2020

 

Clause 1 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

CLAUSE 2 – (Interpretation)

 

The Minister of Health (Dr Chilufya): Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 2, on page 6, after line 9, by the insertion of the following new paragraph, immediately after paragraph (j):

 

Act No. 2 of 2019       (k)        an inspector appointed under the Local Government Act,

2019;.

 

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

 

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

 

Clause 3 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

CLAUSE 4 – (Functions of institute)

 

Dr Chilufya: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 4, on page 9, in lines 19 to 20, by the deletion of paragraph(s) and the substitution, therefor of the following paragraphs:

 

(s)        educate the public on public health;

 

(t)        monitor trends in public health and their impact on the Republic’s socio-economic development and make recommendations to the appropriate authority; and

 

(u)        develop, publish and disseminate information on public health.

 

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

 

Clause 4, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

CLAUSE 5 – (Board of institute)

 

Dr Chilufya: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 5, on page 9, in line 38, by the deletion of the words “matters relating the Act” and the substitution, therefor of the words “public health or a related field”.

 

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

 

Clause 5, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

Clauses 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

CLAUSE 13 – (Functions of centre)

 

Dr Chilufya: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 13, on page 14:

 

1. in line 28, by the deletion of the word “and” immediately after the word “response”;
2. in line 31, by the deletion of the full stop and the substitution therefor of a semicolon immediately after the word “emergency”; and
3. after line 31, by the insertion of the following paragraphs, immediately after paragraph (g):

 

               (h)        design standard operating procedures for key preparedness actions;

                (i)         develop a detailed communication strategy on public health emergency response;

               (j)         identify and address critical transnational public health matters; and

              (k)        respond in a timely manner to requests for operational and technical support from agencies,

                         institutions, public or private bodies and any person in the event of an occurrence of an incident

                       with public health implications.

 

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

 

Clause 13, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

CLAUSE 14 – (Establishment of laboratory)

 

Dr Chilufya: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 14, on page 15, after line 22, by the insertion of the following new subclause immediately after subclause (6):

 

(7)        The Board may establish satellite laboratories in the provinces or districts.

 

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

 

Clause 14, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

Clauses 15 and 16 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

CLAUSE 17 – (Appeals)

 

Dr Chilufya: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 17, on page 16, in lines 21 to 32, by the deletion of Clause 17, and the substitution, therefor of the following:

 

Appeals           17.       (1)        A person aggrieved by a decision of the Institute may,

                                                within seven days of receipt of the decision, appeal to

                                                the Minister.

 

                                    (2)        A person who is aggrieved by the decision of the Minister

                                                under subsection (1) may appeal to the High Court.

 

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

 

Clause 17, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

Clauses 18, 19, 20 and 21 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

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

 

Title agreed to.

 

THE INCOME TAX (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2020

 

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

 

CLAUSE 12 – (Amendment of section 82)

 

Dr Ng’andu: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment in Clause 12, on page 7, in line 10 by the insertion of the words “pay the amount of tax which has not” immediately after the word “to”.

 

Amendment agreed to. Clause amended accordingly.

 

Clause 12, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

Clauses 13, 14, 15, and 16 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

_______

 

HOUSE RESUMED

 

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

 

The following Bills were reported to the House as having passed through Committee with amendments:

 

The Zambia National Public Health Institute Bill, 2020

 

The Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2020

 

Report Stage today.

 

REPORT STAGE

 

The Zambia National Public Health Institute Bill, 2020

 

The Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2020

 

Report adopted.

 

Third Readings today.

 

THIRD READING

 

The following Bills were read the third time and passed:

 

The Zambia National Public Health Institute Bill, 2020

 

The Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2020

 

_______

 

COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY

 

[THE CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES in the

Chair]

 

VOTE 99 – (Constitutional and Statutory Expenditure – K47,681,117,176)

 

The Minister of Finance (Dr Ng’andu): Madam Chairperson, I thank you for this opportunity to present my policy statement on the 2021 Estimates of Expenditure for Vote 99 – Constitutional and Statutory Expenditure.

 

Madam Chairperson, as indicated in my policy statement for Vote 21 and Vote 37, the key mandate of the Ministry of Finance is resource mobilisation, which is required for the purpose of financing sustainable economic development and growth. Resource mobilisation also entails, bridging the financing gap between the domestic revenues and planned levels of expenditure through domestic and external borrowing. This gives rights to future debt service obligation in principal and interest payments. Therefore, Vote 99 covers, mainly, debt service payments relating to the loan acquired to finance, various Government projects and programmes.

 

Madam Chairperson, expenditure under Vote 99, has been prepared under the backdrop of the huge economic slowdown in 2020, with the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) projected to reduce by 4.2 per cent, and only to recover modestly to 1.8 per cent in 2021.

 

Madam, this reduced growth has impacted, negatively on revenues and increased expenditures in 2020, and its effect is expected to spill over into 2021. Against this background, it is projected that the budget under Vote 99 will be implemented under very difficult circumstances. Therefore, the Government has embarked on a rigorous exercise by engaging bilateral creditors to consider providing debt service relief under the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI) of the Group of Twenty (G20) that has now been extended to June 2021, with a possibility of further extension, should the global slowdown persist. Further, the extension of debt service suspension has now called on broader creditor participation to include commercial creditors who were not covered by the original DSSI.

 

Madam Chairperson, given the extent of Zambian’s financing needs, the Government has responded to this development by requesting all creditors to participate in the implementation of debt service standstill. To this extent, the Government is now engaging creditors with the view to seek their comprehensive debt restructuring measures in order to attain debt sustainability over the medium term. We will work on this exercise, in close collaboration with partners, both bilateral and multilateral, particularly, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The objective will be to create space for intervention in strategic economic activities and most importantly, in social sector spending that is cardinal to cushion the majority of Zambians that have been negatively impacted by the slowdown in the economy due to the impact of the Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

 

Madam Chairperson, taking the above into account, the Government has allocated K47.7 billion in the 2021 Budget to Vote 99. This will be executed under two programmes namely; Public Service Debt Management and Centralised Holding votes. The two programmes will be implemented to meet obligations relating to external debt service payments, interest cost on government securities, debts services in loans from commercial banks, Public Service Pay Policy, centralise recruitment and a provision for the contingency to address unforeseen and unavoidable expenditures that may occur.

