NGOs hail Sweden's resumption of health sector funding
By Masuzyo Chakwe
Sun 17 June 2012, 13:21 CAT
THE Civil Society Health Forum has welcomed the resumption of funding by the Swedish government to the Ministry of Health following the former's suspension of financial support to the Zambian government in 2009 due to alleged misappropriation of donor funds.
The Swedish government last Monday released K33.5 billion for the health sector to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.
Swedish Ambassador to Zambia Lena Nordstrom said the fight against corruption was an ongoing task and she asked the Ministry of Health to strengthen its accountability structures.
Ambassador Nordstrom said her government was committed to supporting the Zambian health sector following the progress made by the Ministry of Health in recent years to improve accountability and transparency in management of funds.
Co-chair of the Civil Society Health Forum, Felix Mwanza, said the resumption of funding could not have come at a better time than now when the country was going through hardships in health service delivery following the dwindling of funds by both multilateral and bilateral partners as a result of the financial crunch, the euro crisis and the paradigm shift in development aid due to other pressing global needs such as climate change.
Mwanza said while welcoming the resumption, the CSOs should not be left out of the table of discussion for resumption of such donor assistance as failure to do so would result in failure by CSOs to provide the necessary checks and balances that were expected of them.
He said the plan of action agreed upon between the cooperating partners and the government to put in place among other things systems of accountability, transparency and best practice also had space for civil society to be involved in everything that the duo embarked upon.
"It is important to also mention that while both the Zambian government and its Swedish counterpart have put pen to paper for support amounting to K33.5 billion, it is the Zambian grassroots that have sacrificed and endured hardships and at times lost their loved ones because there was no assistance coming through as a result of a few selfish individuals that chose to misuse the funds that should have served the public good," he said.
Mwanza called on both the government, cooperating partners and the Swedish government to ensure that proper oversight and fiduciary measures were put in place to safeguard that which belonged to the people of Zambia.
He called upon the Ministry of Health to quickly assist other needy initiatives in the community such as the Chilanga Hospice, Kalingalinga, Zatulet and many other community-based initiatives that were threatened with closure to benefit from the resumption of such funding.
The Civil Society Health Forum is an alliance of organisations working in the health sector and have expertise in maternal health, sexual reproductive health, child health, immunisations, HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, nutrition, health systems and services, monitoring and evaluation, media and mental health.
Labels: DONORS, HEALTHCARE, NGOs, SWEDEN
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COMMENT - Sweden, a fount of neoliberal economic advice: " She said developed countries like Sweden could never have developed during the last hundred years if they never opened for trade and improved the time of doing business. " That's right, Sweden developed because of 'free trade'.
Swedish envoy calls for more trade
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Fri 15 June 2012, 13:23 CAT
SWEDISH Ambassador to Zambia Lena Nordstrom says the country needs to trade more to end poverty and enhance economic development.
In an interview after an export seminar in Kitwe organised by the Open Trade Gate of Sweden, the Embassy of Sweden and the Zambia Development Agency, Ambassador Nordstrom said strengthened partnership in export would bring meaningful income for various entrepreneurs thereby enhancing economic and human development.
She said developed countries like Sweden could never have developed during the last hundred years if they never opened for trade and improved the time of doing business.
"Today in Sweden we need both to import and export in order to develop and survive as a country and as an economy. We have seen the economic development of Zambia being steady, between five and seven per cent since 2004; that's fabulous. We have seen Zambia improve in doing the business index that we all follow; that's also good news," Ambassador Nordstrom said.
She said facilitating growth of business particularly in import and export required clear policies and regulations for the business growth to be translated into tangible economic development.
Ambassador Nordstrom said many Swedish companies were interested in doing business with Zambia hence the need to strengthen trade ties for the benefit of both countries.
"We want to see more products organised by Zambians doing business in that direction because it is also beneficial for both of us. Swedish companies are interested in the mining activities as well. We have a project called Meeting Points Mining where we are working with the Zambian Geological Survey and the University of Zambia to see what we can share for skills training and many more activities," Ambassador Nordstrom said.
She said Sweden and Zambia had common interests as they were both mining countries and had continued to share ideas on sustainable mining.
"If you look at iron ore at the world market, we all thought it was gone but there is a new boom and we are mining for iron ore in the north of Sweden. These are ideas we should continue sharing and see how development could be attained through copper mining in Zambia," said Ambassador Nordstrom.
