Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public Procurement is riddled with corruption-President Lungu

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President Lungu at Statehouse Press Conference
President Lungu at Statehouse Press Conference

PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has revealed that public procurement in Zambia is riddled with corruption.

Speaking at State House in Lusaka during his maiden press conference attended by local and foreign journalists and members of the diplomatic corps, President Lungu said that Public procurement has become an avenue through which Government has been losing huge sums of funds via cartels, unrealistic pricing of goods and services and other unethical practices that are aimed at manipulating the system for personal gain.

The head of State has directed the Zambia Public Procurement Authority (ZPPA) to expedite the publication of benchmark prices, particularly in areas of high spending, to ensure value for money in public procurement.

“I am also directing the various units of Government charged with the responsibility of investigation and prevention of unethical practices such as corruption and bribery to be on high alert and quell any potential frauds in the public procurement system,” President Lungu said.

And President Lungu directed the Zambia Revenue Authority (ZRA) to strengthen tax compliance and to uphold integrity and professionalism.

The President said it is undisputable that the country is able to generate adequate resources internally to meet its ambitious development agenda but there is low tax compliance.

“Our efforts to collect enough revenue have been compromised by low tax compliance level and leakages resulting from selfish schemes among some of our officers in revenue collection,” President Lungu said.

He warned that those who are not paying taxes will be vigorously pursued.

Speaking yesterday, President Lungu said officers engaged in collusion with tax-payers to defraud the treasury will be dismissed and prosecuted

60 COMMENTS

  1. This is the way to go Mr Presiednt. Empower ACC, DEC to investigate Public officers many of whom live way beyond their income. People must be made to account for riches they have amased, some of them within a short time.

    • Start with the RDA and the road construction starting the time of your former boss, then we shall consider this fight to be serious.

    • Our embarrassment of a president, you have known about this corruption even before you became preSident and you benefit from this same public procurement. Don’t forget you have links to the Chipata Mafia Families that receive all the large contracts.

      There is a lot of money to be made from the airport projects that is why you have kept Chikwanda close to you because his son is involved and a preferred contractor.

      Meanwhile Aleisa HH

    • When did he find out?
      These are confessions which should have been made prior 18/10/2015 prayer day. He was asked what it was the country was praying for but zzzzzz.

      Anyway, the Bible is clear God is not mocked.

    • These are the last kicks of a dying horse. IMF does not joke. It forces rogue regimes to toll the line and do things against their will. Not long ago Lungu and his f00lish PF thiught giving a press conference is a waste of time for fear of answering critical questions regarding corruption POA and police brutality on dissidents.

      As a condition to get money from IMF Lungu ‘s tail has been twisted to accept certain conditons against his will. Due this deal the kwacha will fall dismally because IMF ‘s conditions include devaluation of the currency to reflect the true economic picture of the country.

      Only a useless government can reck an economy to let IMF dictate the terms.

      2016 Vote UPND

    • Folks those of you who remember my comment regarding Lungu refusing IMF package , I said Lungu or Lusakatimes told a lie. There is no way broke Lungu can refuse money when all sources of funds have dried up. To make it worse lenders are demanding money borrowed for campaigns in 2015.

      Here we are today with Lungu having accepted all the dracinian IMF package. From now on all useless political appointments like the DCs in rural areas will have to be sacked to save money. Some deputy ministrial posts will have to go. Certain ministries will have to merge to trim the civil service. This is the true meaning of austerity measures.

      2016 vote UPND

    • That, we already know Mr President! We also know that there is corruption in the police in recruitment, in councils, RTSA and apparently in your backyard too in fact it’s everywhere. Unfortunately if Liato corruptly obtains money is convicted and jailed but pardoned by you or Dora who deposited large sums of money in her sons account but later appointed minister by you sends the wrong message. You need to peruse this corruption issue vigorously by grabbing all assets from these individuals and go after the FBI (friend’s bululu’s and in-laws) as well. Then don’t touch them even with a pole. Treat them like you are treating the post newspapers and this will send a clear message to all. Great Presidents are remembered for their prudent actions and inspiring words and not for telling people…

    • @Pretty, you even remember the date for National Prayer day?
      State House is another place riddled with corruption. That Kaizer Criminal Zulu?

    • You can only empower agencies by insisting that they operate without your interference. Keep your fingers off the agencies and your work will be easy.

