Maravi

Wignaraja sees need for rural-biased investment

Wignaraja sees need for rural-biased investment
By Christopher Miti in Chipata and Fredrick Mwansa in Itezhi-te
Mon 23 Apr. 2012, 13:27 CAT

UNITED Nations resident coordinator Kanni Wignaraja says there is need for rural-biased investment. And Wignaraja says the role of the media in Zambia will be very critical as the country embarks on the decentralisation policy and constitutional reforms.

Briefing the media after concluding her tour of Eastern Province on Friday, Wignaraja, who toured Chipata, Mambwe, Lundazi and Petauke, said the bad state of infrastructure in rural areas was a blow to progress in human development.

"I would even say that for too long and you know that there has been a serious urban bias and maybe it is time to see a rural bias because at some point, you have to make decisions that in order to really balance the equation, you have to bias the investment to rural areas, it has to be intentional. The planning, the budgeting, decision making, you can't leave to chance; it has to be intentionally favouring the rural areas," Wignaraja said.

On the education sector, she said it was good that there had been an attempt to build back the infrastructure in basic schools and even to upgrade community schools to basic schools.

Wignaraja said it could also be a good trend for both basic and community schools to open up to early learning.

She said early learning was important because it gave children an equal start to education.

"Now the sad thing is that on the other end of the education system, you see a very serious bottleneck. The children are coming out of basic schools and there are not enough places in secondary schools. And the fact that we have built up these groups of children and they are now able to complete grade nine and now many have nowhere to go," Wignaraja said.

She also said the role of the media in the coming months would be very critical in putting forward the accurate and responsible articulation of what would be coming out in terms of decentralisation and constitutional reforms.

"(Decentralisation and constitutional reforms) are going to be a large dialogue debate in the country and the more public awareness about these issues. And what are the options being discussed? What are the issues that really matter to change one's life? So the role of the media in this to me is going to be critical," Wignaraja said.

She said media coverage of the two issues should be responsible and not biased.

Labels: FDI, KANNI WIGNARAJA, NEOLIBERALISM, RURAL AREAS, UN

posted by MrK @ 5:39 PM