Labels: NEOLIBERALISM, SWEDEN, TRADE
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Sweden asks MoH to improve accountability
By Henry Sinyangwe and Ashleigh Mostert
Tue 12 June 2012, 13:23 CAT
SWEDISH Ambassador to Zambia lena Nordstrom says the fight against corruption is an ongoing task and has asked the Ministry of Health to strengthen its accountability structures.
Speaking when her government released K33.5 billion for health sector improvement to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, Ambassador Nordstrom said her government was committed to supporting the Zambian health sector following the progress made by the Ministry of Health in recent years to improve accountability and transparency in management of funds.
The Swedish government had withheld funding to the Ministry of Health following a scandal where US$33 million of donor funding was reportedly abused.
"I am delighted to be able to make this vote of confidence to the Ministry of Health and also wish to congratulate all those who have worked very hard on setting things straight. When our Minister of Development Co-operation, Gunilla Carlson, visited Zambia in November last year, she went to Chongwe to visit health centres and hospitals, to talk to women who waited for antenatal care, to those who had just delivered and to the medical staff and traditional birth attendants performing miracles with bicycle ambulances on impossible roads. Today we are translating the Swedish government's commitment into reality and the funds transferred will be used for exactly those women. She Carlson would have liked to be here with you today," Ambassador Nordstrom said.
She said the Ministry of Health should put up strong oversight and accountability structures to avoid misuse of funds.
"Management based on results and performance, transparency and openness in the systems is of benefit not only for the Ministry of Health, but will result in better medical service for more Zambians, especially those in rural areas," said Ambassador Nordstrom.
And health minister Dr Joseph Kasonde said the government has since 2009 been implementing the governance action plan to strengthen the management capacity of the ministry in order to promote transparency, accountability and best practices in managing public resources.
"I am pleased to announce to the nation that as a result of the joint efforts between government and its cooperating partners to enhance good governance in the health sector, the oversight and fiduciary role of the ministry is now extremely positive," said Dr Kasonde.
"It is our commitment that service delivery shall continue to improve in order to realise our commitments to the Zambian people."
Labels: CORRUPTION, MINISTRY OF HEALTH, SWEDEN, TRANSPARANCY
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The Dirty War on WikiLeaks is Now Trial by Media in Sweden
by John Pilger
Global Research, March 12, 2012
War by media, says current military doctrine, is as important as the battlefield. This is because the real enemy is the public at home, whose manipulation and deception are essential for starting an unpopular colonial war. Like the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, attacks on Iran and Syria require a steady drip-effect on readers’ and viewers’ consciousness. This is the essence of a propaganda that rarely speaks its name.
To the chagrin of many in authority and the media, WikiLeaks has torn down the façade behind which rapacious western power and journalism collude. This was an enduring taboo; the BBC could claim impartiality and expect people to believe it. Today, war by media is increasingly understood by the public, as is the trial by media of WikiLeaks’ founder, and editor Julian Assange.
Assange will soon know if the Supreme Court in London is to allow his appeal against extradition to Sweden, where he faces allegations of sexual misconduct most of which were dismissed by a senior prosecutor in Stockholm and do not constitute a crime in Britain. On bail for 16 months, tagged and effectively under house arrest, he has been charged with nothing. His “crime” has been an epic form of investigative journalism: revealing to millions of people the lies and machinations of their politicians and officials and the barbarism of criminal war conducted in their name. For this, as the American historian William Blum points out, “dozens of members of the American media and public officials have called for [his] execution or assassination”. If he is passed from Sweden to the US, an orange jump suit, shackles and a fabricated unconstitutional indictment await him. And there go all who dare challenge rogue America.
In Britain, Assange’s trial by media has been a campaign of character assassination, often cowardly and inhuman, reeking of jealousy of the courageous outsider, while books of perfidious hearsay have been published, movie deals struck and media careers launched or resuscitated on the assumption that he is too poor to sue. In Sweden, this trial by media has become, according to one observer there, “a full-on mobbing campaign with the victim denied a voice”. Fot more than 18 months, the salacious Expressen, Sweden’s equivalent of the Sun, has been fed the ingredients the ingredients of a smear by Stockholm police.