  2. Walk the talk sir and get rid of political friends most are thieves operating as contractors which your party ………….mmmmmm

  3. We have always said that there is massive corruption in PF and Chief Comedian Edgar has always demanded for evidence. Now, can he please name and shame the corrupt officials. Edgar is just politicking. He is not committed to fighting corruption because that would end the establishment called PF

  4. Lungu is now a politician so he will politic just like any other politicians it’s a game a political game let’s expect much no politician has solved all problems let’s be moderate opposition will always be there it’s democracy politics can make you have a stroke if you take them personal to them politicians it’s sometimes just a project which can fail or succeed

  5. Public procurement is riddled with corruption….but you ‘re the Captain of the sinking ship Mr Lungu so you call the shots and dock the ship asap.Don’t just complain you visionless CEO.

  6. Why, thank you Captain Obvious. As you mentioned yesterday, the buck stops with you so how come people are stealing with impunity? This corruption is sanctioned, full stop. Why bother even bringing it up when we all know there’s no real will to change things.

  7. who is edger lungu fooling coz his team at State house is the mafia of corruption. Mulenga Sata is the most corrupt in road tenders using Asphalt ltd, Kaizer and PS sell tenders and contracts to chinese. ECL friend Findley of Chrisma hotel has been given million dollars business and gives commission to the boss. Kamba the once beer smuggler has all paving contracts in township, the list is endless. All this the lazy visionless president knows but coz he is part of the system he cant do anything but pretend he is mr clean.

  8. If the president knows the corrupt individuals, why hasn’t he fired them? I am led to understand that RDA IS IN HIS OFFICE is part of his office corrupt. He is the president as such he has the power to sweep the offices of corrupt individuals with his pen.

    • TruZedian

      RDA is no longer in State House. If you listened to the President’s speech yesterday you should have heard him state that all road contracts are being handled by the Ministry of Works and Supply and not State House. Even if you hate someone please get the facts and do your condemnation thing with some element of truth.

    • @ Miya, Edgar Lungu is a lame-duck president so do not expect him to take any action against the culprits, especially if they are northerners lest he loses the Bemba support. This is just hollow talk aimed at hoodwinking the IMF. The only way to end corruption in Zambia is if the IMF, WB and donors in general will ask the GRZ to clean up its act or no assistance. Otherwise Lungu and his government have neither the will nor the capacity to end end.

  9. U fools someone has given u the insight of coruption going on but u are still busy shouting at him and if doest u start saying he is quite when curaption is going on,grow bafikala

    • Zambians don’t want an insight into corruption. We already know how PF & Associates, that criminal empire, have bilked the procurement system, stolen the Eurobonds and stuffed the civil service with their corrupt relatives and cadres. Lungu is just confirming what we know and he is doing zilch about it.

  10. Says the man who has RDA in his pocket at State House and surrounds himself with thieves…leadership is not about sudden directives and orders…we have been telling this lazy bum all these things and he is waking up when the money is gone. Did we not tell him that the airline dream was not to be entertained at under no circumstances, or these cancellation of travel should have been done in January not when you see the President of TZ do it.
    LT where is the clip of this lazy Bum’s press conference??

    • Ayini sure. This is when he decides to say something and note i write SAY not Do. Ngamwaikata mulenga sata, umwaice george chellah, the disgraced womaniser kaizer zulu will i then know that you are actually doing something. We have heard such rhetoric before yet the ruling elite of this country continue to get richer while the average tax payer gets poorer. How long do you thing you can keep up this inbalance and people sit quietly. A time for a revolution is coming. We are in the age of Aquarius. Knowledge is everywhere and the zambian person will certainly wake up. The day is coming. Be warned!!!

    • Its very true, Kwacha has picked up dramatically as more investors have started releasing their dollars. Its expected the Kwacha will stabilize at K6.3 to US$1 up for a very long time including the whole of 2016!
      All the artificial prices increases will drop accordingly, hahahaha, where is the cartel and the poor HH who celebrated the depreciation of the Kwacha?
      Now the new slogan on the streets of Zambia will be “Kwacha Power”.

  11. Mr Lungu, who do you think you are kidding? The people of Zambia will never forget how the dirty way you acquired the presidency through violence and the unconstitutional election process you masterminded at Mulungushi. That is where the mess started and you are talking about corruption, corruption here, there and everywhere. Zambians have known for ages that all forms of corruption start from start from State House and that is why the scourge will never stop. Your talk about at your press conferences is laughable, a big joke and hypocrisy. No one believes you unless you seriously and courageously start to clean up state house. Your rhetoric is just a waste of time.

