Govt has not abandoned APRM, says Banda

Govt has not abandoned APRM, says Banda
By Mwala Kalaluka
Saturday March 15, 2008 [03:00]

VICE-President Rupiah Banda yesterday said the government highly rates the performance of the Zambian civil service, ministers, deputy ministers and some parliamentarians. And Banda has said the government has not abandoned the implementation of the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM), even though it might take some time to realise its objectives.

Responding to a question from Chadiza MMD member of parliament Allan Mbewe, during the Vice-President’s question session time in Parliament, the Vice-President said Zambia was one of the few countries that could boast of a good and solid civil service.

“I would like to say that we rate our civil service very highly,” Vice-President Banda said. “Things are running normally and we have got peace in the country.”

He said this positive performance among public officers was as a result of the collective efforts that had been engendered in the growth of the country’s democracy.

On the concerns raised by Chipili PF member of parliament Davis Mwila over the government’s failure to revamp the Mununshi Banana Scheme in Luapula Province, Vice-President Banda said members of parliament and citizens should not wait for the government to do everything for them.

He said in as much as the scheme was previously owned by the government, it was privatised and it was now up to the private sector to take up the challenge of resuscitating Mununshi Plantation.

Vice-President Banda further asked parliamentarians from Luapula Province to inculcate a sense of responsibility in the people for them to stop tampering with the growth of the fish resource.

He told Luapula PF member of parliament Dr Peter Machungwa that the government was still resolved in its plans to restock fish in the rivers and lakes.

And Vice-President Banda said a recent assessment visit by APRM officials had shown that Zambia was not one of the countries that has been left behind in the implementation mechanism.