Monday 29 September 2014

Lusaka High Court Upholds Mufumbwe MP Masumba's Jail Term

Steven Masumba
By Paul Shalala

The Lusaka High Court has upheld the Subordinate Court's one year jail sentence of former Sports Deputy Minister Steven Masumba, for obtaining percuniary advantage in securing employment.

Mr Masumba  allegedly secured employment at the Lusaka Business Development College using a forged Accounting Diploma.

Delivering judgement, today in a packed Court Room, Lusaka High Court Judge Chalwe Muchenga noted that the prosecution had proved the case against Mr Masumba.

Judge Muchenga dismissed all the four grounds of appeal that Mr Masumba relied upon.

The Judge interprted the one year Jail sentence imposed on Mr Masumba by the Subordinate Court,as having no sense of shock.

Judge Muchenga  stated that Mr Masumba was infact lack to have been handed such a jail term.

He however granted Mr Masumba leave to appeal to the Supreme Court.

Last year the Lusaka Magistrate Court slapped Mr Masumba with the one year jail term for obtaining percuniary advantage in obtaining employment,through a forged Accounting Diploma.

Mr Masumba claimed that the Diploma in question was awarded to him by the National Institute for Public Administration.

Dissatisfied with the court verdict Mr Masumba filed an appeal in the Lusaka High Court.

He was granted K10,000 bail with two working sureties. (Text by Hannock Kasama)

Female Councillors Call For 50% Adoption Of Women In Elections

Councillors and Gender activists at the conference
By Paul Shalala

80 female Councillors from various active political parties have called for a legal framework that will compel various players in politics to implement a 50-50% representation of both men and women to consolidate democracy.

 In a communique read on Friday by Kawambwa District Council Chairperson Angela Sichone at the just ended national conference for women in politics held at Andrews Motel in Lusaka, the female councillors have argued that if this legal framework is enacted, it will help the nation consolidate its thriving democracy.

Ms Sichone revealed that the female councillors have also called on all active political parties to review their manifestos and provide 50% adoption rate for women parliamentary and local government candidates.

"Gender equity and equality must be enshrined in the national constitution to ensure 50-50 representation of both men and women to ensure the consolidation of democracy in Zambia," said Sichone, who is also a female councillor in in the male dominated Kawambwa District Council of Luapula Province.

The two day conference was organised by the Zambia National Women's Lobby who brought three female Councillors from Finland who shared their experiences of female politics in the Scandinavian country.

And ruling Patriotic Front Director for Media and Publicity Brian Hapunda says the ruling party is ready to adopt the proposal as it views women as partners in development.

"Our commitment to increasing the number of women in decision making positions can be seen from our adoption of women candidates in Vubwi and Zambezi West who won us parliamentary seats earlier this month," said Hapunda.

But the National Democratic Party says the proposal is not workable because political parties adopt candidates on popularity basis and not on gender.

"Political parties adopt parliamentary and local government candidates based on their strength and popularity. We cant adopt candidates just because they are women even when they are unpopular. This proposal cant work," said Edwin Zulu, Secretary General of the National Democratic Party.


Zambia has one of the lowest number of female legislators in the world.

Of the 150 elected members of parliament, only 20 are women and of the total 1,444 Councillors countrywide, only 84 are women.

None of the female councillors is a Mayor and among female MPs, only four are Full Ministers in a Cabinet of 22 Ministers.

The biggest challenge for women to become elected leaders is the low adoption rate of women among political parties.

In 2011, less than 50 women were adopted by various political parties to contest the 150 seats in Parliament.

In the run upto the 2016 general elections, the Zambia National Women's Lobby has started conducting mentoring workshops for female politicians who are aspiring to contest as councillors and members of parliament.

This is in a bid to increase the number of women in District Councils and Parliament in 2016.

Sunday 28 September 2014

Women: The Untapped Powerhouse For Climate Action


Lozi Ndondi in the flood plain in western Zambia. 
By Lubasi Wachata

Climate change is one of the key challenges of our times. Globally, climate change has been recognized as a serious phenomenon with harsh repercussions for human development. Expert assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predict that global warming will have its worst impacts in developing countries particularly in Africa, South and West Asia. As a developing country, Zambia is experiencing the impacts of climate change with an increase in extreme weather events such as droughts, floods and increases in temperature. The country has also witnessed delayed onset of the rainfall and earlier cessation, resulting in shorter rainy seasons with more intense rainfall. The effects of climate change are already widespread and consequential to the country’s key sectors namely agriculture and food security, energy and water, human health, natural resources and wildlife. Due to Zambia’s over reliance on rain-fed agriculture and natural resource exploitation, such climate problems are expected to continue to manifest in future thereby calling for climate action to abate the situation.

While a vast literature exists about the vulnerability of women to climate change impacts, little has been written about how women can play an active role in climate action. Women have generally been perceived merely as victims of climate change and natural disasters.  However, women’s vulnerability has also made them keenly aware of their environments and the devastating impacts of climate change. As a result, women are well positioned to be agents of change in all actions intended to respond to the climate challenge both through adaptation and mitigation.

In the context of adaptation, a number of areas exist for climate action in which women are already actively involved namely the agriculture sector. Statistics show that at least about 80 percent of Zambia’s rural population depends on agricultural related activities. Further, studies show that rural women make up the larger share of the agricultural workforce of about 70 percent. Women therefore bear the primary responsibility for household food security, nutrition and health for families. Despite this fact, it is sad to note that women in agriculture are disadvantaged by their lack of equal access with their male counterparts to essential resources such as land and decision making power. While current laws in Zambia do not discriminate against women to own land, women still lack access to land. The 1995 Lands Act guarantees women the possibility of being land owners with security tenure of 99 years. However the Land Act also allows Customary Laws which mainly confer land ownership on men to apply to the administration of customary land. As a result, women do not have security to tenure as this is reliant on their husband or male relatives.

