The work of the Technical Committee Drafting the Republican Constitution will cost approximately K95 billion, Justice Minister Sebastian Zulu has revealed.
And government has reassured the public that cabinet will not produce a white paper before the final adoption of the new constitution.
Mr. Zulu disclosed that the Ministry of Finance has since released 50 percent of the K95 billion set aside for the operations of the technical committee.
He clarified that the K95 billion only covers the activities of the technical committee and does not include the cost of running a referendum.
The Justice Minister was speaking during a special National Watch programme on the constitution making process on ZNBC TV last night.
This is the first time that a senior government official has disclosed the budget for the ongoing constitution making process.
“The treasury has already released half of the K95 billion. You have to understand that the national budget we are currently utilizing did not have a provision for this process and so the Finance Minister had to mobilise funds elsewhere to fund this process,” Mr. Zulu added.
He added that the PF government is committed to ensuring that Zambia gets a new constitution that its people would be proud of.
On the same programme, Oasis Forum Chairperson Beatrice Grillo said her organisation has genuine fears that the constitution making process is not heading in the right direction.
Mrs. Grillo observed that the lack of a clear roadmap and a defined legal framework to protect the process have given rise to fears that the process could be hijacked.
She also demanded that government gives a clear break down of how much has been spent from the K95 billion on what activities.
“As the Oasis Forum, this is the first time we are hearing K95 billion, what we would like is a breakdown of activities and the cost thus far.
We need strict accountability for this funds because we know that K95 billion is a lot of money,” Mrs Grillo said.
And a representative of the Civil Society Coalition on the Constitution Francis Mwale advised Zambians to learn from past failures with regard to the constitution making process.
“It seems we have short memories, the route that this process is taking has a resemblance of past efforts at making a constitution which failed. We have to learn from our past mistakes and ensure that they are not repeated,” Mr. Mwale said.
total thieving ..hows that 95bn being spent on the technical committee of bembas..?
This constitution will go anywhere and will not last any minute. A waste of money you thieves
Impupu……bakaboke!
More money in their pockets. Kaya kaya
“The treasury has already released half of the K95 billion. You have to understand that the national budget we are currently utilizing did not have a provision for this process and so the Finance Minister had to mobilise funds elsewhere to fund this process,” Mr. Zulu added…………..A secret source i believe.We were being told that within 90 days we were going to have a new cost saving people driven constitution,K95 billion is far beyong cost saving.
How many times are we going to spend money on consitutions that never materialise? What are the timelines? Can we also have the breakdown of K95bn. I hope most of it will not go towards allowances. Yabaa! Our country. Kayaa mwe.
many’re children who make such comments.
anyway when they grow up ,they’ll know…….
Its better to put up a costs on how the monies will be spent.Mind you,thats a lot of money and needs justification.
And these are the same baboons who said MMD is wasting money on the constitution making process and cheated to complete the people driven constitution within 90 days. I am now convinced that school is very very important. Atleast one would have basics of thinking if he/she can reach up to grade 4. I rest my case!
Oooooops! I said it. This constitution making process is abnormal. Because its abnormal thats why it will keep chewing up government resources that could have benefited many a common man in the country. That lot being eaten up by very few individuals. All they do is just argue where to a put the comma, full stop or is it exclamation mark? They have all information they need, but they just keep postponing the conclusion, why? well its a cool source of income and handsomely so. What a great way of spoiling the money that could have built a modern school, hospital, bridge, road, improve water supply in many areas, etc. Wow it all sinks in the constitution making process! It is a bottomless pit so far, ever draining from the national coffers. Those getting allowances are ever happieeee!
Man of Action, Ukwa Sata what a failure?All the promises have gone with the wind with more money in the pockets of the politicians leaving poor Zambians who voted them in limbo.Sata has been drained of words, no more accusing finger as he is busy with his cousin Chikwanda draining the Reserve Bank.Same like Zamtroop and Chiluba.
Just wasting money on a constitution which will not pass the test of time. More money in PF pockets
When a government can spend so much money without any transparency, you need to get worried. What stops them from breaking the bank and leaving the national coffers pennyless!
This was an easy victory for PF. Simply get the right legal minds and produce a people centered constitution with 6 months. Instead, they started fighting the clauses they were voted into power for: running mate, 50+1 etc. Man of action? Yaba!
Hmm !!!