 

Madam Chairperson, the broad breakdown of the proposed allocation is as follows:

 

Programme One: Public Debt Service Management

 

Madam Chairperson, under this programme, a total of K46.1 billion has been allocated, broken down as follows:

 

An amount of K27.7 billion has been allocated for external debt obligations, of which K16 billion, is for payment of principal and interest to multilateral creditors while K11.7 billion is for payment of principal to bilateral and commercial creditors.

 

Madam Chairperson, a total of K18.3 billion has been allocated for domestic debt servicing, of which K12.1 billion, is for interest payment on Government bonds, K5.7 billion for interest payment on treasury bills, and K538 million, for payment for debt obligation to commercial banks.

 

Programme Two: Centralised Holding Vote

 

Madam Chairperson, under this programme, a total of K1.6 billon has been set aside, broken down as follows:

 

A total of K1.2 billion has been set aside for the Public Service Pay Policy for 2021, K273 million, for the centralised recruitment across the public sector, and K125 million, for the contingency votes under this Vote, for unforeseen and unavoidable expenditures that may arise in 2021.

 

Madam Chairperson, in presenting the budget for Vote 99, my ministry reiterates its commitment to managing the national debt by sticking only where necessary, to concessional as opposed to commercial financing, going forward. The debt sustainability framework entails a continuous assessment of current debt and a periodic update of the medium-term strategy in order to identify and manage risk inherent in the debt portfolio. To ensure sustained economic worthiness, the ministry remains committed to undertaking comprehensive debt restructuring to achieve debt sustainability.

 

Madam Chairperson, having said this, I now recommend that Vote 99 be considered for approval by this august House.

 

I thank you, Madam.

 

Dr Musokotwane (Liuwa): Madam Chairperson, I would like to thank you and the hon. Minister of Finance for the statement he has made.

 

Mr Mwiimbu: On a point of order, Madam.

 

 Madam Chairperson: A point of order is raised.

 

Mr Mwiimbu: Madam Chairperson, I rise on a very serious point of order on the hon. Minister of Health.

 

Madam Chairperson, I do recall that the hon. Member for Chembe, Hon. Dr Kopulande, raised a very important and pertinent issue relating to the provision of dialysis services in the country, and the hon. Minister made a very categorical statement, pertaining to the situation obtaining at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) and other facilities.

 

Madam Chairperson, currently, the services pertaining to the provision of dialysis services at UTH have ground to a halt. No services, whatsoever, are being offered because of the lack of requisite ingredients to ensure that dialysis is provided to the consumables. Ordinarily, I would have put in a question for urgent nature, but the situation does not allow me.

 

Madam Chairperson, the lives of many Zambians are now at stake because we are made to understand that the ones who are providing the consumables for people to access dialysis in this country have decided not to provide the consumables because the Government has not paid for those services. Our people will be dying soon, for if one is on dialysis and he/she does not have the required consumables, there is nothing he/she can do. There is no other medication that is available.

 

Madam Chairperson, why has the hon. Minister of Health allowed a situation to deteriorate to a level where life-saving consumables are not available in all these areas where dialysis is being provided? In addition, the private providers are now charging US$100 for each service that is supposed to be provided to the Zambians who look forward to being served by the Government of the Republic of Zambia.

 

Madam, is he in order not to address this issue and remain mute? Is he in order to have misled us by saying that in as far as the provision of dialysis in the country was concerned, all was well?

 

I need your serious ruling, Madam.

 

The Chairperson: The ruling is that the Executive will collectively take urgent remedial action to address that situation. Seeing that the House is adjourning sine die this afternoon, I urge you to use the next opportune time to update the nation about the situation regarding dialysis services at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH). It does not have to be in this House, hon. Minister and the Executive. I know that there is no way you can be ready, but you can use other platforms to update the nation. That is my ruling.

 

Dr Musokotwane: Madam Chairperson, once again, I thank you. We have come to the end of the Budget session that we started sometime in October and for that, I thank the hon. Minister.

 

Madam Chairperson, as we reflect back, we need to think about the process that we have employed in the making of the Budget. It is clear that this process is no longer suitable, but obviously, for this particular Parliament, that may be rather too late. I hope that in the next Parliament, this matter is going to be taken up so that hon. Members of Parliament can have a more meaningful engagement in the Budget making process.

 

Madam Chairperson, I also thank the hon. Minister for having released the 2020 Constituency Development Fund (CDF).  In fact, since he came into office, he made sure that the CDF is released. This is a good practice. However, I now urge him to release the 2021 CDF before this House adjourns.

 

Hon. Members: Hear, hear!

 

Dr Musokotwane: Madam Chairperson, I want to link what I have said about the CDF and better practices for the Budget process. I would like to advise those who will be driving the reform process in the next Parliament that it is time that the CDF moved away from the Ministry of Local Government and became part of Vote 99. This is because the CDF is a Constitutional requirement and, in my view, the importance to release it, being a Constitutional requirement, will only be best reflected if it goes to Vote 99. That way, we will not depend on the goodness of one Bwalya Ng’andu, to release it. It will become binding on whoever would be sitting in that office.

 

Madam Chairperson, let me now come to address Vote 99, itself.  A few years ago, this Vote used to be very small. It was very small and insignificant because, at that time, the level of debt servicing that was being done was very low. No one even cared much to see what was in Vote 99. However, those were good olden days. Times have changed and Vote 99 now is the biggest item in the Zambian Government’s Budget. In fact, the Budget that we are dealing with is there, largely, to just service debts. This is a Budget for debt servicing.

 

Madam Chairperson, that being the case, this debt servicing has become a problem for this country. As we speak, this country is in serious shortage of teachers. Forty thousand of them are trained and are waiting to be deployed. However, although vacancies are there, the hon. Minister cannot hire teachers because there is no money. Where is the money going? It is going out to service debt while our children remain untaught.

 

Madam Chairperson, today, shops around town are closing because there is no buying power. Where is the money going? It is going to Eurobond holders, to the Chinese and to the banks. So, our shops are closing because there is no buying power. All this is because of debt servicing.

