Monday 31 October 2011

NGOCC URGES GOVERNMENT TO INCLUDE THE GENDER PROBLEMS IN THE BUDGET

Non-governmental organisation coordinating council (NGOCC) says Given that the national budget determines how the Government mobilizes and allocates public resources, Government’s efforts of reducing poverty in Zambia must consider the problem of gender inequalities.
The women movement has noted that 68percent of the population of Zambia lives below the poverty line and out of which 53percent live in extreme poverty.
It says the majority of the poor are women; yet they contribute to a larger extent to food production and essential social structures than men do and at the same time women lack economic, social and political power.
The ngocc has stated that this excludes women from decision-making processes, participation in public debates and accessing services, such as health care.
It says the women exclusion and resulting vulnerability must be recognized as a structural tool of discrimination and marginalization, which does not solely harm women, but impedes the development of the entire country.
They have stressed that Gender inequality contributes to major losses in economic efficiency and human development therefore gender budget initiatives can reconcile the objectives of gender equality, human development and economic efficiency.
The organisation says Gender Budgeting is a strategy for ensuring gender sensitive resource allocation and is a tool for engendering macro economic policy and a mechanism that recognizes the fact that men generally benefit more from budget allocations than women.
The women have stated that it thus intends to improve women’s poor socio-economic status by providing them with resources that promote their well-being and empowerment.
They have pointed out that it is not a separate budget for women, but a general budget analyzed or constructed from a gender perspective which involves analyses of actual government expenditure and revenue on women and girls in comparison to that of men and boys and in comparison to their unique needs.
The organisation says it is widely known that women’s economic empowerment promotes the strengthening of social structures, as it is used to benefit the family while generally men tend to spend the majority of their income on discretionary goods.
The ngocc says these examples do not intend to show that women are of a better nature but rather suggest the socially constructed roles of women and men and how their diverse socialization impacts on their behavior and sense of responsibility.
In order to strive for an egalitarian, the woemen movement says democratic society capable of promoting social and economic development, the Ministry of Finance and National Planning must address how the various budget allocations have a different impact on women and men.
It says Gender disaggregated data becomes very crucial here and needs to be provided.
Its says government must further be examined how vulnerabilities can be reduced; abilities of women and men strengthened and how equal access can be ensured in order to effectively fight poverty, disease and strengthen the social infrastructure and hence actively work for the development of Zambia.
/////

ZARDC CALLS ON GOVERNMENT TO QUICKLY IMPLIMENT THE E-GOVERNANCE IN THE COUNTRY

The Zambia research and Development centre (ZARDC) has called on the government of president sata to speed up the implementation of e-governance in the country.
ZARDC director for research and development Richard silumbe says e-governance is an important innovation for enhancing good governance and strengthening the democratic process and can also facilitate access to information, freedom of expression, greater equity, efficiency, productivity, growth and social inclusion.
Mr. Silumbe says the e-governances system removes unnecessary bureaucracies in the government and promotes transparency, accountability and has the potential to improve public service delivery by public institutions with enhanced decentralisation reforms which brings decision makers closer to the doorsteps.
He has stated that government departments should adopt sustainable e-governance system in order to improve efficiency and effectiveness in delivering services to citizens.
The ZARD research and development director has noted that currently Zambia has experienced a greater increase in ICT capacity because the ICT institutions in the country have managed to nurture ICT experts with greater capacities in different areas of expertise.
Meanwhile Mr. Silumbe has urged government to engage local ict experts in coming up with the roadmap to implementation of a sustainable e-government in the country.
He has stressed that ICT software solutions adopted from and developed foreign software developers pose a great challenge in customizing them to meet the local demands.
And Mr. silumbe has further appealed to government at local government level to adopt the community based monitoring system as a tool for improved local governance and democratic decision making that promotes transparency and accountability in resource allocation.
Mr. Silumbe says the councils can use the community based monitoring system in comprehensive mapping of the existing wards to determine the extent of poverty and solutions to promote development in each of the wards
////

PRESSURE MOUNTS FOR FFTUZ PRESIDENT JOYCE NONDE TO CALL FOR A SUPREME COUNCIL MEETING WITHIN 30DAYS.

The Zambia water and sanitation engineering and allied workers union has challenged the president of the federation of free trade union of Zambia (FFTUZ) Mrs. Joyce Simukoko to call for a supreme council meeting within 30days so that a new leadership with a legal mandate can represent workers.
Speaking in an interview with radio phoenix Zambia water and sanitation engineering and allied workers union general secretary Charles Phiri says the labour movement has not held its elections from inception more than 10years ago under the leadership of Mrs. Simukoko.
Mr. Phiri says fftuz must promote internal practices of democracy, accountability and transparency adding that the constitutional breach that has been committed by the acting national executive secretary renders the entire fftuz executive board illegitimate.
He has stated that the fftuz as a key stakeholder in labour and industrial matters in the country can not afford to have a leadership that does not operate within its constitution and contrary to article 5(E) of the fftuz constitution.
Mr. Phiri has further stated that the failure by fftuz organ to meet in the last 3years is a serious breach and abrogation of the constitution and exposes the national secretary as highly incompetent and inefficient on his part.
/////