With respect to mitigation, Zambia’s contribution to the regional greenhouse gas emission level is relatively small. However, emissions from land use change are on an increase due to deforestation and land conversion. Halting deforestation is therefore the country’s primary mitigation action. There is potential for Zambia to reduce or store greenhouse gases particularly in the energy sector where women are already active.  While the energy sector consists of electricity, fossil fuel and renewable energy, wood is the most significant energy source accounting for about 80 percent of domestic energy in the country. Provision of energy for domestic use is typically a woman’s job in Zambia. Women often resort to the energy-inefficient open burning of biomass such as charcoal or firewood. They continue to spend enormous time procuring the biomass and they need larger amounts as they burn it inefficiently. Not only does this give them less time to pursue other income generating activities, the practice also exacerbates deforestation. Studies show that between 1990 and 2000, Zambia had the highest deforestation rate of about 851 000 ha in Southern Africa. This made Zambia account for almost half the deforestation in the Southern Africa Development Community region. Thus, mitigation actions such as the use of efficient energy systems at the household level can not only reduce both deforestation and unhealthy emissions, but also harness the potential of women as actors for mitigation measures. 

Climate change policy that does not address gender fails to utilize women’s potential in climate action. While the need for gender mainstreaming into climate change policy has generally been accepted at the international level, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol lack specific language related to gender. However, numerous other international legal instruments mandate the incorporation of the gender perspective which also applies to the existing climate change framework. Agenda 21, the Millennium Declaration, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification among others are gender-aware initiatives that may affect climate change policy. As political will for a new and meaningful universal agreement at the climate negotiations in Paris in 2015 is being mobilized, it is important that differentiated responsibilities of women and men be taken into account. Integrating gender into mitigative and adaptive policies will better deal with the repercussions of climate change. Empowering women and realizing gender equality are essential goals in themselves, but are in addition vital components of managing climate change and creating a more sustainable future.

Thursday 25 September 2014

ECZ Runs Out Of Money For Continuous Voters Registration

Priscilla Isaac
By Paul Shalala

The Electoral commission of Zambia (ECZ) has disclosed that it is unable to conduct the continuous voter registration this year due to lack of funding.

ECZ Director Priscilla Isaac says the unending by-elections the country has witnessed this year have contributed to the loss of funds for voter education.

"This year we are unable to continue conducting the continuous voter registration exercise mainly due to lack of funds," said Isaac in an interview.

According to the Electoral Act, the ECZ is supposed to conduct voter registration through out the year.

The law however provides that the electoral body must halt the exercise in an event of parliamentary or local government by-elections.

Hakainde Hichilema
Meanwhile, Ms Isaac has disclosed that the commission will next year conduct a massive voter registration exercise ahead of the 2016 General Elections.

"For 2015, we are expected to conduct voter registration for the 2016 General Elections. This will be after we get funding from the National Budget," she said.

This year, the Electoral Commission of Zambia has conducted dozens of local government by-elections and several parliamentary by-elections which include Katuba, Kasenengwa, Mkushi South, Solwezi Central, Vubwi and Zambezi West.

Elias Chipimo Jr.
Currently, the ECZ is using the 2011 voters register which has 5, 167, 154 registered voters.

Opposition political parties have reacted angrily to this revelation.

"This shows how PF lacks priorities. If indeed government had priorities, continuous voters registration would have been well funded and supported," said Hakainde Hichilema, UPND President.

The failure by the ECZ to conduct continuous voter education is worrying because young people who have reached voting age will be defranchised," said Elias Chipimo Jr, NAREP President.

But ZADECO President Langton Sichome seems to have a solution to the problem.

"Let government come up with a supplementary which parliament can approve to allow the ECZ to conduct voter registration," said Sichone.

Sunday 21 September 2014

FODEP Says Lack Of Continuous Voter Registration Causing Apathy

FOUNDATION FOR DEMOCRATIC PROCESS (FODEP)
INTERIM POST ELECTION STATEMENT ON THE JUST ENDED FIVE (5) PARLIAMENTARY BY-ELECTIONS IN MKUSHI SOUTH, KASENENGWA, SOLWEZI CENTRAL, ZAMBEZI WEST AND VUBWI CONSTITUENCIES HELD ON 11TH SEPTEMBER, 2014 ISSUED AT LUSAKA ON 13TH SEPTEMBER 2014 BY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MCDONALD CHIPENZI.
MacDonald Chipenzi

Dear Colleagues,

Foundation for Democratic Process (FODEP) monitored the just ended parliamentary by-elections in the five (5) constituencies by placing both stationed and roving monitors in selected polling stations.  FODEP is happy to present to you its observations and analysis of the just ended by-elections.

From the onset, FODEP would like to congratulate the ruling PF, UPND and MMD for scooping three (3) and one apiece respectively out of the five parliament by-elections held on 11th September 2014 and the peaceful, disciplined environment in which the elections were held. We hope the winners will celebrate responsibly while the losers prepare for themselves for 2016.  We want to further commend all political parties, their supporters and all stakeholders in the electoral process for ensuring that the just ended by-elections proceeded on well, peacefully and orderly.

The management and administration of the electoral process by the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) also deserves commendation. We will be failing in our duty too if we do not recognize and appreciate the efforts Zambia Police Force put in maintaining law and order throughout the election process. To all, we say well done and further encourage them to continue cherishing peaceful means of conflict resolution in future elections.

FODEP however, bemoans the high levels of voter apathy that characterized the by-elections. To illustrate this, Zambezi West with 10,206 voters only 4924 voters cast their votes representing 48.2% the highest turn out in this round of by-elections. Kasenengwa with 41, 795 had 15,141 voters voting representing 36.2% turnout. Vubwi with 18,084 registered voters had only about 6,693 voters casting their votes representing 37.0% while Solwezi Central with 52,900 voters only had about 10,403 casting their votes representing 19.67% turnout. Mkushi South in Luano District with 12,793 had only about 4,738 voters casting their vote representing 37.04%. As illustrated above, all the constituencies failed to score 50% voter turnout.

This is a trend that we need to contain before it undermines the 2016 tripartite elections. Lack or limited voter education, distances to the polling stations, disconnect between the elected and electors, poor service delivery e.g. government’s failure to purchase maize through Food Reserve Agency (FRA), fear of precedents of violence and intimidation and un-updated voters’ register were cited as reasons for poor voter turnout in some constituencies.

Nonetheless, the results from the five constituencies show very interesting electoral and political trends. The victories and losses scored were as a result of various variables ranging from political party and candidates’ strengths and popularities respectively to urban-rural divide and desire to be close the party in power. More importantly though about these by-elections is the fact that they have “given birth” to three (3) women parliamentarians, increasing the percentage of women in the House. They have sent a strong signal that women can compete and win even competitive electoral contests and defeat their menfolk.