 

Madam Chairperson, who does not know what is happening to the exchange rate? From about K4 when the Patriotic Front (PF) took over, the exchange rate is now more than K21. In fact, I would say this exchange rate is just being bottled up because, if you go to the bank today and say that you want to buy US$50,000, US$12,000, or US$30,000, they will say that they do not have money, and they will ask for two to three weeks to look for the money. So, it is clear that this exchange rate is bottled-up. It could even be more, and I am sure that it will be more. The reason for this, is debt service. Therefore, I am happy that now, the Government has accepted the need to engage the International Monetary Fund (IMF) because that is a very serious route towards recovery. I hope that this time around, the Government is going to be serious in dealing with the IMF.

 

Madam Chairperson, I thank you.

 

Mr Mbangweta (Nkeyema): Madam Chairperson, thank you for the opportunity to say a few words on this Vote. I too, would like to appreciate the hon. Minister, especially, for the Consistency Development Fund (CDF), which was released. For us in rural areas, that was a lifeline. I am sure the beneficiaries have truly appreciated because they could not believe, based on history.

 

Madam Chairperson, in reflecting on this Vote, I hope the Executive now, after so many years, can differentiate rhetoric from reality. Our colleagues, for so many years, have proceeded on the basis of rhetoric. However, facts now should be able to show them that rhetoric is different from what is on the ground.

 

Madam Chairperson, in one of the President’s addresses, we were told that for this country to develop, we needed a Gross Domestic Product (DGP) growth of not less than 7 per cent. However, from what the hon. Minister has said, we are looking at 1.8 per cent growth, going forward. So, naturally, even based on the Government’s own admission using its own facts, strictly speaking, we are not going anywhere.

 

Madam Chairperson, the second issue, which I hope the Government has learnt from this, is the fact that debt contraction affects all of us, as Zambians, just like the issue of taxation, which we discussed yesterday. Whether one is working or not he/she pays tax. Effectively, in every Kwacha, if one purchases an item, he/she pays 16 ngwee to the Government. It is that money, when brought to the pool, which is supposed to bring development, including the funding of activities related to National Registration Cards (NRCs) that we are talking about, as well as voters’ registration. That is why those budgets come to this House. It is upsetting that all of us pay tax, including people in villages who can ill-afford, but when it comes to implementing such programmes, the Government wants to apply standards that do not make sense. That is why we talk a lot about this issue.

 

Madam Chairperson, we live in rural areas and when we talk, we expect our colleagues to listen and not to treat us as if we are conferees who do not reason. We do reason because we went to the same schools as they did.  In fact, we were in the same class with some of them. So, they cannot come to this House to treat us like we are their children.

 

Madam Chairperson, when we came to this House in 2016, we were told that this Government would have agreed with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), on a package. However, up to today, when I am about to get out of Parliament, I realise that we have not agreed with the IMF and the situation has worsened. You would recall that our colleague, the late Hon. Kufakwandi, used to talk a lot about this. However, our colleagues on your right, used to brush it off, but the reality is that, if they had taken steps to address this issue previously, maybe, we would not be where we are.

 

Madam Chairperson, the hon. Minister may also reflect on the fact that he might not necessarily need to keep some of the bureaucrats in the ministry, especially, the ones who brought us to this level because different challenges require different skill sets. The people who have brought us to this, surely, cannot be part of the solution. They would just make the hon. Minister’s job difficult. He might as well, look elsewhere for other people with different eyes to see and bear on this problem and, maybe, at the end of the day, we will all be better off.

 

Madam Chairperson, I thank you.

 

Mr Mwiimbu (Monze Central): Madam Chairperson, I am privileged to be part of the consideration of the final Budget by the Patriotic Front (PF). I have no doubt in my mind that, come 2021, the Budget of the country will not be presented by the PF.

 

Hon. UPND Members: Hear, hear!

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Mwiimbu: Madam Chairperson, I also want to appreciate the financial position that the hon. Minister of Finance has taken on various aspects that affect the people of this country vis-à-vis the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and the cancellation of many loans which were obtained by the PF. I have no doubt in my mind that when he analysed some of the loans that were acquired by the PF, he realised that these loans were not in the interest of the country and that the country would not be able to pay back. I would like to thank the hon. Minister for that.

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Mwiimbu: Madam Chairperson, I wish to state that the statements that have been coming from the hon. Minister of Finance pertaining to debt servicing and the budgetary provisions that have been made are quite alarming. We are all aware that –

 

Prof. Luo:  On a point of order, Madam.

 

Mr Mwiimbu: Madam Chairperson, –

 

The Chairperson: Order!

 

Hon. Minister of Fisheries and Livestock resume your seat. Hon. Leader of the Opposition resume your seat, too.

 

 I would like to encourage the hon. Minister of Fisheries and Livestock to indicate, if she would like to contribute. I have space and I can allow her to debate.

 

Please, proceed, hon. Leader of the Opposition.

 

Mr Mwiimbu: Madam Chairperson, I was saying that the figures that have been presented to this House for adoption by the hon. Minister of Finance are alarming, vis-à-vis, the issues of debt servicing. He has told us that in this year’s Budget, we will be spending not less than K47 billion on debt servicing. As far as I am concerned, Constitutional Expenditure and, in particular, debt servicing, takes priority over any other matter. If that is the position, then we have a very serious problem.

 

Madam Chairperson, the hon. Minister of Finance has indicated to the nation that we are severely financially constrained to sustain the operations of the Government. It, therefore, follows that whatever little resources that we will be able to raise, will go towards debt servicing. That is the unfortunate situation we find ourselves in. It, therefore, follows that whatever Budgeting we have done as Parliament, in terms of capital expenditure, if there will be any, will not be able to take off because there will be no money, and that is a fact.

 

Madam Chairperson, further, because of the other expenditure, which is personal emoluments, there will be no money.  This year, we only had a window of 10 per cent of the Budget to fund any other projects in the country. That window has been closed because of the financial constraints we have. I would like to appeal to the hon. Minister to be prudent in the way decisions pertaining to finances are managed.

 

Madam Chairperson, yesterday, in Monze and, Bweengwa in particular, the President directed the District Commissioner (DC) for Monze to buy bicycles for every headman or headwoman in Monze. I am aware that this is an issue which I would like the hon. Minister to address. We all know that there is no Budget line for the purchase of bicycles. We do appreciate that the headmen require these services, but the money is not there. Knowing the way the PF operates, it will put pressure on the hon. Minister of Finance to find money to buy these bicycles. As far as I am concerned, it is not just in Monze. It will mean that all the headmen in the country will have to be bought bicycles, but where is the money going to come from?

