Thursday, March 28, 2024

Vice President Question Time in Parliament: ZAMTEL is Not for Sell, Fuel Prices to Continue Going Up

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Vice President Mutale Nalumango has told Parliament that the government has not made any decisions to sell state-owned telecommunications company Zamtel as reported in some quarters of society.

Mrs Nalumango said that neither the Minister of Technology and Science Felix Mutati nor the Company Managing Director discussed the sale of Zamtel when Mr Mutati toured the company last month.

The Vice President said recapitalizing the company is not the same as selling and has explained that the government is giving an opportunity to Zamtel to work with others and find a way of saving the entity.

The Vice President was responding to Kabushi PF Member of Parliament Bowman Lusambo during the Vice President’s question time who wanted to know whether or not the government was selling Zamtel as reported.

During the Vice President question time in parliament, the Vice President also warned Zambians to brace themselves for more fuel price hikes, adding that the UPND government has no control at all on the fuel hike as the international market dictates the pricing of the commodity.

“But you are saying that the prices are going up, when fuel goes up it affects other commodities, and I have explained through ERB that the increase in fuel prices is beyond our control, but there is also a good general performance of the economy by people who do business, sometimes we want to cash in, so we need some consistency. Some things take a bit of time, and we know that the indicators we are seeing are just pointing at the good times that are coming and they are coming, we should brace ourselves for hiked fuel prices because it is not under our control,” she said.

Vice-President Nalumango also assured the people of Zambia that all the promises made by the UPND while in the opposition will be fulfilled and that there’s no way her government would apologize for the 30 000 recruitment of teachers, 11 000 recruitment of health workers, free education and other promises it made while in the opposition and have now come to pass.

“We are nine months in office and you have seen some of the promises being fulfilled, we didn’t promise that everything will be done at once, but surely there is stability in the economy even in the pricing, you are talking about the Presidential Jet, wait nobody comes and just say let it go, just wait and see. Whatever we promised shall come to pass. The promises shall be fulfilled and apologize for what? We should apologize for free education, we should apologize for decentralization, we should apologize for increasing CDF, we should apologize for recruiting 30 000 teachers, we should apologize for recruiting 11 000 health workers? All these things need money and we have managed in just 9 months, Zambians should not listen to some friends who pretend as if they have a way out,” said Vice President Nalumango.

And responding to Shiwang’andu PF MP Stephen Kampyongo who wanted to know whether the government plans to review the FRA maize floor price, Mrs. Nalumango says farmers in the country are free to sell their maize to other buyers offering a different price than the K160 offered by the Food Reserve Agency for a 50kg bag of white maize

19 COMMENTS

  1. Just like her boss, She has become a know it all and hence extremely arrogant….Bally is indeed fixing Zambians.

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  2. But madam, its not only about the cost of fuel from the supplier. In his lecture, Bally had identified a lot of middle men in the supply chain. He also identified certain taxes which govt could look at to mitigate the cost of fuel. What has happened to all those initiatives? Why is the president growing cold feet in implementing his magic formula??? Was is a fake formula. Do not blame it ati its GLOBAL……BUFI!!

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  3. UPND ni Ngonga…..they lied to the Zambian people. There is nothing to be happy about with this govt.

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  4. I hear bally is still looking for the spreadsheet with the equation of how he was going to reduce fuel prices. Hahaha these f00Is have failed. I hope Zambians are now learning a lesson about not making emotional decisions during elections. Continue suffering until next election

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  5. Madam VP – It’s not too late for you to go back to your teaching profession. You chaps are taking Zambians for a ride as if we are ( f00ls and idyots). You have a habit of dishing out government suggestive, leaks to the public and when you see a negative reaction from the public – you then come out that this is not the Governments position. Why would the Zamtel CEO make this statement 2 days after getting a visit from a Science & Telecom Minister / Felix Mutati. Is that not suicidal for CEO to get sacked?

    Lusakatimes – Tuesday 28-06-2022 – “Acting Zamtel Chief Executive Officer Joshua Malupenga told a special virtual staff meeting last week that government has already found an equity partner to run the company.”

  6. Quote… !! “Vice-President Nalumango also assured the people of Zambia that all the promises made by the UPND while in the opposition will be fulfilled “

    Madam VP, again stop this arrogant talk. You will not fulfil all the promises you made while in opposition. It’s not possible and you have already backtracked on some promises. We don’t expect you to be a perfect government that will achieve all objectives and promises. You will make mistakes and fail in some things. It’s accepted. But stop the lies, excuses, blame games and patronising

  7. Bayamba kushula vishupu pwipwipwi kutulula priiii priiiii kunya chinyenyenye…..UPND has failed…Makaka Spaka and Tarino Orange chief Lumbani Madoda praise singers come take your Vice President

  8. CBU must be in shame for having poorly trained Felix Mutati as an economist – and must promptly revise its syllabuses. Mutati has NO managerial nor political skills to serve in any branch of Govt. Zambians are very good technologists in the running of Mines, internet systems and service delivery in installations of electronic devices (e.g. DStv). WHY should Mutati entrust the management of national institutions to foreigners just to enrich his personal account. We smell a rotten rat! However, Zambia must emulate Ethiopia and Malaysia which flooded their nationals in UK to train as agriculturists, economics, engineers etc during the 1980s. Hence the reason why Ethiopia and Malaysia do not depend on foreign experts. Make use of available scholarships to Zambians.

  9. CBU must be in shame for having poorly trained Felix economists – and must promptly revise its syllabuses. Some Ministers have NO managerial skills to serve in any branch of Govt. Zambians are very good technologists in the running of Mines, internet systems and service delivery in installations of electronic devices (e.g. DStv). WHY should we entrust the management of national institutions to foreigners We smell a rotten rat! However, Zambia must emulate Ethiopia and Malaysia which flooded their nationals in UK to train as agriculturists, economics, engineers etc during the 1980s. Hence the reason why Ethiopia and Malaysia do NOT depend on foreign experts. Use diplomatic skills to access scholarships from Fulbright and Commonwealth to train Zambians for our future prosperity.

  10. The late President Sata had a good patriotic vision for Zambia to protect ZAMTEL and ZANACO.

  11. when in the position they were saying fuel is too high in zambia when we get into government we will reduce the pump price too many midal men lelo ati the government has no control what a nice joke

  12. There some bloggers who benefited from the previous PF corrupt regime, who on this platform pretend to be innocent as if never participated in corruption that is causing Zambians suffer today. Those who keep mourning should know PF regime caused hardship Zambians are enduring today and corrective measures are being implemented. Mourners should emigrate to other parts of the world like KZ, Ras Natty, Saulos, Independent Observer, etal

    • Fuseke iwe. Almost a year down and you are still pointing fingers at pf from the comfort of whlte man’s land. Get out from here!

    • You complained against the PF so why can’t people complain against the Upnd. This is what our democracy stands for unless your aim was just to get into power and not to enhance our democracy.

  13. The most arrogant and dull bp ever in Zambia.I wonder where she waz picked
    Foolish statements plus arrogance in answering questions

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