FODEP further noted the regional voting pattern which was conspicuously reflected out of these five by-elections. For instance, UPND was either second to the ruling party or first in areas where it is traditionally strong so is the MMD while PF has performed well in areas where it is also traditionally strong and took advantage of the incumbency in other areas to dilute and usurp opposition strength in their strongholds. 

FODEP’s analysis shows that Solwezi Central and Kasenengwa constituencies both located in an urban set-up were won by the opposition while Mkushi South, Vubwi and Zambezi West which are rural constituencies were scooped by the ruling party. This entails that the rural vote is favoring the party in power while the urban vote which helped the current party assume power is steadily being eroded. 

Another interesting aspect is that the election results were in favour of the ruling party in both constituencies where new districts have been declared such as Vubwi and Mkushi South (Luano District). In Luano District under Mkushi South Constituency voters could also been showing appreciation to the government for killing the Miloni Brothers who terrorized them for years. In Zambezi West, the overstaying of the losing candidate for the UPND could have caused despondence among voters who opted for a change.

It is an undeniable fact that the electoral results show that PF is making inroads in opposition strongholds as evidenced in Vubwi, Kasenengwa, Solwezi, Mkushi and Zambezi West constituencies partly because some of the constituencies have been associated with the ruling parties for some time except that 2011 elections put them on the other side of the coin. The ruling party religious used development projects as a campaign bait such as road construction, communications towers, agriculture marketing, etc. The indiscriminate used of government facilities, resources and the dangling of development projects to constituencies where elections too place by the government ministers who flooded the constituencies with a lot of promises and pledges undermined the freeness and fairness of the vote.

Regardless, the final analysis and cumulatively indicate that the opposition has lost majority in parliament which will now strengthen the “tyranny of the majority syndrome” and the “arrogance of numbers by the ruling party in the House. Resultantly, however, the MMD, which has becoming a political and electoral fishing pond for both PF and UPND, has suffered the greatest loss because all the seats save for one, contested belonged to it but only retained one. The UPND despite grabbing a seat from MMD i.e. Solwezi Central, has lost its own seat to the ruling party -Zambezi West. Therefore, Zambia is back to the pre-2001 elections where parliament was one party dominated. This situation will undermine democratic accountability in Zambia due to its weakened oversight role. The situation may also have a negative implication on the constitution making process as government may arrogantly opt for a constitutional amendment now that it has increased its numbers in parliament.

Further implication of the electoral results is that Zambia’s “electoral weather” is not static but unpredictable and defeats political parties’ argument that their popularity in 2011 remains strong throughout a 5-year electoral cycle in areas they won elections.  As can be observed some political parties are losing grip of their constituencies at very alarming rate while others are gaining ground 3 years since 2011. There is need for serious reflection and packaging of their messages or indeed relooking at the popularity and caliber of the candidates being adopted. Zambians political system should not be blind to the dangers of allowing weakened opposition in parliamentary as it will undermine parliamentary democracy and accountability.

Finally, FODEP is happy with the manner the Commission transparently managed the just ended election process. However, though the legal framework mandates the Commission to announce the results within 48hrs, it is worrying that, in the midst of high levels of apathy, electoral results are taking long to be released like in situation of high voter turn-out. It is for this reason that FODEP supports the introduction of the electronic result transmission system with the hope that it will resolve the issue of result delayed release of elections results and appeals to all stakeholders to embrace the system.

In conclusion, the just ended parliamentary elections were transparent. However, there is need to continue working towards improving the level playing field on media coverage, use of government resources and unaccounted for time by ministers who spend much of their time in the campaigns rather than serving the citizens. Their presence in numbers has exploited the process to their advantage. To this end, FODEP calls for an urgent need for electoral reforms ahead of the 2016 tripartite elections.

Zambia National Women's Lobby Reacts To Sata's Speech In Parliament

Beauty Katebe
The speech presented to Parliament by President Michael Sata yesterday is encouraging as it has touched on the most critical national issues affecting women and children. The Zambia National Women’s Lobby (ZNWL) is particularly encouraged that the President has yet again shown political will by expressing interest in increasing women’s participation in decision making processes and challenging women to rise to the challenge as there is still room for them to participate in the leadership of the country. We urge the President to go a step further and expedite the constitutional making process so that women’s participation in decision making process is not only backed by political will, but also by the law.

As ZNWL, we are also encouraged that the President has reiterated his commitment to putting in place stringent measures to protect women and children from all forms of abuse. This is important because the prevalence of gender-based violence is currently unacceptable, and posing a challenge to the country’s development.

The President also gave policy direction on how issues of poverty will be tackled. It is a well known fact that poverty is Zambia‘s biggest challenge to national development at the moment and that women are the most affected. We therefore applaud the Government for aligning their policies towards the reduction of poverty through among other strategies, the creation of employment for the youths by adopting an industrialisation and job creation strategy that will focus on specific growth sectors such as agro-processing, manufacturing and creative industries. We feel this will not only reduce poverty levels, but also facilitate the decline in other negative vices that are as the result of joblessness. We implore the Government to provide the necessary financing and training in these programmes if the industries are to compete with the already established multinational –conglomerates and further provide stringent monitoring mechanisms.

We further feel that this policy ties in well with Governments’ plans to enact the customary land administration bill which will ensure that the interests of the local people in rural areas are protected.


Zambia has been quoted amongst the most undernourished nations in the region. While the President’s pronouncement on guaranteeing the food security as it relates to the staple food is welcome, we feel there is need for deliberate policies that will encourage crop diversification as a means of improving the nutritional status of the nation.  People also need to be sensitised on the importance of consuming the right kind of food as the lack of proper nutrition leads to cognitive deficiencies among other problems.

Health care is of paramount importance in any development endeavour hence, Government’s announcement that construction of 650 health posts has commenced and that the major health institutions are being equipped with ultra modern equipment, is good news. This will assist in bringing basic health care closer to Zambians, especially women. However government must ensure that access to such specialised medical equipment is affordable for all with enough medical personnel to guarantee the acceptable standards of health care.
We however would have appreciated if the President had provided a time frame on when some important national issues like the constitutional making process and its road map would take place.