Expressen is the megaphone of the Swedish right, including the Conservative Party which dominates the governing coalition. Its latest “scoop” is an unsubstantiated story about “the great WikiLeaks war against Sweden”. On 6 March, Expressen claimed, with no evidence, that WikiLeaks was running a conspiracy against Sweden and its foreign minister Carl Bildt. The pique is understandable. In a 2009 US embassy cable obtained by WikiLeaks, the Swedish elite’s vaunted reputation for neutrality is exposed as sham. (Cable title: “Sweden puts neutrality in the Dustbin of History.”) Another US diplomatic cable reveals that “the extent of [Sweden’s military and intelligence] co-operation [with Nato] is not widely known” and unless kept secret “would open up the government to domestic criticism”.
Swedish foreign policy is largely controlled by Bildt, whose obeisance to the US goes back to his defence of the Vietnam war and includes his leading role in George W. Bush’s Committee for the Liberation of Iraq. He retains close ties to Republican Party extreme right figures such as the disgraced Bush spin doctor, Karl Rove. It is known that his government has “informally” discussed Assange’s onward extradition to Washington, which has made its position clear. A secret Pentagon document describes US intelligence plans to destroy WikiLeaks’ “centre of gravity” with “threats of exposure [and] criminal prosecution”.
In much of the Swedish media, proper journalistic scepticism about the allegations against Assange is overwhelmed by a defensive jingoism, as if the nation’s honour is defiled by revelations about dodgy coppers and politicians, a universal breed. On Swedish Public TV “experts” debate not the country’s deepening militarist state, and its service ti Nato and Washington, but the state of Assange’s mind and his “paranoia”. A headline in Tuesday’s Aftonbladet declared: “Assange’s moral collapse”. The article by Dan Josefsson suggests Bradley Manning, WikiLeaks’ alleged source, may not be sane and attacks Assange for not protecting Manning from himself. That the source was anonymous and no connection has been demonstrated between Assange and Manning and that Aftonbladet, WikiLeaks’ Swedish partner, had published the same leaks undeterred, was not mentioned – censorship by omission.
Ironically, this circus has performed under cover of some of the world’s most enlightened laws protecting journalists, which attracted Assange to Sweden in 2010 to establish a base for WikiLeaks. Should his extradition be allowed, and with Damocles swords of malice and a vengeful Washington hanging over his head, who will protect him and provide the justice to which we all have a right?
For more information on John Pilger, visit his website at www.johnpilger.com
Labels: JULIAN ASSANGE, PRESS FREEDOM, SWEDEN, WIKILEAKS
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Sweden breaks ranks over EU sanctions
by Staff Reporter
18/08/2010 00:00:00
SWEDEN has become the first European Union country to call for the removal of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe following disputed elections in 2002. The Nordic country’s outgoing ambassador to Zimbabwe said Wednesday he was “disappointed” to be leaving after a five-year posting with the travel and trade embargo targeting government officials and state-owned firms still effective.
“I am disappointed that I have to leave with most of the restrictive measures still in place,” Sten Rylander said in an interview with the News Day newspaper. On Tuesday, Rylander bade Vice President John Nkomo farewell before he leaves the country this week to return to Sweden. He retires from the government early next year.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the ambassador said: “I told the Vice President that I hope that something will happen sooner rather than later.
“A lot of things are happening in different capitals in Brussels, London and Washington because we can’t maintain the so-called sanctions for long.”
The European Union imposed the travel embargo on President Robert Mugabe and progressively more than a 100 other government officials following disputed elections in 2002. The EU also barred trade between its citizens and Zimbabwean state-owned enterprises, including banks.
Rylander revealed his country had tried to use its Swedish presidency of the European Union last year to move for the embargo to be lifted in response to the formation of a power sharing government between President Robert Mugabe and former opposition rivals Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara which ended a decade of political conflict.
Regretfully, the ambassador said, Tsvangirai’s MDC party briefly pulled out of the coalition in October 2009 – frustrating Sweden’s effort to normalise relations between Zimbabwe and the EU.
“ … we lost momentum because we could not have someone from the government to talk,” Rylander said.
Rylander said a recent visit to Brussels by a delegation from the Zimbabwe government to negotiate a normalisation of relations was a “credible process”, and hoped the coalition partners would move quickly to resolve disagreements.
