Maravi

Rupiah calls on leaders to give up some privileges

Rupiah calls on leaders to give up some privileges
Written by Patson Chilemba and Kabanda Chulu
Friday, April 10, 2009 5:00:58 AM

PRESIDENT Rupiah Banda yesterday said those in leadership positions should give up some of their privileges, saying a big portion in the national budget goes towards paying salaries of only a few individuals.

And World Bank vice-president for Africa Obiageli Ezekwesili said some people she interacted with in Zambia felt that governance is very far away and removed from society.

Speaking when he met officials from the World Bank at State House yesterday, President Banda said leaders needed to give up a little bit.

"Those of us that are in positions of fortune or leadership have to give up some of our privileges. That means all leaders, politicians, ministers, civil servants. If you look at our budget for instance, the big portion of it goes to salaries of only a few people," President Banda said as he looked where ministers were seated.

"If you look at the politics of conflict that we have with Zamtel now, the 3,000 people employed at Zamtel that the issues that we are talking about would result in benefits to the rest of the 11 million people of Zambia. So it takes courage to cut through that very difficult net because the same people, the civil society all of them who will rally to the popular view. But we as leaders are not there just for popularity."

In November last year, President Rupiah Banda approved salary increments for constitutional office holders and senior government officials.

President Banda said he was very happy to have assented to the bill increasing salaries and allowances for constitutional office holders.

"On the bill, you know I assented. I am the one that signed for it. I am very happy with it because it is merely fulfilling what we normally do every year. What happens is that when the unionised workers in the public service negotiate with the government a certain percentage of increment everybody else who is entitled then gets it. We didn't get it in January as you know, we had wanted to get the other one which I refused to assent to, so I am happy to do this one and if you look at the figures it is really a very small increment," President Banda had said.

President Banda also said the government would have to take certain decisions because a leader was judged by how strong they were able to take the correct decisions.

"Even when those decisions will make certain people uncomfortable, we have to take decisions. We have a very strong team who believe in what they are doing. We will work hard to implement some of these difficult decisions because the results are just around the corner," President Banda said. "I had a long, long discussion yesterday with the Bishop of the Catholic Church, who is the head of the Catholic Church organisation, Bishop [George] Lungu and it was funny that when we finished, he was like talking my feelings."

President Banda said the government was there to deliver and take serious decisions by ensuring that tourism was resuscitated and that government did not look for cheap money to achieve that.

"Instead, look to encourage more tourists to come so that we can accumulate more money. That is why our government for instance reduced the Visa fees, the same thing with fertiliser support for our people to be supported with fertiliser. You have said it and we agree with you, it's not just the amount of money you spend on fertiliser. You have to have a good effective service. You have to have good roads so that they could move the produce," President Banda said. "And those issues in order to implement can make us temporarily unpopular, but at the end of the day when people see the results, they will realise we were right at the time that we took those steps."

President Banda thanked Ezekwesili for making contact with the people.

He said he did not take the views of the people as a criticism but that they were well meant and leaders needed to take them in the spirit they had been given.

"It's now for us leaders on this side of the table to take note of what you have said. These are some of the things that opposition parties and other opposition groups in the country are saying but they don't know how to say them" President Banda said. "You've said them very clearly and I think that we need as Zambians all of us, the parties and the government who are ruling this country. All Zambians should take note of what you have underlined, that we are the solutions to problems of Zambia."

Earlier, Ezekwesili said this moment of problems could not be any difficult an opportunity for Zambia.

She said this was the greatest window to focus on the difficult decisions that should be taken to enhance development.

Ezekwesili said Zambia had what it took to be great.

She said some people she interacted with complained that there was a lot of bureaucracy in the country and that she talked to business people who said it would be good to have regular discussions that would result in policy implementation.

Ezekwesili said the civil society wanted President Banda to admit them in his space.

World Bank country manager Dr Kapil Kapoor said Zambia had always been linked to copper.

He said when copper was doing well, the country was also doing well and when price of the commodity were low so was the economic performance.

He said rural poverty had remained unchanged even when copper prices were high.

Dr Kapoor said the country was now entering into a period of uncertainty and that the rate of growth was expected to reduce from six to about three per cent.

Br Kapoor said the other problem was access to finance, adding that 66 per cent of the population was unbanked.

Later after the meeting with the World Bank officials, President Banda held another meeting with European Union Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou.

President Banda said the government was looking at ways and means of increasing the productivity of the people. He said Zambeef was a very unique company.

He said the company would start growing palm oil by taking land, which was inhabitable.

President Banda said the palm oil would be for local consumption as well as for export purposes.

President Banda also revealed that government was talking to the Brazilians to establish pharmaceutical companies that would manufacture drugs to curb animal diseases.

Vassiliou said a lot of importance should be attached to agriculture, saying the country could become food-secure because it was in a good position and had good rainfall.

And later addressing the media at the World Bank offices in Lusaka after a week-long tour of the country's economic sites and holding of a series of meetings with government and various stakeholders, Ezekwesili challenged the government to quickly implement policy reforms because the people of Zambia want action.

Ezekwesili said the people of Zambia expressed a sense of urgency to see policies being turned into action.

"In my week-long tour of this country, I met many people including civil society, government officials, the private sector and the President and his Cabinet, but what came out strongly is that Zambians want action and are expressing this sense of urgency to see that government ideas and policies are implemented and I told the President and his Cabinet about the feelings of the people," Ezekwesili said. "It is true there are good policies in place but access to fertilisers without access to adequate finances and extension services is nothing to revamp agriculture. Also 97 per cent of rural people do not have access to energy and how can you grow the economy when the majority have no access to energy and even those who access it. The service is not reliable and efficient, actually reforms are needed in many sectors including, financial, telecommunications, tourism, among other sectors."

She expressed concern that civil society organisations and other voices of stakeholders were not heard by those in position of authority.

"In my interaction with the civil society, they said their voices are not heard and I conveyed this message to the President and his Cabinet. Since democratic institutions cannot be taken for granted, if the economy has to grow better, there is need to have diverse of opinions," said Ezekwesili.

Labels: DECENTRALIZATION, OBIAGELI EZEKWELISI, RUPIAH BANDA, World Bank

posted by MrK @ 4:00 AM