Government Reiterates Commitment To Fulfilling Promises

The New Dawn government has reiterated its commitment to fulfilling promises made during its 2021 election manifesto, including free education and the payment of arrears owed to farmers and retirees. 

In a statement issued on Monday, government spokesperson Chushi Kasanda said that “contrary to insinuations by some people that its is not honouring its promises” the government has already started to deliver on the Zambian people’s priorities. 

This includes clearing the arrears owed to retirees – some of whom have been waiting years – as well as the money owed to farmers who supplied maize to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) during the 2020/2021 farming season.

The statement also highlighted the rollout of President Hakainde Hichilema’s flagship free education policy, with funds already disbursed to schools across the country. From January 1st, the statement said, parents with children at government schools had not had to pay any school fees.

Additionally, the Minister for Education is today expected to update parliament on the recruitment of 30,000 teachers. 

The statement is as follows: 

STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND MEDIA AND CHIEF GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON ON THE UPND GOVERNMENT’S PROMISES TO THE PEOPLE

Government wishes to state that it is delivering on the promises it made to the people of Zambia contrary to insinuations by some people that it is not honouring its promises.

On the basis of the 2022 national budget, Government has started implementing some of the key provisions in the budget.

These include the dismantling of arrears for retirees, some of whom had been waiting for many years and the clearing of payment arrears that were owed to farmers who supplied maize and other farm produce to the Food Reserve Agency (FRA) in the 2020/2021 farming season.

Government is also rolling out the free education policy and funds have since been disbursed to schools countrywide for their operations. Effective January 1, 2022, parents with children at Government schools from early childhood to secondary have not paid any school fees.

As a result of the free education policy, children who had dropped out of school due to lack of financial support from their parents are now going back to school.

Civil servants’ salary had been stagnant for some time. We have increased them substantially in keeping with our commitment to improve the workers welfare.

The Government has also stepped up the disbursement of the social cash transfer to over one million beneficiaries as provided for in the 2022 national budget.

Last week, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Garry Nkhombo launched the guidelines on the implementation of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) in readiness to commence the disbursement of funds to the constituencies.

On the recruitment of 30, 000 teachers and 11, 200 heath workers, I am happy to inform the nation that the administrative processes have advanced.

The Minister of Education is expected to make a ministerial statement in Parliament in which he will among other things announce the roadmap on the recruitment exercise.

The Ministry of Health is equally working on a roadmap and modalities on the recruitment of the 11, 200 health workers.
All these and much more has been achieved in barely five months that we have been in office.

These and other achievements are a confirmation that Government is on course to implement its national development programme as set out in the 2022 budget.

Further, it ought to be stressed that once a programme or a project is budgeted for in the national budget, Government is bound to implement it.

It, is therefore, misleading for anyone to insinuate that Government has backtracked on its promises as reported in some sections of the media.

This is a serious Government which is committed to fulfil its promises. Government has raised the governance bar high, and we do not intend to drop it.

We were voted into office on the premise of change to improve the lives of the Zambian people and we will not depart from that. That is our commitment to the people that ushered us into office.

Issued by:
Hon. Chushi Kasanda, MP
MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND MEDIA AND CHIEF GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON
14TH February, 2022