 

Madam Chairperson, you heard me earlier when I raised a point of order on the hon. Minister of Health. The Ministry of Finance has no money currently, to finance the operations of the Ministry of Health. It has the human capital, but human capital without the requisite infrastructure and resources cannot manage. I also heard the United Party for National Development (UPND) Whip, Hon. Dr Musokotwane, talk about the unemployment levels in the country, in particular, reference to the issue of teachers. All of us who are hon. Members of Parliament with constituencies have been complaining that our schools do not have adequate numbers of teachers but due to money deficiency, teachers are not being employed.

 

Madam Chairperson, three weeks ago, we heard from the hon. Minister of General Education when he was lamenting that as of that particular day, we had more than 100,000 trained teachers in the country. However, we cannot recruit them because we do not have the money since it is going towards debt servicing. That is the unfortunate situation we find ourselves in.

 

Madam Chairperson, we used to advise our colleagues on your right to be prudent pertaining to the acquiring of debt, but we were ridiculed and told that we were bitter and that was why we were talking like that. Now, the reality has dawned on us. We do not have money. We can plan whatever we want to plan. Unfortunately, the money is not there to support our ambitions.

 

Madam Chairperson, we are being told that the Government has negotiated for a loan from an organisation in East Africa to the tune of US$303 million to finance oil importation and Supplementary Expenditure. I would like the hon. Minister of Finance to respond concerning this issue. I would like to hear from him on whether or not that is true. If that is true, the question that begs an answer is, when did Parliament approve that particular loan? Of late, we have seen that the hon. Minister of Finance has been bringing these acquisitions of loans for approval by Parliament, but for this particular one, there has not been any approval. I want him to comment on whether that is true or not.

 

Madam Chairperson, further, I want the hon. Minister of Finance to tell us whether the so-called Sinking Fund is working or it has sunk our money. We were assured by his predecessors that we will not have any serious debt burden on us because we had created the Sinking Fund. As a result of the Sinking Fund, all our hon. Colleagues were praising the Government that all is well, but we have now been sunk by the Sinking Fund because there is no money. I want him to respond to those issues. Due to the debt servicing which we have, we will not be able to service the developmental ambitions which we have as a nation. I, however, support the Motion by the hon. Minister of Finance, provided he responds to the issues I have raised.

 

I thank you, Madam.

 

Mr Ngulube (Kabwe Central): Madam Speaker, good afternoon and thank you for this opportunity to add my voice to this debate. First of all, allow me to express my displeasure at the fact that, a few minutes ago, Mr Speaker rendered a very lengthy ruling in which he guided the House that a point of order can only be raised on the business on the Floor of the House. However, we got someone who has been in Parliament for close to forty years now, disobeying –

 

The Chairperson: Order! Order!

 

Mr Ngulube, you have indicated and I believe you want to debate the Vote on the Floor.

 

Mr Ngulube: Yes, Madam Chairperson. Allow me to debate –

 

The Chairperson: Then I suggest that you go ahead with the debate.

 

Mr Ngulube: Madam Chairperson, I thank you for your guidance.

 

Madam, I am also aware that many are the times when people want to use the Floor of the House to make false or misleading statements. We know that the power of Parliament to approve public loans is in the Constitution, but we have not passed the enabling Act. So, we cannot come and ask when Parliament approved this and that, when we know what is prevailing. My brother, Hon. Mwiimbu, and I, are lawyers and we should not be the ones to mislead the public. We have to tell people the truth. I am – (inaudible). They are now telling people that the Government has not approved this and that, and that it is broke. They are going to say anything with a view of portraying a picture that they are about to form government. I, therefore, want to assure Hon. Mwiimbu, the outgoing Leader of the Opposition, that this is not – (inaudible). The Patriotic Front (PF) is actually delivering in this House. The PF will continue delivering Budgets until 2050. After that, the United Party for National Development (UPND) may be given a bit of – (inaudible).

 

The Chairperson: We have lost you.

 

The Minister of Transport and Communication (Mr Kafwaya): Madam Chairperson, thank you very much for giving me an opportunity to support the Vote on the Floor with just a few words.

 

Madam, you will recall that the last time we debated the Budget, which preceded the one we are debating now, we debated it together with an alternative budget. When we compare the alternative budget which was crafted then, with the National Budget, it was such a disaster that this year, there is no alternative budget. We have been told, here, that the Patriotic Front (PF) will not prepare next year’s Budget presentation. Let me assure my hon. Colleagues that those who have failed to prepare an alternative, will fail to prepare another alternative budget next year. The PF will be preparing the Budget to be debated next year.

 

Madam, debt, which is a subject of conversation this afternoon, is a negative number. Let me speak as an accountant. Debt is a negative number. Debt is a financial instrument to finance an asset. Therefore, when we talk about debt, we must not forget to talk about what that debt has financed.

 

Madam Chairperson, today, there are numerous telecommunication towers across the country, which facilitates business. This will contribute to the income generation of the people of Zambia, who will assist to pay back the debt. Today, we have a lot of very well designed and crafted roads across the country, which will ensure that motorists’ vehicles do not break down on a daily basis. Therefore, people are making the savings which the PF promised when it said it wanted them to have more money in their pockets. Those savings will ensure that people create more wealth, which will help to repay the debt.

 

Madam, it is important to be clear when we look at these issues. When you are simplistic and one-sided, you fail to see what is important. Today, we are predicting weather accurately because money has been put into investment for automatic weather stations. By the way, these stations are working hand-in-hand with the internet enabling telecommunication towers. Therefore, I see that the debt has done a great thing for the people of Zambia. This is why I stood on the Floor of this House to tell the nation that we are going to have more rains in this part of the country than the other. This is exactly what is happening today.

 

Madam Chairperson, the PF Government has invested where it matters. It has created hospitals, roads, schools and internet infrastructure. It is now time for Zambians to exploit this infrastructure and come up with ventures that are going to –

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Kafwaya: We have money to repay the debt and become the country we want to become.

 

Madam Chairperson, I support the Vote and thank you.

 

Mr A. C. Mumba (Kantanshi): Madam Chairperson, I thank the hon. Minister of Finance for the policy statement.

 

Madam, I just want us to look at our economy in totality. Where are we coming from and what sort of investments has taken place? I think all of us in this House will agree that the Patriotic Front (PF) Government has touched on investment in almost all the sectors that should play a role in moving our economy forward. For example, in the water and sanitation sector, we have seen investments taking place in Central Province and Ndola, to increase the number of people that should have access to clean water and sanitation. We have also seen investments in health. Speaking for myself, I have seen new equipment at Ronald Ross Hospital which was built in 1956.