Issued by National Chairperson, Ms Beauty Katebe
Zambia National Women’s Lobby

Saturday 20 September 2014

President Sata's Speech During Opening Of National Assembly

PRESIDENT MICHAEL SATA'S SPEECH ON THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE FOURTH SESSION OF THE ELEVENTH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

FRIDAY, 19TH SEPTEMBER 2014
MR. SPEAKER,
President Michael Sata arrives at the Parliament Buildings in 2013

IAM PRIVILEGED AND HONOURED TODAY TO BE WITH YOU AND THE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT ON THIS IMPORTANT DAY OF OUR NATIONAL CALENDAR TO OFFICIALLY OPEN THE FOURTH SESSION OF THE ELEVENTH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY. IT IS NOW THREE YEARS SINCE THE PATRIOTIC FRONT GOVERNMENT TOOK OFFICE, AND THERE ARE ONLY TWO YEARS BEFORE THE NEXT ELECTIONS.
IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES,  

MR. SPEAKER,  
MY ADDRESS THIS MORNING WILL BE IN TWO PARTS, THE FIRST BEING THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PATRIOTIC FRONT‘S GOVERNMENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES TO DATE, ITS CHALLENGES AND THE WAY FORWARD, WHILST THE SECOND PART WILL DEAL WITH DETAILS AND STATISTICS OF THESE PROGRAMMES AND THE WAY FORWARD, WHICH SECOND PART I WILL LAY ON THE TABLE FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE HON MEMBERS AND ULTIMATELY FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE PUBLIC.

MR. SPEAKER,
THIS SESSION OF PARLIAMENT COMES AT A TIME WHEN OUR COUNTRY WILL BE CELEBRATING FIFTY YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE ON 24TH OCTOBER THIS YEAR. I AM GLAD THAT SUCH A MOMENTOUS AND HISTORIC OCCASION IS COMING WHEN THE PATRIOTIC FRONT HAS THE PRIVILEGE OF GOVERNING THIS GREAT NATION. IT IS MY HOPE THAT THE GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PEOPLE OF ZAMBIA TO REFLECT ON WHERE WE ARE COMING FROM AND PLAN WHERE WE WANT ZAMBIA TO BE IN THE NEXT 50 YEARS.

MR. SPEAKER,
IT IS SAD TO NOTE THAT ON 2ND DECEMBER 2013, THIS HOUSE LOST HONOURABLE DR. PATRICK MWEWA ANTHONY CHIKUSU, WHO WAS MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR KATUBA CONSTITUENCY AND DEPUTY MINISTER OF HEALTH. MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PEACE.

MR. SPEAKER,
THAT SAID, ALLOW ME TO CONVEY MY CONGRATULATIONS TO THE SEVEN NEWLY ELECTED MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT. IAM CERTAIN THAT YOU WILL DISCHARGE YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES IN THIS REGARD SENSITIVE TO THE IMPORTANT MESSAGES COMMUNICATED BY OUR PEOPLE TO ALL OF US AS WE CAMPAIGNED FOR THEIR VOTES.

MR. SPEAKER,
ZAMBIA HAS POSTED STRONG INDICATORS OF PROGRESS IN THE POLITICAL, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL SPHERES UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF THE PATRIOTIC FRONT GOVERNMENT. THESE ACHIEVEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF OUR ENDURING UNITY, PEACE AND STABILITY. FOR THIS, WE MUST BE THANKFUL TO THE ALMIGHTY GOD.

MR. SPEAKER,
DURING THE LAST SESSION, THE HOUSE DEALT WITH MATTERS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE AFFECTING THE WELFARE OF OUR PEOPLE. MEMBERS OF THIS AUGUST HOUSE ABLY CONSIDERED AND PASSED LEGISLATION AND DEBATED ON SERIOUS AND AT TIMES DELICATE MATTERS OF NATIONAL IMPORTANCE IN A WAY WHICH UPHELD TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND GOOD GOVERNANCE. I URGE THIS AUGUST HOUSE TO CONTINUE FULFILLING ITS LEGISLATIVE AND OVERSIGHT RESPONSIBILITY TO THE ZAMBIAN PEOPLE.

MR. SPEAKER,
THIS AUGUST HOUSE WILL RECALL THAT IN MY ADDRESS DURING THE FIRST SESSION OF THE ELEVENTH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, I COMMITTED OUR GOVERNMENT TO MOVE THIS COUNTRY FORWARD DECISIVELY TOWARDS THE ERADICATION OF POVERTY AND UNDER DEVELOPMENT.
OUR GOVERNMENT IS FIRMLY OF THE VIEW THAT MEANINGFUL ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION IS FUNDAMENTAL TO OUR COLLECTIVE PROSPERITY AS A NATION. INDEED, THE COUNTRY HAS CONTINUED TO POST ROBUST ECONOMIC GROWTH IN EXCESS OF 6 PERCENT SINCE THE PATRIOTIC FRONT ASSUMED OFFICE. 

MR. SPEAKER,
THE HONOURABLE MINISTER OF FINANCE WILL IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS BRING TO THIS AUGUST HOUSE THE NATIONAL BUDGET PROPOSALS FOR 2015.  THE BUDGET ADDRESS WILL HIGHLIGHT THE PERFORMANCE OF OUR ECONOMY IN RELATION TO BOTH REGIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS AND SHOW HOW THESE HAVE IMPACTED ON THE STANDARD OF LIVING OF OUR PEOPLE.  I, THEREFORE URGE YOU HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT TO SUPPORT THIS PROGRESSIVE NATIONAL BUDGET.

MR. SPEAKER,
TO INCREASE FISCAL SPACE FOR INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT GOVERNMENT APPROVED THE TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS OF THE PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP (PPP) UNIT TO THE ZAMBIA DEVELOPMENT AGENCY TO FACILITATE THE MERGER OF THE TWO INSTITUTIONS. I THEREFORE DIRECT THE MINISTERS RESPONSIBLE FOR FINANCE AND COMMERCE, TRADE AND INDUSTRY TO FULLY REALISE THE MERGER IN ORDER TO OPTIMALLY USE PPP TO ATTRACT INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS AND HENCE PROMOTE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

MR. SPEAKER,
EDUCATION AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT ARE KEY TO OUR OVERALL GOAL OF ACHIEVING ACCELERATED NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT.  I AM, THEREFORE, HAPPY TO REPORT TO THIS AUGUST HOUSE ON A NUMBER OF SUCCESSES THAT GOVERNMENT HAS SCORED IN THIS SECTOR SINCE ASSUMING OFFICE.  

