AGRICULTURE and Livestock Minister Given Lubinda has dissolved the board of the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) and all boards and trusts under his ministry.
Mr Lubinda said that for most of the Boards, the membership tenure has either expired or in others, there is no board at all. He said some of the members of the Boards and Trusts have overstayed the scenario he said is against good corporate governance.
The Boards and Trusts dissolved include; Statutory Bodies: Food Reserve Agency (FRA); Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia (NCZ); Tobacco Board of Zambia (TBZ); Cotton Board of Zambia (CBZ); Zambia Coffee Board (ZCB); and Dairy Development Board (DOB).
Trusts include; In-Service Training Trust (ISTT); Golden Valley Agriculture Research Trust (GART); Livestock Development Trust (LDT); and Cotton Development Trust (CDT).
The minister explained that the Trusts were created to carry out specific tasks that were previously carried out by Ministry Departments.
“Trusts are separate legal entities (operating under Trust Deeds) and hold assets on behalf of Government. The Trusts generate finances from services they provide as well as from government grants and in some cases, from cooperating partners,” he said.
The Boards also raise their own revenues as well as receive grants from Government.
“I am aware that both the Boards and Trusts are faced with several challenges which include among others, the following, Inadequate financial resources; Lack of capitalization; Old and inadequate equipment; and Poor staffing,” he said.
Mr Lubinda said all functions that were being handled by the Boards and Trustees will, from now until further notice be handled by the Permanent Secretaries in the Ministry.
He said in the coming few weeks he will make consultations to reconstitute the Boards and Trusts.
“As you may know, Cabinet has the final authority in approving the members of Boards. I will, therefore, take this matter to Cabinet.”
This was long overdue… This & such ministers are all what is remaining in the ruling party.oh,how I missed this man.way to go lubinda.
Dissolve cabinet too. Most of ministers and deputies have over stayed.
There’s a lot that needs to go, not just the boards, FRA is a loss making entity entirely supporting the government of the day at the cost of the general population. Time for a rethink Honourable, we fail to pay all those that make FRA, that is the farmers, transporters who up to now haven’t been paid for maize ferried in July 2014! Get things sorted before you buy more maize to win votes.
A poor country like Zambia having innumerable boards under the same ministry – what a waste of resources.
Why not just have one board under each ministry imwe bapushi?!!
I hope the the minister has seen the non performance of the government,management and board of FRA to pay last year transporters till now as I write this sad for mother Zambia transport ers,all what FRA says we have no money grz hasn’t released the funds.just a month in between to clock 12 months of falling to pay and getting into next season,funds for bye elections shen ni mbwe.SHAME
The transporters can forget getting paid. Only way they get a ngwee is if HH directs government to pay them. If HH does not say anything forget my friends there will be no money for you.
DONCHI KUBEBA BB BAKUDYA BEKA!
Job well done Hon Lubinda!!
The move has been long overdue especially @ GART where chairman was managing/controlling the Trust like his own family farm. The Chap had no plans for the trust apart from bordering on hatred to innocent pipo, hiring and motivating his girl friends. He almost destroyed it with his own hands, leaving a situation where now workers have stayed for four months without salaries, a thing that has never happen in the history of Gart. All the boards on which he sits have failed lamentably ie GART, Coffee board, Cotton dev Trust and Livestock dev trust. kuya bebele Namukolo Mukutu! you have done enough damage to these institutions whereby many families have been affected. go well and control your own ka farm.
Viva Hon Given Lubinda!!! God bless you for this noble…
Vyatowa mwe bantu!
Good move, Hon Lubinda.
Though this is welcomed …its the plan B that the empty tins will come up that scars me!!