Government has released KR42 million out of the KR58 million for the payment of salaries for council officers in division I, II and III for the months of April and May.

Ministry of Local Government and Housing Permanent Secretary Chileshe Mulenga says the funds will be disbursed to 82 councils to enable them pay April salaries.

Mr Mulenga said the disbursed funds will include statutory contributions to the local Authorities Superannuation Fund (LASF) and National Pensions Scheme Authority (NAPSA) as well as contributions to unions for unionized workers.

In a press statement made available to ZANIS in Lusaka today, Mr Mulenga explained that the monthly wage for the 82 councils is about KR29 million, with Lusaka City Council toppling the list with a monthly wage of about KR5 million followed by Ndola KR 2.1 million, Kitwe KR2 million and Livingstone City Councils KR 1.39 million respectively.

Mr Mulenga further explained that the balance from the disbursed KR42 million after paying the April salaries will be disbursed to some selected councils to enable them pay salaries and other statutory obligations for the month of May.

He has since advised councils to pay the salaries as soon as they receive the funding and use the disbursed funds only for the intended purposes.

The Local Government and Housing Permanent Secretary added that any council that might misapply the disbursed funds or any revenue for that matter risks severe sanctions.

He said government has decided to take up the responsibility of paying salaries for professional and technical staff in the councils to ensure that all councils regardless of resourced base have qualified and competent staff to take on the additional responsibility that would be devolved to the local authority under the decentralization programme.

Mr Mulenga noted that councils should therefore use the resources arising from savings, wage bill to the improvement of service delivery.

He further said his ministry will closely monitor the councils to ensure that the percentage of the wage bill that has been taken over by the government proportionately contributes to increased budgetary allocation towards service delivery.

He explains that the delay in processing payment for May salaries for all the councils has been caused by the need to include the newly employed officers by the councils on the pay roll so that they are also paid.

Mr Mulenga has however commended council workers countrywide for remaining patient adding that those that will not receive salaries by the end of this month should remain calm as the ministry engages with the treasury.

He has since advised all employees of local authorities to avoid being used by those seeking to increase industrial disharmony in a sector in which government is focused on improving delivery of service to the public.

ZANIS

Government has spent a total of KR2.5 billion on fuel subsidies alone while the cost of maize subsidies has increased by 2,400 percent since the introduction of subsidies in 2009, Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda has disclosed.

Mr. Chikwanda said government has in the past years been spending huge sums of money subsidizing the two commodities at the expense of pro-poor and tangible development programmes.

In a statement to ZANIS in Lusaka today, Mr. Chikwanda substantiate government’s decision to remove subsidies on maize and fuel saying the two were misdirected as they diverted resources from high priority areas.

He said there was need to analyze the high cost associated with the two subsidies to determine whether they could have been channeled to more important and beneficial programmes such as education, health and sanitation and social protection.

He said fazing-out subsidies on maize and fuel will benefit the poor people as it will free up resources for other economically and socially beneficial activities.

Mr. Chikwanda explained that on a comparative basis, the KR6.1 billion used on subsidies between 2010 and 2012 exceeds the budgetary allocation of KR4.5 billion to the Ministry of Health for the same period.

He noted that it was important for the nation to acknowledge that any subsidy provided by government implies redirecting resources from the provision of other goods and services.

He explained that before the subsidies were removed, they were worsening inequality in social warfare and perpetrating social injustice as they were only favouring the urban community which was not the most poor and vulnerable.

“Going forward, government is convinced that the subsidies were very inefficient because they hardly reached the intended beneficiaries nor provided the platform to lift the poor out of the poverty trap,” Mr. Chikwanda said.

Meanwhile, the Finance Minister maintained that government will continue to subsidise agricultural farming inputs, primary and university education and the public welfare assistance programmes.

Mr. Chikwanda noted that given the challenges and vulnerability that viable farmers face in accessing agricultural inputs and financing, government has decided to continue supporting 9,000 farmers through the Farmers Input Support Programme (FISP).

He further said apart from primary education, government will continue subsidising university education where public universities are charging below cost-reflective market fees with government meeting the difference.

He has since called on all citizens and friend of Zambia to support the Patriotic Front (PF) government in its effort to transform the economy and uphold strong economic growth in a sustainable manner.

