The Ministry of Finance and National Planning has refunded the K2.8 billion, which was withdrawn from North-Western Province last year for not being utilised under Poverty Reduction Programme (PRP).
Northwestern province Permanent Secretary Jeston Mulando confirmed this to ZANIS in Solwezi today.
Mr. Mulando said the funds which were returned to the treasury last year have already been given back to the province for projects that stalled due to lack of funds.
He said relevant officers in the province have since been dispatched to districts to check on the uncompleted projects which need funding.
He said the projects should be funded immediately and be completed by July this year.
Mr. Mulando explained that the money that was returned to the treasury from the province in 2007 was K2.8 billion and not K5 billion as it was earlier reported.
Meanwhile, government has released K303.2 million for the rehabilitation of Solwezi stadium complex in Solwezi. The stadium was in a deplorable state.
He said rehabilitation works by Sunrise Company have already started.
Mr. Mulando has further explained that the Kansanshi Mine management who had earlier shown interest to use the stadium facilities.
He said he would therefore approach management at the mine and ask them to contribute towards the rehabilitation works.
Mr. Mulando noted that the completion of Solwezi stadium complex would be used for various activities, especially football to identify talented youth.
What guarantee is there that the money will be utilised this time around?
There is a confussion in Zambia countrymen.we have a situation guyz used to call chiimbwi no plan.lets work up
There is no plan in Zambia.Its now clear that after losing the fight against corruption, some people have become tired.The country is running on auto at the mercy of GOD.Lets work up.We seem to have no strategy nor do we have a plan to become a middle income earning country despite have all the resources and potential on our disposal
We have very educated man power with excellent CVs but when it comes to apply their CVs into action. well the conclusion is yours.I do believe education doesnt mean being an expert but puts your meal on the table. This even goes to our highly educated politicians who have failed to implement policies into action.
What conditions have been changed to ensure that these funds will be spent on the intended tasks? What manpower resources are in place to ensure that these funds are not mismanaged?
Zambia critically lacks a government that has a brain. Just having bodies in government does not mean that we have capability.
I think the operations of governemnt needs a total overhaul! How is it that some money is not spent depsite being allocated? Zambia is mismanaged!
Government is a cost! Its high time Government started running like a business. Exercise the fiscal prudence at all costs espercially since WE give your the money.
Government does not generate money, it spends tax payers money! We have too much money going in the pockets of the select few!
Relook your systems! I am sure you are still using the 1964 model! Zambia is too rich to be poor! Trim that Government and decetralise your systems… Close the lickages!!! Probe the Departments! Let it go beyond the Auditors report!
It is not true that business is always efficient. You can also get vegetables in business. What we need is a system to clearly evaluate all presidential candidates and parly candidates so that we do not get to end up with hooligans as the case now.
When KK was president, we did not see this type of hooliganism anywhere. I think it is because we have too many lawyers in this government. These guys have perfected ways how to hoodwink the vast majority of our citizens, including most of those on this Blog! We need to clean up the lot from public office so that delivery of services is the way KK did it. I volunteer to be a jailor of these reckless lawyers in my spare time!!
#7 Kremlin, Hooliganism was rife during KK’s time. It was worse. You had even governors who were mere savages who went to the extent of slashing people’s maize fields simply because the owners of those fields were not UNIP members. And when one such ***** of a so called governor was asked why he allowed his cadres to carry out such a senseless and unlawful act his reply was “Law or no law, I have a duty to protect UNIP”. There wer even slogans such as “By Air”, nepotismic slogans such as “Wako ni Wako”, “Umodzi ku Mawa”, etc. So please the Kaunda era was not as good as you would like to make us believe.
But what is wrong with North-Western Province? This day you are told funds meant for development are lying unused in Chavuma. The next day you are told money was withdrawn from the province because it could not be used. What the hell is going on in that province? Could it be that the people are not united as a result they cannot agree on anything including on projects that are intended to develop the province? Why is it North-Western Province always? Or are the people in that province too honest (foolish)to the extent of being afraid of using the allocated funds? Certainly, there are more questions than answers.