“There is now a consolidated and united opinion on this (sanctions) within the Zimbabwean government and this will make progress easier. I am trying to encourage our side to be more forthcoming, and to think outside the box,” ambassador Rylander said.
Sounding an upbeat message about Zimbabwe’s turnaround, the ambassador said “the formation of the inclusive government and the work done up until now has been quite impressive in many areas”.
He added: “Zimbabwe has turned the corner and is now on a much more positive track. Progress is more clearly seen in the economic and social sectors. There is, no doubt, slow movement in some areas, which is regrettable.
“There is also no doubt, I think, that the blame for this slowness cannot be put on the MDC formations.”
He hoped the “huge diamond find” in the eastern parts of the country would “help Zimbabwe to come out of the cesspit”, adding: “Much remains to be done to arrange for orderly, transparent and accountable procedures for the production and sale of the diamonds.
“The proceeds of these sales must not continue to disappear over loose borders but be benefiting the national fiscus.”
Rylander’s comments on sanctions will be welcomed by Southern African leaders who at their two-day summit which ended in Namibia on Tuesday called for their removal.
SADC “reiterated its call on the international community to lift all forms of sanctions imposed on Zimbabwe in view of the negative effects they have on Zimbabwe and the SADC region in general”, the leaders said in a communiqué.
The leaders mandated the new SADC chairman Hifikepunye Pohamba of Namibia and South African President Jacob Zuma “to engage the international community on the issue of sanctions on Zimbabwe.”
Labels: JOHN NKOMO, SANCTIONS, STEN RYLANDER, SWEDEN, ZDERA
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Use of development cooperation funds
By The Post
Thu 06 May 2010, 04:00 CAT
THE Swedish people have every reason not to be happy with the manner in which we have managed the development cooperation funds they have given to us to address poverty.
There’s need for the people of Sweden to evaluate their assistance to us and how it should be given. We think it should be conditional, so that it would be necessary to really know those who are asking for it and how they will manage it.
We say this because when you help someone, a position is taken, and that position is taken on the basis of certain analyses of the loyalty and effectiveness of those in leadership in their people’s struggle to eradicate, or at least reduce, poverty. The assistance should be conditional; if not, they run the risk of it being turned into the opposite of what they want.
Our country needs radical changes for us to eliminate poverty, disease and backwardness. And this means we need leaders who can match the changes we need to make as a people; we need politicians with qualities of leaders of the masses.
We believe that if a completely pure politician doesn’t have certain leadership qualities, they cannot lead the radical changes our country needs to make. And, conversely, if someone has leadership qualities but nothing else, they cannot lead the radical changes we need to make, either.
It is absolutely necessary to have political seriousness and guiding standards and values and a spirit of self-sacrifice which accompanies one’s actions. This requires leaders who see farther and who are selective; self-sacrificing leaders.
The current political leadership of our country, especially those currently running the government, cannot be expected to have the seriousness and spirit required to run the affairs of our country and manage and the development cooperation funds we are being given to address poverty.
This is an irresponsible, greedy, selfish and corrupt clique that sees nothing wrong with misusing, misapplying and stealing development cooperation funds.
This can easily be measured by the way the present Zambian government is dealing with the corruption of Frederick Chiluba and his tandem of thieves. The Zambian government sought international financial assistance to help it investigate and prosecute those who were involved in stealing and abusing public resources under the Chiluba regime.
Millions of pounds, dollars and euros were made available to the Zambian government for that undertaking. And accordingly, Chiluba and his accomplices were investigated, found wanting and taken to court in London. A judgment was obtained in the London High Court, that even came to sit and hear evidence in Lusaka.
But today this same government has embraced Chiluba and his thieving friends and is protecting them from enforcement of the London judgment. It is being claimed that Chiluba has been acquitted of any wrongdoing by the local magistrates’ court in the criminal proceedings they had commenced against him.
The acquittal of Chiluba has been denounced as a fraud, a cheat, a product of manipulation of the judicial process. And this government went as far as withdrawing from the courts a legitimate appeal against Chiluba’s acquittal with the corrupt complicity of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
And it will not surprise anyone if in one way or another, this government, through the Director of Public Prosecutions it has compromised, will deliberately bungle the appeals that have arisen and will arise from the convictions of Chiluba’s friends that have so far been secured.
This is surely a government that can’t be expected to efficiently, effectively and in an orderly manner manage development cooperation funds given to our people by the Swedish government and others.