MR. SPEAKER,
TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO AND QUALITY OF EDUCATION, GOVERNMENT HAS COMPLETED CONSTRUCTION OF 41 OF THE 84 TARGETED SECONDARY SCHOOLS REPRESENTING 49 PERCENT COMPLETION RATE WITHIN A SHORT SPACE OF TIME, WHILE THE REMAINING 43 SCHOOLS ARE AT VARIOUS STAGES OF CONSTRUCTION. 

MR. SPEAKER,
IN MY ADDRESS, TO THIS HOUSE LAST YEAR, I RE-AFFIRMED GOVERNMENT’S COMMITMENT TO ESTABLISHING AT LEAST ONE UNIVERSITY IN EACH OF THE TEN PROVINCES.  LET ME STATE THAT CONSTRUCTION WORKS ARE ON-GOING AT ROBERT MAKASA, PAUL MUSHINDO AND PALABANA UNIVERSITIES. AS REGARDS, CHALIMBANA, MUKUBA AND KWAME NKHRUMAH UNIVERSITIES, ADDITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE IS BEING PUT IN PLACE.
I THEREFORE DIRECT THE MINISTER TO ACCELERATE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS INFRASTRUCTURE AND START THE PROCESS TO OPERATIONALISE THESE INSTITUTIONS IN THE SHORTEST POSSIBLE TIME.
FURTHERMORE, TO ADDRESS THE CRITICAL SHORTAGE OF STUDENT ACCOMMODATION IN INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING, GOVERNMENT HAS EMBARKED ON A PROGRAMME TO CONSTRUCT 4,160 BED-SPACE STUDENT HOSTELS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ZAMBIA, 3,200 FOR THE COPPERBELT UNIVERSITY, 1,280 FOR MULUNGUSHI UNIVERSITY AND 960 BED SPACES AT THE EVELYN HONE COLLEGE OF APPLIED ARTS AND COMMERCE. THE CONSTRUCTION IS BEING DONE UNDER THE FRAMEWORK OF DIRECT BUDGET SUPPORT AND PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP.

MR. SPEAKER,
ACCESS TO QUALITY HEALTH SERVICES BY ALL OUR PEOPLE REMAINS THE CORNERSTONE OF THIS GOVERNMENT’S HEALTH POLICY.
IN LINE WITH THIS POLICY, GOVERNMENT HAS CONTINUED TO INCREASE AVAILABILITY OF HEALTH FRONTLINE STAFF, HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE, DRUGS AND OTHER MEDICAL SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT.

MR. SPEAKER,
TO MITIGATE THE SHORTAGE OF SKILLED HEALTH PERSONNEL, GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN REHABILITATING AND CONSTRUCTING TRAINING INSTITUTIONS.  TO THIS EFFECT, TWO NEW TRAINING INSTITUTIONS ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN SENANGA AND LUSAKA AT LEVY MWANAWASA GENERAL HOSPITAL.
IN ADDITION, 27 HEALTH TRAINING INSTITUTIONS COUNTRY-WIDE ARE UNDER REHABILITATION AND EXPANSION. THESE WORKS, WHEN COMPLETED, WILL INCREASE THE HEALTH INSTITUTION TRAINING CAPACITY BY 4,500 STUDENTS BRINGING THE TOTAL TO 10,000.  THIS INCLUDES THE 3,000 STUDENT CAPACITY HEALTH TRAINING FACILITY AT LEVY MWANAWASA GENERAL HOSPITAL. 

MR. SPEAKER,
I AM DELIGHTED TO INFORM THE HOUSE THAT THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE 650 HEALTH POSTS HAS STARTED AND IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY 2016. IN THE AREA OF DISTRICT HOSPITALS, GOVERNMENT HAS SINCE 2011 COMMISSIONED FIVE DISTRICT HOSPITALS IN LUFWANYAMA, CHADIZA, CHIENGI, NAKONDE AND SHANGOMBO.  IN ADDITION, 30 DISTRICT HOSPITALS ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE COUNTRY. BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, GOVERNMENT WILL EMBARK ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF AN ADDITIONAL EIGHT DISTRICT HOSPITALS IN MAFINGA, IKELENGE, NALOLO, LIMULUNGA, VUBWI, MANSA, MUFULIRA AND CHILUBI.

MR. SPEAKER,
GOVERNMENT IS IMPLEMENTING THE MODERNIZATION AND UPGRADING PROGRAMME AIMED AT IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF HEALTH CARE AND REDUCING REFERRALS ABROAD.  
I AM GLAD TO INFORM THE HOUSE THAT APART FROM THE NEW CONSTRUCTION WORKS, GOVERNMENT HAS PROCURED AND INSTALLED MODERN AND SPECIALIZED MEDICAL EQUIPMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL, KITWE AND NDOLA CENTRAL HOSPITALS, AND LIVINGSTONE GENERAL HOSPITAL. THE PROGRAMME WILL BE EXTENDED TO ALL THE 10 PROVINCES.

MR. SPEAKER,
GOVERNMENT HAS ALSO MADE PROGRESS IN DECENTRALISING THE OPERATIONS OF MEDICAL STORES LIMITED IN ORDER TO ENSURE TIMELY AND EFFICIENT DELIVERY OF MEDICINES AND MEDICAL SUPPLIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.   TO THIS EFFECT, GOVERNMENT DECIDED TO ESTABLISH SIX REGIONAL HUBS FOR MEDICAL STORES LTD. 
SO FAR, TWO REGIONAL HUBS ARE FULLY OPERATIONAL, ONE IN CHIPATA AND THE OTHER IN CHOMA, WHILE THE MONGU HUB WILL BE OPERATIONAL BEFORE THE END OF THIS YEAR. 

MR. SPEAKER,
HAVING MADE SOME PROGRESS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, I FURTHER WISH TO DIRECT THE MINISTERS OF HEALTH AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, MOTHER AND CHILD HEALTH TO FOCUS ON FOUR MEASURABLE OUTCOMES: A RADICAL REDUCTION IN DEATHS OF MOTHERS IN PREGNANCY AND CHILD BIRTH; ELIMINATION OF MALARIA; ELIMINATION OF MOTHER TO CHILD TRANSMISSION OF HIV; AND ELIMINATION OF STOCK OUTS IN THE SUPPLY OF DRUGS TO HEALTH CARE INSTITUTIONS.