Saturday 29 October 2011

EGYPT PLEDGES ITS SUPPORT TO THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION IN ZAMBIA

The Egyptian government has pledged to support president sata and his government’s quest to stamp out corruption at all levels in the country stating that the vice is increasing poverty.
Speaking in an interview with radio phoenix Egyptian ambassador to Zambia falah el sadek has also warned African leaders of facing consequences for ignoring the will and views of their people in their countries.
Ambassador el sadek has pointed out that it is due to high levels of corruption which led to the uprising in his country and other countries and the vice must be stopped at all cost.
And ambassador el sadek says even though it’s not his role to advise African leaders on how to rule their various countries, it is imperative that they pay attention to the needs of their citizens.
He says most of the African leaders who turn out to be dictators do not listen to their people and always want their weight to be felt through intimidations.
Ambassador el sadek has stated that the will of the people will always prevail in any country no matter which leader is there at any particular time.

COMMISSION OF INQUIRY ON THE ENERGY REGULATION BOARD TO START IT’S SITTING ON MONDAY THE 31ST 2011 AT MULUNGUSHI INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE


The commission of inquiry on the energy regulation board will start its sitting tomorrow Monday the 31st 2011 at mulungushi international conference centre from 14:30hours to 17:30hours.
The commission of inquiry’s terms of reference are to inquire into the procurement methods and tender procedures for the supply of oil by the energy regulation board and the costing of oil outside and within Zambia.
It has also being tasked to inquire into the capacity and corporate profiles of international and local oil suppliers, the most economic routes and sources of the supply of oil to Zambia and any matter incident.
The second and third sitting will be held in Ndola at council chambers from 14:30 to 17:30 hours from the 3rd of November with the second sitting expected to be held on the 4th of November from 09:30hours to 13hours and resume sitting in the afternoon from 14:30 hours to 17:30hours.
This is according to public notice letter which has been written and signed by commission of inquiry on the energy regulation board secretary chipili magayane

ZANEC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MIRIAM CHONYA ADVISES LEADERS TO EMBRACE THE CULTURE OF BEING NATIONALISM IN THEIR DECISION.


Zambia national education coalition (ZANEC) executive director Miriam chonya has ADVISED leaders to embrace DR Kenneth Kaunda’s culture and character of being nationalists in their national decision.
Meanwhile Mrs. chonya has also questioned the criteria government used in choosing which area should been give a university after it revealed that it will turn one school into a university in chinsali.
Speaking in an interview with radio phoenix, Mrs. Chonya has also advised the patriotic front government to implement it education policy under its manifesto if the goals under the education for all can be achieved.
Mrs Chonya says currently Zambia has only achieved the first goal out of six goals under the education for all and this is a source of worry and concern hence it is important that leaders make nationalist decision and not based on selfish and party interests.
The first education for all goal which is to Expand early childhood care and education  calls for better and more possibilities to support young children, and their families and communities, in all the areas where the child is growing – physically, emotionally, socially and intellectually  
The second goal which is Provide free and compulsory primary education for all sets the objective of seeing that all children go to school and finish primary education.
The third goal which is Promote learning and life skills for young people and adults places the emphasis on the learning needs of young people and adults in the context of lifelong learning.
Meanwhile the fourth goal which is Increase adult literacy by 50 per cent calls for a certain level of improvement in adult literacy by 2015 – it says that it should be 50 per cent better than it was in 2000.
the fifth goal, Achieve gender parity by 2005, gender equality by 2015 calls for an equal number of girls and boys to be enrolled in primary and secondary school by 2005 – this is what gender parity means.  
The sixth goal which is to improve the quality of education calls for improvement in the quality of education in all its aspects, aiming for a situation where people can achieve excellence.
However out of this six goals Zambia has only achieved the first goal.
///

SATA VOWS TO UTILISE THE CHINESE IN THE COUNTRY ACCORDING TO SPECIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENT OF VARIOUS PROJECTS


president michael sata has vowed to utilise the chinese in the country according to specifications and requirements of projects stating that the chinese nationals are very aggressive, productive and hard working.
speaking at state house today when he hosted a luncheon for chinese business community in zambia, president sata noted that the destination of any country depends on the policies of the government in power hence will ensure that he uses the chinese according to specification of the various projects.
and president sata has disclosed that he will send first republican president dr kenneth kaunda to china to go and renew the relations between the two countries and thank the chinese government for its support in various sectors of the economy.
meanwhile the president has stated that zambians must not blame the influx of chinese nationals in the country on its government but the immigration department that gives them work permits.
and speaking at the same luncheon, chinese ambassador to zambia zhou yuxiao has appealed to the chinese business community in zaambia to respect the local culture, treat and pay the local employees fairly and decently.
ambassador zhou says the chinese business community must engage business in an internationally accepted manner and observe the laws of the country.

meanwhile ambassador zhou has disclosed that his government pumps about  100 million yuan every year into tazara for maintenance adding that despite all its deficiencies, the railway has transported 30 million tons of cargo and 40 million passengers since its completion.
he says this year the railway line has carried about 530,000 tons of cargo and 787 passengers adding that most of zambia’s imported fertiliser comes through the railway line.
and ambassador yuxiao says china’s policy towards zambia will never change and the unbreakable traditional friendship will remain rock firm.

////