Corruption is very much a part of this government. This government cannot survive without corruption; without abuse and stealing of development cooperation funds through government tenders, contracts and other crooked means.
Whenever development cooperation funds are provided, for them, they don’t see an opportunity for helping reduce poverty. What they see is an opportunity to make money for themselves, to enrich themselves and ways are sought to steal such funds.
Unnecessary workshops are created and taken to lodges they own; they are the suppliers of this and that for which they are paid from such development cooperation funds. And this is a very deeply entrenched practice which explains why development cooperation funds have not achieved much in terms of reducing poverty.
What the Swedish have poured into this country in terms of development cooperation funds is a lot of money which, if was utilised efficiently and effectively, most of our people would today have been lifted out of abject poverty. But the truth is that money has not been properly spent; it has been wasted.
In saying this, we are not in any way being ungrateful to the Swedish people and their government for making fine use of their deep pockets. It is our collective duty as a people to construct a leadership and a government that take care of our affairs in an honest and efficient manner.
We are yet to come up with such a leadership and government. And we are collectively responsible for this because we seem to have become used to living with corrupt politicians and public officers and have accepted it as an unchangeable fact and we are, in one way or another, helping to perpetuate it.
How else can we explain our tolerance of the way Chiluba has been let off the hook and allowed to go scot-free for all the stealing of public funds he was involved in? And how else can we explain our tolerance of Rupiah Banda’s accommodation of and collaboration with Chiluba and his tandem of thieves?
In other words, we are all – though naturally to different extents – responsible for the abuse and stealing of development cooperation funds and consequently, the poverty our people have to endure.
We have to accept the consequences of this sin that we are committing against ourselves. If we accept it as such, we will understand that it is up to us all, and up to us only, to do something about it.
We cannot continue to blame others, including colonialism, imperialism or foreign domination for everything, not only because it would be untrue but also because it could blunt the duty that each of us faces today, namely, the obligation to act independently, freely, reasonably and quickly.
Let us not be mistaken: the best government in the world, the best parliament and the best president, cannot achieve much on their own. And it would also be wrong to expect a general remedy from them only.
Freedom and democracy include participation and therefore, responsibility from us all. If we realise this, we will be able to utilise development cooperation funds efficiently, effectively and in an orderly manner to see our people out of poverty.
And as we have stated before, let us try in a new time and in a new way to construct a leadership and government that squares up well to these challenges before us.
Let us teach ourselves and others that leadership or being in government should be an expression of a desire to contribute to the happiness of all our people rather than of a need to cheat and rape them, to rob them of the benefits of development cooperation funds.
As to the Swedish people and their government and other development cooperation partners, we urge them to continue assisting us in removing the obstacles to our development. And one such obstacle is corruption. No matter how much development funds are given to us, as long as corruption is the order of the day, very little, if not nothing, will come out of it.
We need help to ensure that development cooperation funds and whatever resources we generate for ourselves are used in the most honest and prudent manner. Solidarity is an objective reality underlining the fact that we are all passengers on the same vessel – the planet where we all live.
And obviously, this vessel is carrying too much inequalities, injustice and unfairness to remain afloat. It is our collective duty to ensure that all passengers can travel on this vessel in conditions of solidarity, equity and justice.
Labels: CORRUPTION, DONORS, MARIE ANDERSSON DE FRUTOS, SWEDEN
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Sweden not happy with govt over use of aid funds
By George Zulu in Monze
Thu 06 May 2010, 04:00 CAT
SWEDISH Ambassador to Zambia Marie Andersson de Frutos has said the Swedish people are not happy with the manner in which development cooperation funds meant to address poverty are being managed.
In an interview in Monze on Tuesday, Ambassador De Frutos said there was a big debate going on in Sweden regarding the utilisation of development cooperation funds given to the Zambian government.
“There is a big debate going on in the manner development cooperation funds are utilised by the government concerned, our people need to see change in the lives of the people they are helping through these funds.
It has to be change when we pay these funds and they must uplift the lives of the poor people. That is the whole ideology behind development cooperation funds,” she said.
Ambassador de Frutos said the scam in the Ministry of Health last year was a source of concern.
She said the freezing of funds following the scam was not meant to punish the people of Zambian but to initiate a platform for dialogue on how best the government could address such problems.