MR. SPEAKER,
AGRICULTURE REMAINS A KEY DRIVER OF ECONOMIC GROWTH AND POVERTY REDUCTION. GOVERNMENT’S STRATEGIC FOCUS IN THE AGRICULTURE SECTOR IS TO ACHIEVE FOOD SECURITY, PROMOTE CROP DIVERSIFICATION, AS WELL AS INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY AND VALUE ADDITION. 
IN THE CROP SUB-SECTOR, WE CONTINUE TO REGISTER SIGNIFICANT GROWTH. THIS YEAR, WE ACHIEVED A RECORD MAIZE HARVEST OF 3.4 MILLION METRIC TONNES. THIS IS DUE TO THE ENABLING POLICIES OF THE GOVERNMENT, THE HARD WORK OF OUR FARMERS AND FAVOURABLE WEATHER CONDITIONS.

GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO GIVE PRIORITY TO NATIONAL FOOD SECURITY BY INCREASING AND UPGRADING STORAGE CAPACITY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.  IN THIS REGARD, GOVERNMENT HAS INVESTED A TOTAL OF K108.5 MILLION TO UPGRADE 27 STORAGE SHEDS WITH A TOTAL STORAGE CAPACITY OF 117,000 METRIC TONNES. EIGHT OF THESE SHEDS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED WHILST 19 WILL BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.

MR. SPEAKER,
LAST YEAR, I INFORMED THIS AUGUST HOUSE THAT GOVERNMENT PLANNED TO BRING 17,500 HECTARES UNDER IRRIGATION FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM SCALE FARMERS BY 2016.  FURTHER, I STATED THAT OUT OF THIS TARGET, 4,500 HECTARES HAD BEEN BROUGHT UNDER IRRIGATION.  THIS YEAR, AN ADDITIONAL 7,000 HECTARES HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UNDER IRRIGATION BRINGING THE TOTAL TO 11,500 HECTARES. I THEREFORE DIRECT THE MINISTER RESPONSIBLE TO COVER THE REMAINING 6,000 HECTARES BEFORE THE END OF NEXT YEAR.

MR. SPEAKER,
THE PATRIOTIC FRONT GOVERNMENT IS COMMITTED TO DECENTRALISATION AS A WAY OF BRINGING SERVICES CLOSER TO THE PEOPLE AND CREATING EMPLOYMENT.   I AM GLAD TO INFORM THIS AUGUST HOUSE THAT, IN 2015, GOVERNMENT WILL EMPOWER COUNCILS WITH ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL RESOURCES NEEDED TO DELIVER LOCAL SERVICES EFFECTIVELY.
THIS IS AN INITIAL STEP IN OPERATIONALISING THE DECENTRALISATION POLICY WHICH I LAUNCHED IN 2013. TO THIS END, A LOCAL GOVERNMENT EQUALIZATION FUND WILL BE ESTABLISHED TO PROVIDE A SOLID BASE FOR FURTHER DEVOLUTION. 
I WANT TO DIRECT THE MINISTERS OF FINANCE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO DEVELOP AN EFFECTIVE MECHANISM OF ENSURING A PREDICTABLE, STABLE AND SUSTAINABLE SOURCE OF FUNDS FOR LOCAL DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY OF MUNICIPAL SERVICES.

MR. SPEAKER,
GOVERNMENT IS COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT ALL CITIZENS HAVE QUALITY AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING. TO THIS END, WE ARE WORKING TO RESOLVE THE HOUSING DEFICIT THROUGH A NUMBER OF MEASURES.  FIRSTLY, WE HAVE RECAPITALIZED THE ZAMBIA NATIONAL BUILDING SOCIETY WITH AN EQUITY CONTRIBUTION OF K165 MILLION.
THIS WILL ENABLE MORE OF OUR PEOPLE TO ACCESS AFFORDABLE HOUSING CREDIT.  SECONDLY, WE ARE WORKING WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN CLOSING THE HOUSING DEFICIT THROUGH PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS. 

MR. SPEAKER,
GOVERNMENT REMAINS COMMITTED TO IMPROVING THE STANDARD OF LIVING OF OUR PEOPLE IN RURAL AREAS BY ACCELERATING SERVICE DELIVERY. IAM HAPPY TO REPORT THAT ALL THE 32 NEWLY CREATED DISTRICTS HAVE NOW BEEN OPERATIONALISED.
CONSTRUCTION OF INFRASTRUCTURE HAS STARTED IN FIVE OF THESE DISTRICTS, INCLUDING THE UPGRADING OF INFRASTRUCTURE IN CHOMA AND CHINSALI AS NEW PROVINCIAL HEADQUARTERS OF SOUTHERN AND MUCHINGA PROVINCES RESPECTIVELY, WHILE CONSTRUCTION OF DISTRICT OFFICES AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE REMAINING 27 DISTRICTS WILL COMMENCE BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.

MR. SPEAKER,
GOVERNMENT HAS CONTINUED IMPLEMENTING THE RURAL ELECTRIFICATION PROGRAMME WHICH IS NOW MAINLY FOCUSING ON NEW DISTRICTS.  IN THIS REGARD, SIOMA AND NKEYEMA IN WESTERN PROVINCE HAVE ALREADY BEEN ELECTRIFIED WHILE WORKS TO CONNECT NALOLO, LUAMPA AND SIKONGO ARE ON-GOING.  GOVERNMENT ALSO PLANS TO CONNECT OTHER AREAS TO THE NATIONAL GRID. THESE INCLUDE SHANGOMBO, LUANGWA, RUFUNSA, CHAMA AND LUNDAZI DISTRICTS, WHICH ARE CURRENTLY SUPPLIED BY DIESEL GENERATED POWER.

MR. SPEAKER,
DURING MY LAST ADDRESS TO THIS HOUSE, I STATED THAT GOVERNMENT HAD UNDERTAKEN CONSULTATIONS WITH VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS ON THE INTRODUCTION OF LEGISLATION THAT WOULD GOVERN CUSTOMARY LAND.

I NOW WISH TO INFORM THIS HOUSE THAT THE CUSTOMARY LAND ADMINISTRATION BILL HAS BEEN DRAFTED AND WILL BE TABLED BEFORE THIS HOUSE IN 2015. ONCE THE LEGISLATION IS ENACTED, IT WILL ENSURE THAT THE INTERESTS OF LOCAL PEOPLE IN THE RURAL FARMING COMMUNITIES ARE PROTECTED AND PROMOTED AS WELL AS IMPROVE THE POSSIBILITIES FOR BETTER ECONOMIC UTILISATION OF LAND.