    • London eye, where you there in Kabwe to lie about violence? Please don’t hallucinate stop alcohol and drug abuse they will kill you.

    • @Bang bang, Surely you must be the only one who doesn’t know that there was violence at Mulungushi, of course I was not there at Mulungushi but I go by press reports well supported by pictures and the savage attacks on Miles Sampa’s property and threats on his life. Let me challenge you, it is a fact that State house has never refuted the shameful happenings at Mulungushi. don’t know about this? I suspect you must be a full time scrounger for crumbs at state house dinner table for your livelihood. You are so sick to suggest that I am on drugs and alcohol, first of all you don’t even know me. I must tell you that I have never taken alcohol or smoke all my life and I never will. You go on public media to expose your ignorance on current affairs, shame on!

  12. What are you trying to insinuate mr lungu by blotting out that ‘publc procurement is riddled with corruption? One good thing that you always perplex me mr chagwa is that you always decampaign yourself ta! You wil never learn to learn & moreover, even as you are not a good public speaker, you wil thus never hoodwink zambians with this type of early stone age politics. ‘PP is riddled with faeces’ whilst you are always in the same stinking toilet, how dare are you? You think we dont know that you are just trying to bend to the terms & conditions the IMF gave you before thire borrowed funds. You pfool stupid *****s always make me sick because you dont hav some vissionary at all, shame on you bunch of satanic pfool tribal clan of untamed corrupt dogs altogether! How l hate you chagwa & all…

  13. In the real world…this is when a CEO hands in his resignation as all this waste has been happening on his watch…moreover the man has not listening to advise. ..it had to take the devil himself the IMF to tell him that our problems are wholly due to fiscal indiscipline…it’s not him and his empty tins who is going to pay for all this recklessness….it’s everyone.
    Zambia have to wake up from their FOLLY AND DOCILITY and stop tolerating such shambolic and myopic leadership!!

  14. The fight against corruption and plunder should start with State House. Auditor General must investigate why ECL carried with him 256 people including musicians and dancers to USA in Sep. on a hired jet where over US$
    1milion was looted from treasury. RDA should be audited and must be removed from ECL control State House or else someone will cry in 2016. HH 2016

  15. When is he going to realize that it is not his job to blame someone else – pick from a list of some “cartels”, “satanists” or “selfish individuals” – and understand that he has to personally take responsibility for the actions of his own government?

  16. THIS IS SURPRISING. PRESIDENT LUNGU IS FRAUD AND CORRUPTION PERPETUATED BY HIS MINIONS IN VARIOUS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS FOR THE FIRST TIME. THIS IS PERPLEXING INDEED. WE ARE HOWEVER GLAD THAT LUNGU IS NOW SEEING WHAT WE SAW 4 YEARS AGO. WHAT WE NOW WANT LUNGU TO DO IS TO PUT SERIOUS SYSTEMS IN PLACE TO COUNTER SUCH FRAUD AND MANUPLATION OF THE EXISTING SYSTEMS AND PROCEDURES IN PUBLIC PROCUREMENT AND IN ALL OTHER GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES WHERE MONEY IS SPENT. DON’T JUST MAKE PRONOUNCEMENTS, WE WANT ACTIONS. WE WANT ACTIONS FROM THE PRESIDENT SO THAT EVERYONE IS COMPLIANT TO ZERO TOLERANCE TO CORRUPTION. WE WANT A CORRUPT FREE ZAMBIA. WE WANT A DEVELOPING ZAMBIA. THAT IS WHY WE ARE CRYING FOR HH AND UPND TO LEAD THE NATION, BECAUSE PF IS FULL OF LOOTERS AND CROOKS, STARTING WITH LUNGU…

  17. Do people in UPND and HH realise that Zambians will be voting under the new people driven constitution and that a winner can only be declared after amassing 50%+1? If they have taken note of this, then I suggest they stop making noise because UPND and HH cannot and will never get anywhere closer to this mark!
    Its bye bye for HH and all the way for President Lungu to State House.