Ambassador De Frutos said she was happy that the Swedish government had continued funding the various development programmes which include the Ministry of Health.
“It has been an on-going discussion on how best to use development cooperation fund. We are not happy, of course we have raised this with the government concerned,” said Ambassador De Frutos.
“Sometimes we find ourselves in a situation where we have to freeze funds due to mismanagement, but this is going hand in hand with the discussion that we are having with government to see how this can change. Our people have questioned how the development cooperation funds are utilised.”
A scam was last year unearthed in the Ministry of Health in which K10 billion was allegedly misappropriated by civil servants. The Swedish government, being one of the funders of the ministry, the Netherlands government and the GAVI Alliance, among others, suspended funding. However, both the Swedish and Netherlands governments have started funding the sector after the government pledged to take measures to prevent a recurrence of the graft.
Labels: CORRUPTION, DONORS, MARIE ANDERSSON DE FRUTOS, SWEDEN
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Missing MoH documents worry Swedish envoy
Written by Kabanda Chulu
Thursday, July 09, 2009 5:13:36 PM
SWEDISH Ambassador to Zambia Marie Andersonn de Frutos yesterday said it is alarming and worrisome that evidence to conduct forensic auditing has gone missing at the Ministry of Health (MoH).
When asked if the missing evidence to carry out forensic auditing at the Ministry of Health would affect a transparent court process, Ambassador Andersonn de Frutos said the basis of Swedish support was on mutual trust to help the poor that everything would be handled correctly.
"Of course if evidence is missing it cannot be correct to say there will be a transparent court process and it seems this [evidence] is destroyed then it is alarming to see that it has happened like this and we are worried about this on our side," Ambassador Andersonn de Frutos said. "But the basis of our support is mutual trust that things will be handled correctly and we are not here to do all this work to bring in auditors, court processes, since we are just providing our taxpayers' money to improve living conditions of poor and the whole objective is for Zambians to run the show."
Asked on the disbursement of withheld funds and whether donor trust towards the Zambian government had been shaken over the crimes and embezzlement of funds at MoH or not, Ambassador Andersonn de Frutos said it was too early to give an answer.
"We don't own any process here I am sorry and this has to be handled with your officials, I am a guest here and I read what I read in newspapers and I get information from people I meet then I make conclusions after that and our support is based on mutual trust that everything will be handled in a correct way but it is just amazing that there has been crime and embezzlement with funds meant for poor people and that newspaper reports indicate that it has been happening since 2001," Ambassador Andersonn de Frutos said. "If trust has been shaken, I don't know what you think... what do you think? Aaah! And on the disbursement of withheld funds, it is too early for me to answer since this process is on-going and government is playing an active part so there is no clear answer right now."
Sweden, through Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), and the Netherlands recently suspended aid to the Ministry of Health following revelations of corruption. The two countries said the abuse of taxpayers' money was unacceptable and that they would withhold funds until the Auditor General concludes the forensic audit on Ministry of Health.
And Ambassador Andersonn de Frutos said the European Union (EU), under the Swedish Presidency would work towards changing the perception that the EU is just an aid contributor rather than a political actor.
Presenting the Swedish goals for the Presidency of the EU and her vision for her term in Zambia, Ambassador Andersonn de Frutos said there was need to add political dimension and change perception that the EU was just about development cooperation.
"We want to be perceived as political partners not just as development actors, we want to engage Africa on political dialogue over matters, for example about DR Congo, Mauritania, even Zimbabwe and issues such as reducing poverty and contribution to sustainable global development," said Ambassador Andersonn de Frutos.
"Under Swedish Presidency, we are ready to 'taking on the challenge' and key priorities will be managing the impact of the financial crisis, climate change, good governance and human rights, regional and continental integration and conclusion of the economic partnership agreements, the so-called EPAs [Economic Partnership Agreements]."
Labels: DONORS, MARIE ANDERSSON DE FRUTOS, MINISTRY OF HEALTH, SWEDEN
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COMMENT - The envoy should never forget, that Zambia is losing $4 billion per year because we no longer own the mines. And that Africa is financing it's own 'donor aid' four times over, because we do not benefit from our raw materials exports. Remember that we can take them back, Swedish envoy.