MR. SPEAKER,
DESPITE CONTINUING IMPROVEMENTS IN THE CAPACITY OF THE ECONOMY TO CREATE NEW JOBS, THE ISSUE OF UNEMPLOYMENT REMAINS ONE OF OUR MAJOR CHALLENGES. IN THIS REGARD, GOVERNMENT HAS ADOPTED AN INDUSTRIALISATION AND JOB CREATION STRATEGY FOCUSING ON SPECIFIC GROWTH SECTORS SUCH AS AGRO-PROCESSING, MANUFACTURING, TOURISM, CONSTRUCTION, CREATIVE INDUSTRIES, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, METAL FABRICATION, STEEL PRODUCTION, CLOTHING AND TEXTILES.

I AM PLEASED TO INFORM THIS HOUSE THAT, GOVERNMENT HAS CREATED OVER 456, 539 FORMAL JOBS IN VARIOUS SECTORS OF THE ECONOMY SINCE 2011. 

MR. SPEAKER,
THE CONSTRUCTION SECTOR HOLDS ENORMOUS POTENTIAL FOR JOB CREATION AND ALLEVIATION OF POVERTY FOR THE MAJORITY OF ZAMBIANS. SINCE 2011, THE SECTOR HAS CREATED A TOTAL OF 93, 487 JOBS. I WISH TO DIRECT ALL THE MINISTRIES, PROVINCES AND SPENDING AGENCIES TO ENSURE THAT 20 PERCENT SUB- CONTRACTING AND JOB CREATION FOR LOCALS SHOULD BE PART OF THE EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR AWARD OF ALL CONTRACTS.
IN ADDITION, GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE TO PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE FURTHER GROWTH OF THE SMALL AND MEDIUM BUSINESS TO PROMOTE JOB CREATION.

MR. SPEAKER,
GOVERNMENT IS KEEN TO RAISE THE RATE OF INVESTMENT IN THE ECONOMY. IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, GOVERNMENT ATTRACTED A TOTAL OF 5.2 BILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS IN FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT.  THIS IS A CLEAR INDICATION THAT OUR COUNTRY IS AN ATTRACTIVE INVESTMENT DESTINATION.

MR. SPEAKER, 
GOVERNMENT WILL, THEREFORE, CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT AIMED AT ATTRACTING MORE INVESTMENTS INTO THE COUNTRY.
GOVERNMENT HAS FINALLY ESTABLISHED THE INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO OVERSEE AND MANAGE THE STATE-OWNED ENTERPRISES, AS WELL AS COMPLEMENT PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT IN STRATEGIC AREAS.  GOVERNMENT HAS ALSO BEEN RECAPITALIZING A NUMBER OF STATE OWNED ENTERPRISES FOR THEM TO RUN ON A COMMERCIAL BASIS AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE TREASURY. 

THE STATE OWNED ENTERPRISES RECAPITALISED SO FAR INCLUDE NATIONAL SAVINGS AND CREDIT BANK, ZAMBIA CONSOLIDATED COPPER MINES INVESTMENT HOLDINGS, ZAMBIA NATIONAL BUILDING SOCIETY, ZAMBIA RAILWAYS LIMITED AND NITROGEN CHEMICALS OF ZAMBIA. 
I WISH TO DIRECT THE SECRETARY TO THE CABINET TO OPERATIONALISE THE CORPORATION AND ENSURE THAT STATE OWNED ENTERPRISES LIST ON THE STOCK EXCHANGE TO IMPROVE THEIR OPERATIONS AND CAPITAL BASE.

MR. SPEAKER,
THE COUNTRY HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN EXPORT DIVERSIFICATION.  NON-TRADITIONAL EXPORTS NOW ACCOUNT FOR 33 PERCENT OF TOTAL EXPORT EARNINGS FROM 20.9 PERCENT IN 2011.  THE MINISTER OF COMMERCE SHOULD DO MORE TO IMPROVE OUR COUNTRY’S EXPORT PERFORMANCE, FOCUSING ON SERVICES AND MANUFACTURED GOODS.

MR. SPEAKER,
GOVERNMENT HAS CONTINUED TO PLACE GREAT IMPORTANCE ON ROADS INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT.  PROGRESS IS BEING MADE ON ALL MAJOR ROAD PROJECTS SUCH AS LINK ZAMBIA 8000, PAVE ZAMBIA 2000 AND LUSAKA 400.  THE LINK ZAMBIA 8000 PROJECT IS PROGRESSING WELL WITH 22 WORKS CONTRACTS SIGNED AS OF JULY 2014, COVERING 2,245 KILOMETERS. THE MAJOR ROAD PROJECTS INCLUDE LEOPARDS HILL ROAD TO CHIRUNDU IN LUSAKA PROVINCE AND THE KITWE TO CHINGOLA DUAL CARRIAGEWAY ON THE COPPERBELT.
OTHER WORKS INCLUDE THE BOTTOM ROAD IN SOUTHERN PROVINCE, MONGU-KALABO IN WESTERN PROVINCE, ITEZHI-TEZHI-MUMBWA IN CENTRAL PROVINCE, CHIPATA-CHADIZA-KATETE IN EASTERN PROVINCE, KAWAMBWA-MUSHOTA IN LUAPULA PROVINCE, CHINGOLA-SOLWEZI ROAD AND THE MBALA-NAKONDE ROAD.

COMPLETED ROADS INCLUDE KASAMA-LUWINGU IN NORTHERN PROVINCE, SESHEKE-SENENGA IN WESTERN PROVINCE AND MUTANDA-CHAVUMA IN NORTH-WESTERN PROVINCE. UNDER PAVE ZAMBIA 2000, DISTRIBUTION OF EQUIPMENT HAS BEEN COMPLETED IN ALL THE 10 PROVINCES.  THE LUSAKA 400 PROJECT INVOLVING CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE, REHABILITATION AND UPGRADING OF ROADS AROUND THE CITY IS IN FULL GEAR.  I THEREFORE DIRECT THE MINISTERS OF TRANSPORT AND FINANCE TO SPEED UP THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS UNDER THESE PROJECTS.

