Lungu asks LAZ to tame State Counsel who openly demonise govt
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has asked the newly-elected Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) executive to address the situation whereby some State Counsels are in the habit of openly “demonising” the state. According to a statement issued by Special Assistant to the President for Press and Public Relations Isaac Chipampe, President Lungu was speaking when he met…...
Zamtel incurred losses of K4bn in 2018, reveals Auditor General
ZAMTEL incurred losses of over K4 billion during the financial year ending December 31, 2018, due to excessively high distribution and administration costs compared to low revenues generated during the same period, says the latest Auditor General’s Report. According to the Auditor General’s Report on the Accounts of Parastatal Bodies and other statutory institutions for…...
COVID-19 has exposed inadequate education infrastructure – NAQEZ
THE National Action for Quality Education in Zambia (NAQEZ) has called for enhanced investment in education infrastructure across the country to make it more resilient to pandemics such as COVID-19. In an interview, NAQEZ executive director Aaron Chansa observed that the COVID-19 pandemic had exposed the weaknesses in the country’s education system. “This pandemic has…...
Over 300 doctors seek Lungu’s intervention in payment of arrears
THREE hundred and nine (309) resident doctors have appealed to President Edgar Lungu to intervene in their plight to have their employment normalized as they risk losing five months’ worth of wages. The resident doctors were employed on March 25, 2019, and deployed to their various stations on the said date, but were only given…...
DPP proposes penalties for sudden case withdrawals
DIRECTOR of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Lillian Siyuni has proposed an amendment to the law to introduce penalties for people with a tendency of recanting or withdrawing court cases after being bribed by suspects. In an interview, Siyuni lamented that the tendency by victims to withdraw abruptly was terribly affecting her work due to the huge…...
CSPR fears poverty reduction projects will slow as budget deficit widens
THE Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) has called on government to create a sinking fund specifically meant for poverty reduction programmes to cushion vulnerable Zambians’ hardships. In an interview, CSPR programmes manager Chimuka Nachibinga said the proposed fund would ensure that no money meant for social protection programmes was diverted to other sectors or…...
UPND’s attempts to stop Bill 10 outside Parley will fail – Makebi
EASTERN Province Minister Makebi Zulu says the UPND is being misled by trying to oppose Constitution Amendment Bill Number 10 of 2019 outside Parliament in an attempt to prevent it from being enacted into law. In an interview, Zulu insisted that the success or failure of enacting Bill 10 could only be determined in Parliament…....
Revelations in Rwanda issue deserve serious action from govt, IDC – TIZ
TRANSPARENCY International (TI) Zambia Chapter president Rueben Lifuka says the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) should immediately rescind the appointment of Nsengiyumva Appolinaire as a member of the firm following allegations levelled against him. And Lifuka says government should seriously address the allegations levelled against President Edgar Lungu, adding that the statements which have been made…...
LWSSC wasted K13m on faulty meters – AG
GOVERNMENT institutions were owing Lusaka Water Sewerage and Sanitation Company (LWSSC) over K133 million in unpaid water bills as at end of 2018, according to the Auditor General’s report on the accounts of water and sanitation companies. And the report has also revealed that the company had to uninstall 8,836 prepaid meters valued around K13…...
Exploit domestic revenue potential to avoid debt contraction, IMF tips govt
THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) says the best way for Zambia to reduce its fiscal deficit is to tap into its domestic revenue potential and improve priority spending in a debt-free fashion. And the IMF has projected that the country’s growth could contract by about five percent due the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and…...