Never forget it’s Swedish taxpayers who contribute funding – envoy
Written by George Chellah
Saturday, June 27, 2009 3:39:13 PM
SWEDISH Ambassador Marie Andersson de Frutos yesterday told President Rupiah Banda that her country is deeply concerned with the information recently received that the embezzlement of funds at the Ministry of Health has been ongoing for several years.
And Ambassador De Frutos said people should never forget that it was the Swedish taxpayers who contribute funding to improve the living conditions of the poor.
Presenting her credentials at State House, Ambassador De Frutos said in the health sector, Zambia and Sweden had worked together almost since independence.
"Sweden has supported numerous programmes and we feel a strong connection here. We welcome the action the Zambian authorities have taken with regard to the embezzlement of funds that has been ongoing within the Ministry of Health," Ambassador Dr Frutos said.
"At the same time, as you understand Mr President, we are deeply concerned by the information we recently received that this has been ongoing for, as it seems, for several years. In this context, we should also never forget that it is the Swedish taxpayers who contribute funding to improve the living conditions of the poor."
Sweden and the Netherlands recently suspended funding to Zambia's health sector following revelations of corruption in the Ministry of Health.
Ambassador De Frutos said Sweden would continue to be an active and constructive partner to Zambia.
"We will continue to constantly highlight our overall goal for global development to contribute to a equitable and sustainable development and to creating opportunities for poor people to improve their living conditions. Our commitment to human rights and democracy is of course a basic pillar of our engagement," she said.
Ambassador De Frutos said on July 1, 2009 Sweden would take over the presidency of the European Union (EU).
"The motto of the Swedish presidency is 'Taking on the challenge'. And we can see that most probably the financial crisis and the climate change will be the cornerstone of our presidency," Ambassador De Frutos said.
"For Africa we will focus on security issues, governance and further developing the EU/Africa partnership. When it comes to Zambia we will continue to embark on the fruitful and constructive Articles 8 dialogue that my predecessor started as local president under the Czech presidency."
And President Banda said the government recognizes Sweden's commitment to strengthening relations with Zambia.
"As you rightly pointed out, development cooperation is a vital part of our relations and it is in this regard that our two countries should explore further areas of cooperation that will add both political and economic impetus to our friendship," President Banda said.
"It is sad, though, that our efforts to eradicate poverty, let alone to provide quality health services to our people, are being undermined by a few greedy individuals. My administration will deal decisively with corrupt elements."
He said Zambia welcomed Swedish investment in the country.
"This is in line with our resolve to implore the economy and the welfare of our people. My administration has identified agriculture, tourism, mining and manufacturing as priority sectors in our economic development efforts," President Banda said.
"In this vein, I wish to take this opportunity to appeal to Your Excellency to apply your personal efforts and encourage the Swedish business community to enter into partnerships with their Zambian counterparts in order to exploit the immense potential existing in these sectors."
President Banda urged Ambassador De Frutos to work towards enhancing agriculture, trade and investment and promoting tourism between the two countries.
And presenting his letter of credence, Belgian Ambassador-designate Paul Jansen said the tourism business in the country was a huge industry that would attract a lot of big investors.
“And I hope that many investors will find their way into Zambia,” he said.
He said under the leadership of the late president Levy Mwanawasa and President Banda's leadership, Zambia has been a good example of good governance and political freedom.
Labels: AMBASSADOR, DONORS, MARIE ANDERSSON DE FRUTOS, PAUL JANSEN, RUPIAH BANDA, SWEDEN
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COMMENT - Excellent development. Too bad it has to come from foreign donors, not the president. Even better would be to do away with donors altogether, tax the mines to the max and put oversight in the hands of parliament.
Sweden freezes funding to ministry of health
Written by Chansa Kabwela
Wednesday, May 20, 2009 11:45:58 PM
THE Swedish International Development Coorperation Agency (SIDA) has stopped its planned release of funds to the Ministry of Health following the alleged K10 billion scam unearthed by the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC). Sida, a government agency of Sweden, was to release 88 million Swedish Kroner [about K59 billion] to the Ministry of Health.
The agency noted that the ACC and the Office of the Auditor General acted promptly and that they hoped to get clarification on the matter.
"Sida, The Swedish development agency, has stopped its planned release of funds to the Zambian health sector after the Anti Corruption Commission, ACC, found irregularities surrounding the use of the health ministry's money," Sida headquarters noted in a statement on Tuesday.