Recently, government removed financial backing on fuel and maize, a situation that sparked mixed feelings among Zambians with some students, some civil society organizations and the church appealing to government to rescind its decision.

ZANIS

Cabinet has finally approved the long awaited new retirement age for the civil service from 55 years to 65.

ZANIS reports that Secretary to the Cabinet Dr. Roland Msiska announced this in Kasama yesterday when he addressed Provincial heads of Government departments.

Dr. Msiska said the new retirement age will enable Government to restructure the pension scheme so that retiring workers do not become destitute after formal employment.

He observed that the new pension scheme would have a lot of benefits to public service workers as their pension funds accumulate significantly.

Dr. Msiska observed that Government is discouraging the payment of lump sum to retirees due to past experiences where workers failed to utilize funds prudently.

The PF government had since coming to power indicated that it would increase the retirement age to 65 years from the traditional 55 years saying some of the human resource is being wasted by the most workers retiring at the age of 55 years.

However, this move had been received by mixed feelings among sections of society with some stating that the retirement age should conform with the country’s life expectancy of about 36 years due to HIV/AIDS pandemic .

Meanwhile the Secretary to the cabinate has called for increased productivity among public service workers in the country in order for the country to grow its economy.

He said it is imperative that government workers observe high levels of integrity and professionalism in discharging their duties.

Dr. Msiska stated that civil service has a lot of qualified and competent personnel who should work hard and help Government provide quality service delivery to all Zambians.

The Secretary to the Cabinet urged public service workers to support the government of the day and adopt a positive attitude towards work.

He further said he is ready to reform the civil service in order to it more efficiently in its operations.

ZANIS

The World Bank has given the Zambian Government about US$35 million for a pilot resilient climate change project in Western Province.

Pilot Programme for Climate Resilient Agriculture Platform Member (PPCR) George Sikuleka said out of these funds US $30 million will be channeled to the Ministry of Finance and National Planning as a grant while US$5 million will be a loan.

ZANIS reports that Mr. Sikuleka disclosed the development when the Pilot Resilient Climate Change entourage called on Western Province Permanent Secretary Emmanuel Mwamba at his office in Mongu yesterday.

He noted that Western Province was chosen among other Provinces as it was realised to be the most affected Province in terms of drought and floods.

Mr. Sikuleka stated that the money allocated is not for loans but meant for the rural populace to come up with climate resilient project proposals and plan how to deal with climate change effects like drought and flooding in their respective areas so as not to be affected by environmental resilient.

He said the project will run for six years starting in September this year and end in September 2019, adding that other Provinces that will benefit from the pilot programme will be Southern and Central Provinces respectively.

Meanwhile, Western Province Permanent Secretary Emmanuel Mwamba welcomed the move saying the project will assist most people who have been affected by drought and floods in the Province.

Mr. Mwamba said Western Province has experienced 50% crop failure in the last farming season due to unpredictable rainfall pattern by the metrological department that left many farmers without crops in their fields.

He said government is yet to look for money or other interventions to provide relief food due to the looming hunger in the Province.

ZANIS

Government has disclosed that the removal of subsidies on fuel will not affect transport costs during the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Arts George Zulu said what was important at the moment was the availability of fuel and not the cost.

Mr. Zulu dispelled any possibility of a shortage of fuel during the UNWTO General Assembly, saying government was enforcing measures that will see consistent supply of petroleum products to the country.

He was speaking when he featured on a recorded programme for Zambia national Tourism Board (ZNTB) dubbed ‘Zambia; Let’s Explore’.

The Permanent Secretary said the removal of subsidies was irreversible hence the need for the public to start adapting to the change.

Mr. Zulu added that government was currently talking to other oil companies to ensure an uninterrupted supply of fuel in the country during the conference.

He disclosed that the Ministry of Energy has sent out tenders to various oil companies to provide the country with cheap fuel.

Three weeks ago, President Michael Sata said the removal of the subsidy on petroleum products will enable the state to have more finances available for spending and guarantee proper implementation of all government programmes and projects.

Mr. Sata said it was necessary that the subsidy on petroleum products, which has been a burden to the state coffers for a long time, was removed and consequently the price of fuel adjusted upwards in order to attract wider social benefits for the general populace.

ZANIS