MR. SPEAKER,
IN THE ELECTRICITY SUB-SECTOR, GOVERNMENT HAS CONTINUED TO IMPLEMENT PROJECTS IN GENERATION, TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION.  THE TOTAL GENERATION CAPACITY WAS 1,669 MEGAWATTS IN 2011 AND THIS HAS RISEN TO 2,310 MEGAWATTS AS OF 2014. 
THE INCREASE IS ATTRIBUTED TO, AMONG OTHERS, COMPLETED PROJECTS SUCH AS THE 360 MEGAWATTS KARIBA NORTH BANK HYDRO POWER EXTENSION PROJECT AND THE 50 MEGAWATT NDOLA HEAVY FUEL OIL PLANT.  PROGRESS IS ALSO BEING MADE TO COMPLETE THE ITEZHI-TEZHI HYDRO POWER AND MAMBA THERMAL POWER PROJECTS, WHILE WORK IS ON-GOING ON THE KAFUE GORGE LOWER AND LUSIWASI HYDRO POWER PROJECTS.  

MR. SPEAKER,
MINING CONTINUES TO PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE ECONOMY AS A SOURCE OF EMPLOYMENT, FOREIGN EXCHANGE EARNINGS AND CONTRIBUTION TO THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT.   WITH REGARD TO COPPER PRODUCTION, OUTPUT IN 2011 WAS 667,604 METRIC TONNES WHICH ROSE TO 697,900 METRIC TONNES IN 2012. 
COPPER PRODUCTION IN 2013 STOOD AT 765,037 METRIC TONNES.  PRODUCTION IS EXPECTED TO REACH ONE MILLION METRIC TONNES ANNUALLY BY 2017.

MR. SPEAKER,
GEMSTONES HAVE BECOME AN IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTOR TO THE GROWTH OF THE MINING SECTOR AND THE ECONOMY SINCE THE PATRIOTIC FRONT ASSUMED OFFICE.  IN 2011, TOTAL GEMSTONES SALES STOOD AT 32.4 MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS AND THIS ROSE TO 40.4 MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS IN 2012.  IN 2013, THE SALES SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED TO 100.5 MILLION UNITED STATES DOLLARS.  THE SHARP INCREASE IN SALES WAS AS A RESULT OF THE PF GOVERNMENT’S INITIATIVE TO AUCTION EMERALDS LOCALLY. 
I THEREFORE DIRECT THAT THE MINISTRY RESPONSIBLE ENSURES THAT ALL SMALL SCALE MINERS IN THE GEMSTONE INDUSTRY PARTICIPATE IN THESE AUCTIONS.

MR. SPEAKER,
IN RECOGNITION OF THE CRITICAL ROLE OF THE MINING INDUSTRY TO THE PROSPERITY OF OUR COUNTRY, I WISH TO DIRECT THE MINISTERS OF FINANCE AND MINES TO COME UP WITH CONSISTENT POLICIES THAT WILL GUARANTEE TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE DECLARATION OF MINERALS PRODUCED AND EXPORTED. WE NEED TO ENSURE A WIN-WIN SITUATION FOR BOTH THE NATION AND MINING INVESTORS.
MR. SPEAKER,
GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE TO PROMOTE GENDER AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT IN ALL ITS PROGRAMMES. THE PREVALENCE OF GENDER BASED VIOLENCE IS UNACCEPTABLE. FURTHER, CHILD PREGNANCIES AND EARLY MARRIAGES REMAIN A CHALLENGE IN THE COUNTRY. GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE TO PUT IN PLACE STRINGENT MEASURES TO PROTECT WOMEN AND CHILDREN FROM ALL FORMS ABUSE. 
TO ENSURE GENDER EQUITY IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, THE PF GOVERNMENT HAS APPOINTED AND MAINTAINED A HIGH NUMBER OF OUR WOMENFOLK IN LEADERSHIP AND DECISION MAKING POSITIONS. LET ME ENCOURAGE OUR WOMENFOLK TO STAND UP AND BE COUNTED, FOR THERE IS STILL ROOM FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE LEADERSHIP OF THIS COUNTRY.

MR. SPEAKER,
GOVERNMENT REMAINS COMMITTED TO PROMOTING DEMOCRACY AND GOOD GOVERNANCE. THESE ARE FUNDAMENTAL TO CREATING, SECURING AND MAINTAINING A JUST ZAMBIA. GOVERNMENT EMBARKED ON A REVIEW OF OUR LEGAL AND JUSTICE SYSTEM, BEGINNING WITH THE CONSTITUTION.  LET ME REPORT THAT GOVERNMENT HAS RECEIVED THE DRAFT CONSTITUTION AND IS IN THE PROCESS OF GUIDING THE NATION ON THE NEXT COURSE OF ACTION.
MY ADVICE TO THE ZAMBIAN PEOPLE IS THAT LET US DIVORCE OUR PARTISAN AND PERSONAL INTERESTS FROM THIS PROCESS WHICH WE SHOULD ALL ENSURE IS A CREDIBLE LEGACY TO MANY GENERATIONS TO COME.

MR. SPEAKER,
ACROSS THE WIDTH AND BREADTH OF OUR COUNTRY, THE EVIDENCE IS THERE FOR ALL TO SEE THAT ZAMBIA IS GOING THROUGH AN UNPRECEDENTED RECORD OF INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT IN HEALTH, EDUCATION, ROADS, COMMUNICATION, ENERGY AND AGRICULTURE, AMONG OTHERS.
GOING FORWARD, THE FOCUS OF OUR GOVERNMENT FOR NOW AND BEYOND WILL BE ACHIEVING THE NECESSARY RATES OF ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT BY ADDRESSING ISSUES OF HIGHER RATES OF INVESTMENT, JOB CREATION, ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING AND IMPROVED EFFICIENCY AND PRODUCTIVITY, AND GREATER SOCIAL EQUITY SO AS TO REALISE THE GOAL OFA BETTER ZAMBIA FOR ALL.

MR. SPEAKER,
BEFORE I LAY THIS COMPREHENSIVE MID-TERM REVIEW REPORT ON THE TABLE, IT IS NOW MY HONOUR AND PRIVILEGE TO DECLARE THE FOURTH SESSION OF THE ELEVENTH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OFFICIALLY OPEN.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL AND OUR GREAT NATION, ZAMBIA.


I THANK YOU.