"The ACC suspects one or several officers within the ministry of having stolen public money. Both the Anti Corruption Commission and the Office of the Auditor General have acted promptly and we hope to soon get clarifications on what actually happened."
Head of Sida in Zambia Charlotta Norrby said the agency would not accept any abuse of development funds.
"Sida will not accept any abuse of development money," Norrby stated.
When contacted for comment on the matter yesterday, Norrby stated that Sida had postponed its disbursement to the health sector until the results of the ongoing investigations by the ACC and the Office of the Auditor General on the suspected theft from the Ministry of Health were presented.
"It is not clear at the moment whether funds from the Swedish Government are affected. Sida is eager to see the issue resolved as soon as possible and has offered our support to the Auditor General and the Ministry of Health in the investigations," Norrby stated.
Sida provides technical assistance and funding throughout the world.
And well placed sources in the international donor community said most donors had pulled out their support to the Ministry of Health pending the outcome of the forensic audit by the Auditor General's office.
They said it would be difficult for them to release their funds to the country's health ministry if the audit report proved that monies allegedly abused were from the donors.
"We have pulled out our support to the Ministry of Health and we are waiting for the report of the Auditor General which is expected to be ready tomorrow. Taxpayers in our countries are very particular about how their money is spent in countries where it is taken so we are also taking precautions," the source said.
"By doing this, we know that the ordinary Zambians will suffer because donor support to the Ministry of Health stands at 55 per cent. This means that the Zambian government will have to run the health sector with 45 per cent funding as things stand right now."
Zambia's health sector is funded by several donor countries and organisations such as Sida-Sweden, Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), Commission of the European Union, Department for International Development of the United Kingdom (DFID), International Development Association - World Bank, Embassy of Japan, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Global Alliance Vaccine Initiative (GAVI) and Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria (GFATM).
Others are the Clinton Foundation, World Health Organisation (WHO), the joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Last week, the ACC unearthed a corruption scam in which over K10 billion government funds were suspected to have been corruptly obtained from the Ministry of Health.
The commission is investigating a former human resource manager in the Ministry of Health, Henry Kapoko, in connection with the alleged corruption, theft and fraud.
The ACC has also seized and restricted property in excess of K3 billion allegedly belonging to Kapoko who now works at the Ministry of Local Government and Housing in the human resource department.
Labels: ACC, CORRUPTION, DONORS, MINISTRY OF HEALTH, SWEDEN
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Swedish journalists visit The Post
Written by Sydney Mungala
Wednesday, December 03, 2008 9:22:23 AM
It is easy to take freedom of the press for granted if you are operating in a country that has had press freedom for a long time, visiting Swedish newspaper editor Anders Goliger has observed. And Post deputy managing director Sam Mujuda said the project was an opportunity to share tips on how the two newspapers operate.
Goliger, who is assistant editor for Goteborgs-Posten newspapers made a comparison between Sweden that has had press freedom since the 1800s and Zambia that has a new democracy. He said visiting Zambia would give the Swedish team a different experience.
“In Sweden we have had press freedom since the 1800s and so it is very easy to take this freedom for granted. That is why it is important to learn from countries like Zambia where democracy is quite new,” Goliger said.
He said that while the average age for journalists in Sweden was about 45, The Post had presented a different case where journalists were on the youthful side.
“For us, journalism has people with an average of 45 years but The Post, I understand, has a crop of young enthusiastic journalists so it is an opportunity for us to learn and spread this enthusiasm among our young people,” Goliger said.
He also said the common challenge of the progressions toward digital journalism was one the two organisations could share.
And Mujuda said since the Swedish visitors were coming from a superior technology and different political background, the exchange was going be beneficial to both institutions.
“For us at The Post we attach a lot of importance to this initiative by the World Association of Newspapers (WAN) because it is an opportunity to share tips on editorial, marketing, circulation and technology because, of course, the two publications have different experiences,” Mujuda said.
He noted that the exchange programme could expose the tourism potential of Zambia to the wide audience of Goteborgs-Posten.
Mujuda said that visit was a two-way exchange that would involve representatives from The Post visiting Sweden next year.
“This is the first leg of the programme. A team from The Post will visit Sweden early next year to learn about culture, democracy, politics and press freedom of that country,” he said.
Labels: JOURNALISM, SWEDEN, THE POST
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