Pomp and splendour characterized the official opening of the second session of the Tenth National Assembly by President Levy Mwanawasa.
The President who was clad in an immaculate blue suit accompanied by his wife, Maureen, arrived at Parliament Building at 10:30 hrs and was met on arrival by Speaker of the National Assembly Amusaa Mwanamwambwa and Service Chiefs.
Dr. Mwanawasa was accorded the 21 gun salute fired by the salute Troop of the Zambia Army Artillery and a fly past by the Zambia Air Force jets.
However, Dr. Mwanawasa could not inspect the guard of honour mounted by the Second Battalion of the Zambia Regiment due to rains that started a few minutes after his arrival.
The Parade, Photojournalists and hundreds of people braved the rains to witness the arrival of the President.
Immediately after the National Anthem was played, Dr. Mwanawasa, the First Lady and the Speaker, despite the rains, ceremoniously proceeded into the chamber where he addressed Members of Parliament.
After officially opening parliament, the President left the chambers and was accorded the third presidential salute before departure at about 13:50 hours.
On Quality of MP Debates
President Levy Mwanawasa showered Members of Parliament with glowing tribute, saying their style and manner of debate was a sign of a fledging democracy in Zambia.
Dr. Mwanawasa congratulated the members for debating matters of great importance to the nation with maturity and transparency in the previous session of the National Assembly.
During the first session of the tenth National Assembly, 1,120 questions for oral answers were considered while six private members’ motions and 34 ministerial statements were dealt with in parliament.
“My administration is grateful to this house for the outstanding manner in which Honourable members debated and passed the bills which came before them in 2007. This demonstrated the constructive manner in which this house scrutinized government intensions and proposals,” he said.
In the same session, 21 motions to adopt reports of sessional committees and six motions to adopt reports of select committees to ratify presidential appointments to constitutional offices were also considered.
The house also considered 105 papers laid on the table by government ministries.
“This is a demonstration of our efforts to foster good governance and our desire to remain transparent and accountable at all times,” he said.
Dr. Mwanawasa has since called on the Members of Parliament to work with his administration in order to accelerate socio-economic development, which, he said, people of Zambia were yearning for.
He however noted that some opposition members of parliament have been opposing government programmes merely for the sake of opposing.
“This is a disservice to the electorate and we must avoid it,” he said.
The President was also happy that efforts to improve parliamentary reforms have also paid off.
He cited the live broadcasting of parliamentary debates to areas along the line of rail, implementation and the establishment of parliamentary offices in all the constituencies around the country as some of the evident developments in parliamentary reforms.
He reiterated his call on members of parliament to discharge their duties with diligence, commitment and selflessness because of their serious tasks of dealing with legislative maters, approving the budget and giving Zambians a constitution that would stand the test of time.
“The daunting challenge of youth unemployment, HIV and AIDS and the high poverty levels are still with us, but we must not give up in tackling these head on,” he said.
Dr. Mwanawasa said in his 84-paged speech, that each Member of Parliament had a responsibility to work tirelessly towards fulfilling their social contract that they had with Zambian people.
“..to serve them in an atmosphere that transcends partisan and individual interests. In this way, we will not betray the trust and confidence the Zambian people have placed on us,” he emphasized.
The public gallery of the parliament chamber was full of invited guests who included diplomats accredited to Zambia, donor community representatives, Supreme and High Court judges, mayors, permanent secretaries and several other people.
On the Media
President Levy Mwanawasa announced that Government will this year reintroduce the Freedom of Information Bill in the House.
President Mwanawasa told the gathering that Government has consulted widely and has taken time to learn from other democracies that have enacted similar laws.
In re-tabling the Bill, he said, Government will provide safeguards to ensure that increased access to information does not compromise Zambia’s National Security nor violate people’s rights to privacy.
President Mwanawasa said the implementation of this legislation will necessitate more work on the part of Government as there will be need to restructure, overhaul and streamline public institutions.
He acknowledged that the fight against poverty and corruption can not be won, if the media is not fully involved as it was a powerful, educative and information tool for development.