 

Madam Chairperson, we have seen how the modernisation exercise has taken place. We have also seen investments in infrastructure. These can be termed as ‘catch-up’ investments and I do not think any new Government that will come in would need to do much, but to try and harness that investment for the benefit of paying back the national debt and creating jobs and opportunities for the people.

 

Madam, the hon. Minister of Transport and Communication talked about the infrastructure that has gone into internet services. He also mentioned how we have modernised the financial sector to contribute to a quicker movement of money, as opposed to having banks stationed around the country. We can now move monies faster and provide services to people through mobile phones. All this investment has come through this same money which has been borrowed. However, I think the most important thing that we also need to realise as a country is how else we can now move from where we are to create the environment that is going to support the repayment of the national debt. This is because we have done the investment on one side and now we also need to contribute to the growth of the economy.

 

Madam Chairperson, the policy statement that the hon. Minister of Finance delivered, clearly speaks to some of the measures that the Government can immediately implement. For example, when you are running a business and you want it to grow, you need to borrow money because it is for investment. That is what the Patriotic Front (PF) Government has done. As the hon. Member for Kantanshi Constituency, I will look at how some sectors will energise themselves because of these investments. For instance, in the mining sector, we needed to do more in terms of creating a platform and opportunities that would make sure that we expand in mining activities. Energy is also another sector where we have huge investments that can assist in exporting. In addition, we need to expand the agriculture sector, and not only just talk about it but ensure that all the investment that we have done through the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) and investments that are taking place in buying milling plants and community milling plants, create opportunities for the Zambian people.

 

Madam Chairperson, I would like to hear more in terms of how we can move from where we are as opposed to talking about the debt. Yes, the debt is the elephant in the room but how are we going to dismantle it? This debt has come about because we have invested. Therefore, we should put our minds together to try and see how we can look at taking ourselves from where we are, and going back to the gross rates of 7 or 8 per cent that we witnessed in 2010, 2011 and 2012, which was driven by foreign direct investment.

 

Madam Chairperson, how are we going to grow this investment in our country, using the domestic side of economic activity? That is where we are supposed to be focusing our minds. So, I thought I should also add my voice to this policy statement and Vote.

 

I thank you, Madam Chairperson.

 

The Chairperson: Hon. Members, as you are aware, it is agreed that we allow three hon. Members from the two largest groups, the Patriotic Front (PF) and United Party for National Development (UPND). So far, three members on the UPND side and two from the PF side have debated. I will allow one more person, and I will ask the Chief Whip to help. It should be one person from your side.

 

Hon. Chief Whip, you have given me three names. I would prefer a female hon. Member and a member of the Executive of course. Is it agreed?

 

Mr Mundubile (Mporokoso): Madam Chairperson, I also realised that Hon. Ngulube’s debate only went half way. So, with your indulgence, can we allow two hon. Members to debate.

 

The Chairperson: We have already counted him as a hon. Member who has debated on your side.

 

The Minister of Fisheries and Livestock (Prof. Luo): Madam Chairperson, thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to contribute to the debate on the Vote on the Floor.

 

Madam Chairperson, sometimes it is very important to for us, as a country, to look at where we are coming from and also to put economics in context. I used to listen to debates during the time we were looking at how the economy of Zambia was going. I used to make comments where people said the economy in Zambia is very strong because we have achieved single digit inflation. Further, I said that, sometimes when the economists are speaking, they do not translate what they are saying into the lives of our people.

 

Madam Chairperson, having single digit inflation when people are travelling on pot holes and do not have enough food to eat, when the infrastructure to support agriculture is not there, when the infrastructure to support health and education is not there, is really not making an economy of a country strong. Those who have been boasting about leaving the economy of Zambia, strong and better, they sit back and reflect.

 

 Madam Chairperson, as it is now, everybody who stands up on your left side talks about the debt, I would like to ask who in this country has never had a debt. What is important is what one acquires the debt for. If I am going to acquire debt for consumption, then it is serious problem because it is like throwing money down the drain. However, if I am acquiring a debt for investment which has happened now, it is so easy to even travel around Zambia.

 

 Madam Chairperson, we have brought health as close to the family as possible. We are restocking and stocking livestock all over the country. We are promoting it, and everybody is participating in fish farming. This is to ensure food security and nutrition for our people and wealth. 

 

Madam Chairperson, that kind of debt is something that we should be boasting about.  However, people want to continue talking about debt as if they have never borrowed. We are going to pay for things that have created a change in Zambia. Someone was telling me a few days ago that they received somebody from the United States of America (USA), and they were amazed because the last time they were here, in Zambia, is about ten years ago.

 

Madam Chairperson, they said that they were lost because they did not even know where they lived because of the way the entire Lusaka had transformed. I think, us Zambians hate ourselves and those of us who are in leadership should not be part of this hatred. We should guide the country but to sit here and speak against ourselves when our country is at a total different wave length, it is very unfortunate especially for those who think they will come here and present the next budget.

 

Madam Chairperson, I can assure them that the Patriotic Front (PF) will be here and the Minister of Finance is going to present the next budget.  That is what I need to assure them because the people of Zambia are watching and they know that we have put money to good work. This thing of travelling abroad to go and speak against our country is bad.

 

Madam Chairperson, when you listen to our colleagues in the diaspora, talk about their countries where they have not even been, the first thing that shows you that this is a Nigerian or a Tanzanian, is how they speak about their countries. For us, especially those who are in politics who think that they are Government-in-waiting, when they will never be, are the first ones to go and malign this country. I think it is very sad. I am glad that the people Zambia have seen that this party is full of haters and they are not going to vote for them. They are going to vote for the PF.

 

Madam Chairperson, for somebody to say that they are thanking the Minister of Finance for this and that, is because they have never run the Government. The Government is the collective responsibility. Whatever the Minister of Finance does, we would have all sat down as a Cabinet, and decide how to move this country. So, if you have never been a minister and you have never run the Government just keep quite because you are embarrassing yourself, to say the least. Those who know how the Government works, know that the Government is based on the collective responsibility and the Government is ourselves –

 

The Chairperson: Order!

 

The hon. Minister’s time expired.