    • Look at the issue of 50% + 1 from a different angle. Chances are that Zambia will not have a president if this new arrangement is to be ahered to. If Zambians will vote on tribal and regional lines (and that is what is going to happen in the 2016 elections) be assured that there will be a stalemate even in the second round of voting. What proviso is there should such a situation arise?

    • IT IS YOUR CROOK AND THIEF LUNGU WHO WILL CRY. THIS TIME AROUND WE WON’T ALLOW HIM TO STEAL THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE BY STEALING POWER FROM HH WHO IS PEOPLE’S FAVORITE. JAMESON SHOULD GO BACK TO CHAWAMA COMPOUND AND RESUME HIS ADDICTIVE BEER DRINKING HABITS. STATE HOUSE NEEDS A SERIOUS PERSON TYPICAL OF HH WHO IS ITCHING TO BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVAMP ZAMBIA’S DEAD ECONOMY. CHAGWA LUNGU HAS KILLED OUR ECONOMY IN BARELY 10 MONTHS AFTER BEING SWORN IN AS PRESIDENT OF OUR COUNTRY. LUNGU IS WASTED TIME FOR ZAMBIA. COME 2016 WE ARE KICKING OUT LUNGU FROM POWER.

    • UFO, thumbs up. The under five can’t do what the grown up can. The problem with megalomania is that you can not take advice. Hakaivotela Humwine should try in 2056

  18. When someone reads all the comments might think that pf has lost popularity and yet the opposite is what is happening on the grass roots. Keep on ranting fulls because that’s the only way you can make yourselves happy. Next elections you are going to be crying again and you will forward you HH to 2026 till you forward him to 2056.

  19. Lungu is the most useless, spineless President ever who wants all his fights to be fronted by somebody else (that treacherous kachembele Inonge Wina). Lungu should take ownership of PF’s corruption that makes RB’s sons’ like kids play. Zambians should consider charging Lungu with treason next year for ruining the economy.

  20. “The President said it is undisputable that the country is able to generate adequate resources internally to meet its ambitious development agenda but there is low tax compliance.” shame on you ECL! As an individual you are a good person but you are a bad and poor manager of public affairs. You are the architect of low tax compliance. Why did you use a presidential decree to withdrawal presumptive tax on public transport. Just because a number of PF supporters are in this sector? Shame!

  21. Some of you who are always criticizing the governments moves are just politicking. I am not PF but it worries me to see how as Zambians even at household level fail to contribute to the growth of the nation even help implement some of the policies . Even from where most of you work, you are the people that are advocating to import spares, foods and other trivial items and you want to blame the government. What you forget is that you are government, you just entrust these politicians to run things on your behalf. Even the best of presidents can not successfully run the affairs of the nation if all people do is condemn. I think we need to change our mind set. That is exactly why most of the negative comments will be on tribal lines and not on merit.

    • How many sane people are criticizing the Tanzanian president? He’s doing the right things?

      Lungu on the other hand is just waking up!

  22. Well, he is right! He should though start with his Chikwanja Alexander minister if finance because he is the worst government project scum of all times! Next should be the exorbitant legal fees lawyers in Zambia charge, worse with the likes of Kaminamisa himself who chew widows’ money. Mwa swabisa linja za mitanganyo tuni ni matungulu amina!

  23. Even as much as these satanists may try to dance to the tune of the IMF. Me & my family really scared to keep on entrusting this pf government of the day because of their corrupt & tribal thing of wako niwako kind of dirt politics. Shame on you dogs! Its HH & UPND all the way!

  24. Talk about corruption, go to FRA where a tender of 20 million empty grain bags was awarded only to Bemba companies cause Jafwabumula is bemba. Please investigate before it is late

  25. The Investigator Reported That Accountants Or Acc Cleak + Procurement Off. Steal 40% Of Cash Meant For Budgeted Items.Example Solwezi Gen Hospital These Have Built Houses,posh Vihecles Within A Shot Period.Intelligency Shud Be Checked Mansa,monze Its Allover

  26. This is the main problem in zambia—no accountability. PF is so used of corruption, Missmangment and non delivery that they don’t hold anyone accoutable. How can you run a country without any accountability?? Who is the head of public procurement?? Why is the managment not held accoutable?? The answers to these questions iS corruption originates, is prepertuated and maneged by PF. If there is any accountability, there will be a domino effect and the whole of state house and cabinet will be exposed. Rest assured, this us the last time we hear of this, it will now be swept under, as they say, donchi kubeba.

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