The President said under the Fifth National Development Plan, Government has endeavoured to take the Media close to the people by installing television transmitters in rural districts and the next stage would be to take newspapers to the people.
He disclosed that the Printing Presses under the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) will be decentralised starting with Chipata, a move, Dr Mwanawasa said was aimed at having local language newspapers printed close to the intended audiences to enable them follow national events as they happen.
In addition, the President announced that Government has made progress in repealing the Theatres and Cinematography Act adding that it is in the process of introducing legislation that will help in classification of materials for public viewing and check on the proliferation of illegal video houses.
Dr Mwanawasa also disclosed that the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation Board of Directors will be appointed this year.
“The Independent Broadcasting Authority will also be made operational after the Board Members have been ratified by the House”, announced President Mwanawasa.
On Legal Front and Accountability
President Mwanawasa announced that the decentralisation of the Legal Aid Board and Director of Public Prosecution Chambers is underway.
He said there was need to enhance access to Justice for the Zambian people hence Government’s endeavour to decentralise the two institutions.
President Mwanawasa said his administration shall continue to uphold the rule of law and ensure that the Public Service is transparent and accountable to the Zambian people.
Dr Mwanawasa noted that accountability and prudent use of public funds shall continue to be top priority in the governance of the nation adding that Government will continue to strengthen the institutions that promote Good Governance in the country.
On corruption, the President said Government had now moved a step further towards institutionalising the prevention of corruption in ministries, departments and public bodies through the Integrity Committee Initiative.
To this end, he disclosed that eight pilot Integrity Committees were set up last year and thirty two members sworn in with a mandate to address the vice and other malpractices.
Dr Mwanawasa also informed the gathering that the construction of office buildings in five provincial centres was nearing completion adding that the developments are aimed at decentralising Audit Services countrywide.
On Government Management of Finances
President Levy Mwanawasa made a declaration that his government would this year implement the computerized and integrated financial management information system (IFMIS) in ministries, provinces and spending agencies.
Dr. Mwanawasa said that the system would improve further the operations of the public expenditure management and financial accountability in government.
He said the implementation of the computerized and integrated financial management information system was a key milestone in public expenditure and financial management area of government.
He told Members of Parliament that government would also continue to review tax policies and administration to ensure that tax was aligned to development in the economy.
“These reforms are important to ensure that each Kwacha of public financial resources spent brings about tangible socio-economic benefits to the country,” he said.
President Mwanawasa restated that the country has continued to foster a conducive investment climate which would stimulate and attract local and foreign direct investors through various reforms.
He cited the private sector development reform programme, the citizens’ economic empowerment programme and the creation of the Zambia Development Agency.
“In spite of all these macro-economic gains, we still have the challenges of equitably translating them into improved living standards for the people,” he observed.
Dr. Mwanawasa said to this end, government was implementing the Fifth National Development Plan (FNDP) whose objective is to create jobs through the participation of citizens.
And the President said government would this year operationalise the empowerment fund under the Citizens’ Economic Empowerment Commission, whose desire is to encourage citizens to be economically active on their own.
He said government would also encourage Zambians to participate in the economy and encourage foreign companies to be actively involved in other facets of empowerment.
Dr. Mwanawasa said through the effective participation of the private sector and cooperation, government would reduce the cost of doing business in the country.
On Oil and Gas deposits
President Mwanawasa said he is optimistic that Zambia has high chances of having oil and gas deposits in dotted areas of Western, north-western and eastern province.
President Mwanawasa said most of the samples collected in selected areas have tested positive to the presence of oil and gas.
Dr. Mwanawasa said soil samples that were sent to Germany for analysis using the technique of Microbial Prospecting for Oil and Gas (MPOG) indicate that the Zambian ground held oil and gas deposits.
He said out of 11 samples that were collected in August 2005 and analysed using the MPOG technique, nine tested positive for oil while the remaining two tested positive for gas.
In July 2006, 31 samples were collected from North-western province, 12 of them tested positive for oil while six tested positive for gas.