 

Prof Luo: Madam Chairperson, I wish you could give me one more minute.

 

Dr Ng’andu: Madam Chairperson, I would like to express my appreciation for the guidance that you have given during the conduct of this business, for the debate that has taken place and, more importantly, for the support that has been given to Vote 99, which I presented this afternoon. However, I would like to respond to a number of specific points that have been raised in the course of the debate.

 

Madam Chairperson, the hon. Leader of the Opposition asked me to comment on two specific items. The first issue relates to us acquiring a loan from East Africa in order to finance, I am not sure what. I have immense difficulties responding to rumours, especially those that originate from social media. As all may be aware, according to social media, I am supposed to be very sick and in intensive care unit. However, as all can see, I am alive and well as I am standing right here. So, social media is a difficult source of information for us to respond to. However, let me respond to the other issue that the hon. Member raised as to whether the Sinking Fund is part of the restructuring process.

 

Madam Chairperson, we have taken a three, four or five pronged approach in dealing with debt management and the Sinking Fund remains one ingredient of that process. However, the whole debt restructuring process has a number of components to it. One component is the debt service standstill, which I have spoken about and we are beginning to implement it. The next stage is the achievement of more sustained debt restructuring that will involve a number of different things. For example, it will involve us, looking at each loan with a view to determine whether to extend the tenure of that particular loan or apply a haircut on a loan or whether there is a refinancing of a whole loan completely or whether we are going to postpone the payment. So, there are a number of specific measures that we will be implementing in the next one year. The overall effect of this is that, it will free up some resources that will now allow us to address the difficulties that we might face in the area of closing the financing gap that is there.

 

Madam Chairperson, I just want to reiterate what has been said on the right side of the House that the loans that have been acquired have been put to good use. If you drive around Lusaka with your eyes wide open, one does not need to convince you that this Government has been working and continues to work. The debt that has been contracted has been put to good use and this Government will continue doing the same, and will develop other areas that are in need of development which we have not so far touched.

 

I thank you, Madam Chairperson.

 

VOTE 99 – (Constitution and Statutory Expenditure – K47,681,117,176)

 

Dr Ng’andu: Madam Chairperson, I beg to move an amendment on page 1142, Table 4: Budget Allocation by Economic Classification, under Item 02: Use of Goods and Services:

 

1. by the deletion of Sub – Item 02: General Operations K46,083,659,539;
2. by the deletion of Sub – Item 001: External Debt – Principal K16,475,493,462;
3. by the insertion of Sub – Item 002: External Debt – Interest K10,336,782,598;
4. by the insertion of Sub – Item 003: External Debt – Other Charges K932,902,471;
5. by the insertion of Sub – Item 004: Domestic Debt – Interest on Government Bonds K12,131,756,490;
6. by the insertion of Sub – Item 005: Domestic Debt Service – Interest on Treasury Bills K5,668,889,602; and
7. by the insertion of Sub – Item 006: Other Domestic Debt Payments K537,834,908.

 

I thank you, Madam Chairperson.

 

Amendment agreed to. Vote amended accordingly.

 

Vote 99, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Estimates.

 

_______

 

HOUSE RESUMED

 

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

 

The Estimates of Expenditure (Including Capital and Constitutional and Statutory Expenditure) for the year 1^st January, 2021 to 31^st December, 2021 were reported to the House as having passed through the Committee with amendments.

 

Report adopted and Mr Speaker appointed the Minister of Finance to be a committee of one to bring the necessary Bill to give effect to the resolution of the Committee of Supply.

 

______

BILL

 

FIRST READING

 

THE APPROPRIATION BILL, 2020

 

The Minister of Finance (Dr Ng’andu): Mr Speaker, I beg to present a Bill entitled the Appropriation Bill No. 27 of 2020. The object of this Bill is to authorise expenditure from the consolidated fund of monies required for the services of the Republic during the financial year ending, 31^st December, 2021.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Second Reading now.

 

SECOND READING

 

THE APPROPRIATION BILL, 2020

 

Dr Ng’andu: Sir, I beg to move that the Bill be now read a second time.

 

Mr Speaker, the Bill that I will lay before the House is fairly straightforward. Most of the Votes that are contained in the Bill have been adequately debated in this House. I am, therefore, seeking favourable consideration of the Bill that I have presented.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

The Minister of Justice (Mr Lubinda): Sir, thank you very much for giving me this opportunity to say a few words about the Bill before us.

 

Mr Speaker, it is beyond doubt that coming up with the 2020 Budget was not an easy task. It was an enormous exercise. It took many nights for the hon. Minister and his team, and the Cabinet to come up with the Budget. In retrospect, one wonders what this country could have been like, had it not been for the amounts of money that we see allocated in the Budget, particularly, to Vote 99. It is especially because of the great improvements that have been made in this country that we have a Budget, such as the one that we have. Therefore, I commend the hon. Minister of Finance for making these proposals and the many tax measures that he came up with, that will enable the country move forward and encourage investment. It is because of the continuous Budgets that have been presented by the Patriotic Front (PF) Government that we see a proliferation of investment in the country, even in parts of the country that hitherto, were considered non-attractive.

 

Sir, the past three months, we have had long debates on the Budget, and we heard a lot of interesting debates around it. One would have expected that today, we would have been seeing a Budget which is somewhat different from the one that the hon. Minister presented, when he laid his first Yellow Book before us. Unfortunately, all the interesting debates ended up only being rhetorical. I say this because there is no other institution in this country that is mandated the responsibility of approving a Budget, save for the National Assembly.

 

Mr Speaker, seeing that the Budget has passed through Parliament with only a few amendments and all of them suggested by the Executive, it is time to remind the people of Zambia that their country is in very safe hands, hands of men and women who came to Parliament with one proposal and that proposal was supported by everybody in Parliament, including the ruling party officials and the Back Benchers. All of them supported it from the start to the end. Therefore, as we go into next year, I just want to remind the people of Zambia not to take chances. They should not experiment because this Government has demonstrated with three consecutive Budgets that it is capable of presenting a Budget that receives the total support of Parliament and from them. I say this because, previously, as all are well aware, no Budget would be presented to Parliament without provoking amendments being suggested by the Opposition. However, under the hands of the current Government and the leadership of His Excellency the President, Mr Edgar Chagwa Lungu, Budgets have continuously been supported without amendments.