NCC spent about 300 billion in 7years and constituted of more than 100 delegate a smaller team of 10 has gobaled 95 billion in 9 mths.what is going on here donchi kubeba
Democracy is not cheap
if u have nothing to say just keep quiet
Chanda chimba, if you desire cheap democracy that will take you into abyss, stay with the thing called HH
thats not true the NCC spent K44 billion check
http://www.lusakatimes.com/2008/12/16/government-hasnt-spent-that-much-on-ncc-%E2%80%93-kunda/
sorry was referring to # 14 Tonga Bull Muchende
well if K95bn will be spent, so be it. iwer no. 14 what is your problem? you wanted King Sata to include HH on the constitution. whether the fake committee spent K33.00 or more, doe s not hold any water. there is nothing that came out of it.but tongas are bitter people after my MCS’s victory. i saw HH’s face yesterday on TV. ala he is working so hard this time around, something that HH did not do when RB was in power. his bitterness shows so much that he can even bewitch sata. viva sata, viva pf.
tribal is putting up its ugly head yet again
There is a big difference between a Politician and a leader.
There is no difference between a politician and a thief
now K44.00 bill against K95.0 billion who is more corrupt @14 you are rushing to tribe not the real issue that committee is bogus together with kabanda who could not afford to go to a barbarshop before but has bought a nice car now.the law shall catch up with you ati cow dung that why your name means feases you think like extreta
# 21 Tonga Bull Muchende, the budget for the technical committee drafting the new constitution is K95 billion. So far, only half of this amount has been released by the ministry of finance. Implying only K47.5 billion has been spent or only part of the K47.5 billion released has been spent. The technical committee needed to be paid allowances, needed materials/resources such as laptops & recorders, human resources such as secretaries, etc. Having a good constitution is costly and that is why none production of a white paper by the government is a welcome move as it signifies none blatant interference in the process. It may take more than 90 days, but if it will cover all or most of the contraversial clauses, then I am ready to wait! HH boys eat your hearts out! VIVA NEW CONSITUTION VIVA!
I am a sympathyser with PF, but I don’t like the so much money being spent on constitution. It is too much and an avoidable cost. It could have been cheaper if we used volunteers to come up with the constitution. Surely we could have found volunteers.
@22 MMD, I think you’re a true blogger because you read what others post and then you address the issue, good deal! I also suspect that you have been to school cos you display rational thinking, however, I am sad to note that you have not addresses the position that Sata had over expenditure on the NCC. As educated people, we should remind these politicians of their positions so that they stop flip flopping. If someone was wrong or did not know what they were saying, let’s help them to say so and then life goes on. Let’s help politicians to be better people addressing their issues and not merely supporting them.
The constitution was a money making scheme for those involved in drafting it. It was supposed to have been out withing 90 days. Its almost a year now. Anyway many Zambians wanted other people to also ‘eat’. So they are eating. Why are we complaining? After all this is what we wanted.
This is how they all steal money from the poor Zambians, this constitution should have been finalised after Mungomba submission but alas each head of state looks for ways to steal in a clever way through commissions. Politicians except the first group of KK were serving the poor the rest are serving their stomachs.
I hope your life more wonderful’s a I??m very glad to see such magnificent information being shared freely out there. post.
That??s a nice post.we will come back again’s a Thanks for the marvelous posting! I seriously enjoyed reading it. post.
what a great blog and educative posts’s a I hope you can pay attention to our website, he was very exciting. post.
what a great blog and educative posts’s a I Purchase of high quality wedding, your content, I really like post.
I also need to buy a dress’s a I very much like you write and look forward to your better works, I would recommend to my friends post.
That??s a nice post.we will come back again’s a Thanks for the marvelous posting! I seriously enjoyed reading it. post.
what a great blog and educative posts’s a I Purchase of high quality wedding, your content, I really like post.
what a great blog and educative posts’s a I Purchase of high quality wedding, your content, I really like post.
I hope your life more wonderful’s a I??m very glad to see such magnificent information being shared freely out there. post.
I do not usually answer posts but I am going to in this case, great information?- I will certainly bookmark your site. Keep up the good operate!’s a Also, I have shared your website in my social networks! post.
hey great stuff, thank you for sharing this useful ‘s a Very good, very useful to me, Thank you very much post.
what a great blog and educative posts’s a I Purchase of high quality wedding, your content, I really like post.
I hope your life more wonderful’s a good, You have brought up a very excellent details post.
I would like to voice my passion for your generosity giving support to men and women that really need assistance with this particular concern. Your special commitment to getting the solution up and down came to be certainly insightful and have specifically allowed women just like me to get to their endeavors. Your own important advice entails a lot to me and substantially more to my office workers. Best wishes; from each one of us.
Released and spent are 2 different things. All the 90bn (or more) could have already been spent. This figure will certainly keep on increasing, exponentially.
That’s a test.
794786 883674Hmm is anyone else experiencing issues with the images on this blog loading? I?m trying to discover out if its a issue on my end or if it?s the blog. Any feed-back would be greatly appreciated. 861990