“These results were strong indicators of the presence of oil and gas in the districts of Kabompo, Chavuma and Zambezi. Further, investigations were extended to Eastern province in 2007 where 153 soil samples were collected in north Luangwa valley and whose laboratory results are equally encouraging,” he said.
He said 277 soil samples were collected from Western province. The results were that Lukulu and Kalabo have the highest chance of finding oil while Mongu district has high chances of gas deposits.
Dr. Mwanawasa has since appointed members of a petroleum committee as provided for under the petroleum exploration and production Act. The committee is already spearheading formulation of policies and guidelines relating to petroleum and its development in Zambia.
He said it was now necessary to amend the petroleum exploration and production Act of 1985 and also to have a strong legal provision on environmental protection.
Government has since suspended all processes of invitation to tender until the Act is repealed and replaced through a bill that would be dealt with in parliament in the first quarter of this year.
And Dr. Mwanawasa has disclosed that government has established a stabilization fund aimed at cushioning high import prices of refined petroleum products when Indeni Oil Refinery is shut.
He said government has therefore put in place a mechanism for long term supply of 1.44 million metric tones of crude feed stock over a period of two years, which is 2008 and 2009.
“The feed stock will be supplied by the Independent Petroleum Groups (IPG) who have been awarded a contract after a competitive tender bidding process managed by the Zambia National Tender Board,” he said.
The President said government and Total, which are the two shareholders in Indeni, have agreed to invite a third shareholder to take up 30 per cent of the shares.
He said the restructuring of shareholding of Indeni would contribute further to the recapitalization and investment in the company.
On Climate Change
Dr. Mwanawasa said government has formulated a national adaptation programme of action which aims at mapping out adaptation strategies to address the adverse impact of climate change.
He said although Zambia was not a major contributor to greenhouse gases, the country was still vulnerable to the consequences of climate variabilities such as droughts and floods.
“These particularly affect the small-scale farmers and the poor, threatening their food security,” he said.
On forestry, Dr. Mwanawasa said government would focus on creating large industrial plantations for re-foresting degraded land around the country.
The President told parliament that government was already persuading investors for this sector, adding that traditional authorities were also being approached to release part of their pieces of land for the same.
He envisages a creation of thousands of jobs once such industries were created.
He also said Zambians have been able to use the Forestry Development Credit Facility for the development of forestry and other related industries in the country.
On International relations
President Levy Mwanawasa says the Asian continent as a strategic region is expected to remain an important source of technology, Trade and Investment for Zambia.
President Mwanawasa added that Government is mindful of the long historical ties between Zambia and the Asian continent.
Dr Mwanawasa who described the Asian continent as the fastest economic region of the 21st century said it was gratifying to note that strategic countries in that region are showing keen interest in bringing significant investments to Zambia.
In recognition of Zambia’s contribution to peace and security in the SADC region, the President disclosed that the country was requested to host the centre for the promotion of Democracy, Good Governance, Human Rights and Civic Education within the Great Lakes Region Framework.
In addition, President Mwanawasa said as part of Zambia’s commitment to the cause of African Unity, Government has presented the candidature of a distinguished professional for the position of AU Chairperson, Ambassador to the US Dr Inonge Mbikusita Lewanika.
The President further acknowledged that the European Union is Zambia’s largest donor and pledged to continue engaging this bloc in various development matters affecting Zambia and the region.
He said Zambia anticipated increased European participation in its national development programmes particularly after the EU/AU Summit held in December last year which afforded both sides a rare opportunity to discuss critical issues of mutual concern.
The President also pledged commitment towards relations between Zambia and the USA adding that Government recognises America’s unique position of world influence and responsibility.
On Taxing Foreign Mining Investors
President Mwanawasa said government has decided to introduce a new fiscal and regulatory regime in order to bring about an equitable distribution of mineral wealth between the government and mining companies.
Dr. Mwanawasa said the new regime introduces a windfall tax and variable profit tax that has been designed to work in periods of both high and low prices and for high and low cost mining projects to ensure that the tax system remains stable.
The president assured mining companies that the new regime will still be immensely profitable to them and the mining industry in Zambia will continue to be attractive to investors.