 

Sir, I, therefore, wish to thank the Opposition for showing unanimity and supporting the programmes of this Government. It shows that they agree that this is the right way to take the country. Otherwise, over the last three months, had they any alternative ideas, surely, they should have expressed them through indicating amendments to the Budget. The fact that they did not show that this was a well-thought-through and well-written Budget, it is not like me to pat myself on the back, but on an occasion like this. The people of Zambia ought to be told that this Government deserves even more support, going forward, because our hands are the safest to govern this country.

 

I thank you, Mr Speaker.

 

Mr Mwiimbu (Monze Central): Mr Speaker, ordinarily, after the hon. Minister of Finance moved the Motion to support the Appropriation Bill with the decency that he exhibited, I would not have responded. However, having listened to the hon. Minister of Justice, I am obliged to respond to the issues he has raised.

 

Sir, throughout the debate on the Budget, hon. Members of the Opposition raised serious issues that affect the welfare of the country. We expected the Government to listen to the issues that we raised, but alas, it did not. I want to state that I am so disappointed that the Government of the day that has sunk the country to the level it is, where it is now bleeding because of the debt crisis, can praise itself for performing so well and that the people of Zambia are so happy and are dancing in the streets to give it another term. I wish to state that, come 2021, the Patriotic Front (PF) Government will pack and this is the last ...

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Mwiimbu: ... Budget it is presenting on the Floor of this House.

 

Mr Speaker, the PF Government has led to too many people not having jobs in this country and the closure of too many companies, and there is no way that we can praise it. We will not –

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

No running commentaries. Hon. Member, give me a moment to restore order.

 

 Let us avoid running commentaries. We are almost coming to the end of the long winding process that we have had since September. On the last day, should we struggle to conclude this process? It should not be that way. We have come a long way.

 

Hon. Member for Monze Central, you may continue.

 

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, the PF Government attempted to bring a Bill, where workers would not be paid after retiring, if the employer had no money. That is irresponsibility of the highest order. How can the people of Zambia praise the PF Government? The PF Government has failed the people of the Southern Province by giving them three bags of fertiliser. How are they going to vote for it? They will not.

 

Sir, the hon. Minister of Justice said that we should have brought an alternative Budget, but under which law? The Budget is debated outside and not in the House. So, there is no way we can bring an alternative Budget because there is no provision in the law.

 

Interruptions

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

Mr Mwiimbu: Mr Speaker, there was no need for us to bring an alternative Budget here because the law does not allow that, and there is no shadow Minister of Finance to present it. So, do not bring things which are unlawful here on the Floor of the House.

 

Mr Speaker, the hon. Minister of Justice has indicated that the people of Zambia are very happy with the Patriotic Front (PF) Government. That is what he has indicated. However, he should realise that it is only under the PF Government where hon. Ministers and hon. Members of Parliament of the Ruling Party are being clobbered by their electorate. This has never happened before. That shows that the people of Zambia are not happy with the Ruling Party.

 

Mr Speaker, as I indicated, I was going to raise and support the Appropriation Bill, but because of the way the hon. Minister has argued and ridiculed us, we cannot support it. There must be decency in the way we debate, and because of the decent human being, who is the hon. Minister of Finance, I support the Motion.

 

I thank you, Sir.

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Hear, hear!

 

Mr Speaker: The hon. Deputy Chief Whip will debate, and then we will end with the United Party for National Development (UPND) Whip, Hon. Dr Musokotwane, Member of Parliament for Liuwa.

 

Mr Ngulube (Kabwe Central): Mr Speaker, thank you. Allow me to congratulate the hardworking Patriotic Front (PF) Government, and His Excellency the President of Zambia, for having steered this country to greater heights even in the face of a ravaging global pandemic, the Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19).

 

Mr Speaker, like the hon. Minister of Justice said, there is nothing that the Opposition has offered in their criticism or debate which shows that this Budget has failed. The country can see that the PF Government is the best Government to continue running the affairs of this country even after next year’s elections.

 

Mr Speaker, I am aware that some people only come to the Floor of the House to raise their complaints. They run to the Floor of the House to do things that they lost because they deliberately ran away from Government processes. President Lungu has demonstrated – (Inaudible) – Even in the face of all that the world has been encountering; the President has held the economy firmly. Today, ratings show that Zambia is an investment destination – (Inaudible)  – All this would not have been achieved, if the President was not running the affairs of this country to the expectations of many Zambians. People are lining up at registration centres. They are saying that they are there to register as voters so that the PF continues. There is nobody in the Opposition who is going to stand and defeat the PF Government.

 

Mr Speaker, the Budget presented before you and approved by this House is one testimony, and it shows clearly that the PF Government – (Inaudible) – It has again demonstrated that if we do not put more money in people’s pockets, they will not achieve economic prosperity. Speaking as a businessman, when COVID-19 started, we all thought that the world had come to an end, but because of the beautiful PF policies, the PF Government has shown that it is the people who can run the affairs of this country.

 

Mr Speaker, we have the so-called economic managers, the so-called former finance Ministers. They presented an alternative budget last year but it flopped. It could not even tackle the basics of a national Budget. That is why, this year, they avoided coming up with a document that does not make sense. I want to tell them, once more, that in 2021, the PF Government will continue running the affairs of this country. The PF Government will continue reducing the taxes, and giving the people of Zambia, an equal and fair treatment in terms of infrastructure.

 

Mr Speaker, right now, every hon. Member of Parliament is clapping and saying that the President gave them the Constituency Development Fund (CDF). The President has been directing the hon. Minister of Finance to give every hon. Member of Parliament, whether Independent, United Party for National Development (UPND), or PF, the CDF. What kind of a president would we have if we did not have President Lungu in State House?

 

Sir, all these people who are intimating that they want to run this country are already showing us that they have not repented from the role they played in the privatisation of companies. How can someone say he will sell the presidential jet? How can someone who is not yet President be planning to sell off part of the land at State House so that he can make money off it or probably buy it themselves?

 

Mr Speaker, those who failed the people of Zambia during privatisation will not see heaven. They will not enter State House, and we are going to ensure it with our votes. They have been burning down markets, gassing people and doing everything illegal with the view of instilling fear in people. The people of Zambia are going to ensure that everybody who was involved in gassing and privatisation is not given a vote to go to State House.

 

Mr Speaker, with these few remarks, allow me to also remind the Leader of Opposition, Hon. Jack Mwiimbu, that this is time to give up. This is time to find a young Member of Parliament to represent the people of Monze Central. They have failed to form Government and he cannot continue in the Opposition for more than twenty years. On moral grounds, Hon. Jack Mwiimbu, please –

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

The hon. Member’s time expired.

 

Mrs Chinyama: Who sells drugs around Parliament kanshi?

 

Dr Musokotwane (Liuwa): Mr Speaker, thank you for enabling me to make a few remarks about this Appropriation Bill. It was never my intention to stand and debate this matter, partly because of the respect that we have for the hon. Minister of Finance who is a human being that we can talk to. He is a decent person, but unfortunately –

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

 Hon. Member, there is a risk that you may now be debating an individual. Let us get to the Bill.

 

Dr Musokotwane: Fine, I will stop.

 

Mr Speaker, I have been forced to debate this because, unfortunately, there are people who are so good at being spoilers. To a large extent, this also explains why the Constitution of Zambia Amendment Bill No. 10 of 2019, failed because the people who were given the charge to carry it out –

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

Hon. Musokotwane, I am urging you to debate the Bill at hand.

 

Dr Musokotwane: Very well.

 

Mr Speaker, it is a gross misrepresentation to suggest that the United Party for National Development (UPND) had no suggestions and positions to make on this Budget. How could we have failed to bring issues to the Budget when we know that even with this so-called global economic crisis caused by the Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19), we could have easily sailed above it, if we had a more responsible Government, like we did in 2008-2009, when there was a global economic crisis. However, the Government was irresponsible, that it borrowed everywhere.

 

Sir, the IMF was telling every country in the world that they would give them money. However, when Zambia ran out of money, IMF refused to help because it had over-borrowed. Had there been a responsible Government, it would have not over-borrow, the exchange rate would never have reached K21, as it has today because the money in the IMF, in dollars, would have come to this country. We would have been selling dollars on the market, and the exchange rate would have stabilised, as it did in 2009. Therefore, to suggest that we have no positive things to say is shocking.

 

Sir, we have been telling this Government to take matters seriously. In the past two or three years, the country has seen serious load shedding. The only reason why this load shedding which is destroying our economy has come about is that the PF delayed the Kafue George Lower Project.

 

Hon. Government Members: Ah!

 

Hon. Opposition Members: Yes!

 

Dr Musokotwane: Mr Speaker, if you go through media reports, you will find that that project was launched in 2011. It was commissioned and work started. It was due to be completed in 2016. From 2016 to date, the country would not have been having any power shortage at all. However, when the Patriotic Front (PF) Government came into power, for no reasons we understood, because it cancelled the project, only to bring it back later and costing almost twice the amount of money it should have cost. Have you seen what is happening now? The people of Zambia have suffered because of the carelessness of this Government.

 

Mr Speaker, today, our mining sector is on its knees yet somebody comes here to talk about what is happening to the Konkola Copper Mines plc (KCM). It is total confusion. First of all, the Government disobeyed what was in the agreement because it said that it had to go for arbitration. The Government ignored that and went for liquidation. Therefore, it lost court cases in South Africa, as well as, here at home. Even with that, it still says it is going to appeal. It then says that it is going to sell the mine. Which investor is going to buy an asset that is under dispute in a country? So, with the combination of all these mistakes committed by the PF in the last ten years, this is where –

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

The hon. Member’s time expired.

 

Dr Ng’andu: Mr Speaker, the Bill before this House concludes the process that started with the Committee of Supply with the presentation of the 2021 Budget to this House on Friday, 25^th September, 2020. 

 

Mr Speaker, as we come to the end of the process, I wish to take this opportunity to express my appreciation to you for your guidance during the conduct of Business in the House. I want to also thank the First and Second Deputy Speakers for providing guidance and direction during the debates on the Budget.

 

Mr Speaker, let me also recognise the contribution made by the Leader of Government Business, Her Honour the Vice-President, for ensuring that the House was always adequately organised for Business. My thanks also go to the Clerk of the National Assembly and her staff for the invaluable service and support rendered throughout the debate on this Motion as well as the hon. Members of this House for their observations, constructive criticism and valuable suggestions on the various aspects of the debate. Although sometimes our emotions overtook us, I wish to assure them that those comments that have been made are in good faith and will be looked at with a possibility that the Executive can incorporate some of them in the process of implementation.

 

Mr Speaker, I also wish to thank our cooperating partners for their invaluable support in dealing with the elevated expenditures, arising from the effects of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID -19) pandemic.

 

Mr Speaker, in line with the theme of the budget, which is, “Stimulating Economic Recovery and Build Resilience to Safeguard Livelihoods and Protects the Vulnerable”, the 2021 Budget sets out to achieve this by giving practical support to business and individuals who are protecting the vulnerable .

 

Mr Speaker, I would like to just briefly speak to some of these specific measures in the budget which demonstrated –

 

Mr Speaker: Order!

 

Hon. Minister, we are up against tight time. We need to stop at a particular point. Otherwise, we will run into a crisis.

 

Dr Ng’andu: Mr Speaker, before I create a crisis, I would like, in conclusion, to indicate that the 2021 Budget clearly lays out a foundation for economic recovery, building of resilience, safeguarding of livelihoods and protection of the vulnerable. I, therefore, call upon all of us in this House, as we retreat to our respective constituencies, to preach and rally behind the message and the spirit on which this Budget was premised.

 

Mr Speaker, I thank you. 

 

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

 

Committed to a Committee of the Whole House.

 

Committee Stage now.

 

_______

 

HOUSE IN COMMITTEE

 

[THE CHAIRPERSON OF COMMITTEES in the

Chair]

 

THE APPROPRIATION BILL, 2020

 

Clauses 1 and 2 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

Schedule ordered to stand part of the Bill.

 

Title agreed to.

 

­­­­­­­­­­_______

 

HOUSE RESUMED

 

[MR SPEAKER in the Chair]

 

The Appropriation Bill was reported to the House as having passed through Committee without amendments.

 

Third Reading today.

 

THIRD READING

 

The Appropriation Bill, 2020, was read the third time and passed.

 

_______

 

MOTION

 

ADJOURNMENT SINE DIE

 

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

 

Question put and agreed to.

_______

 

The House adjourned accordingly at 1648 hours on Thursday, 10^thDecember, 2020, sine die.

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