Finance and National Planning Minister, Situmbeko Musokotwane has challenged opposition leaders and civil society to stop misguiding Zambians that aid freeze to the health and road sectors was taking place for the first time in the country.
Dr Musokotwane yesterday said actions by cooperating partners to freeze aid had occurred during the first, second and third Republics and were not limited to Zambia but several other countries.
The minister said the Government had engaged the donor community positively on the need to restore the funding and help reactivate projects that had stalled.
Dr Musokotwane, in an interview in Lusaka, said some donors had frozen aid during the administrations of first Republican president Kenenth Kaunda, his successors Frederick Chiluba and late Levy Mwanawasa, and that the Rupiah Banda-led administration was experiencing it for the first time since it came into power.
The minister was commenting on calls by Patriotic Front president Michael Sata on donors to freeze aid.
“The good thing coming out of this is that we have already agreed on specific actions to be taken by the Government.
“The issue of accountability is important to donors just as it is to the Zambian people. We have done extremely well in that regard,” Dr Musokotwane said.
The minister said governments were not immune to corruption but that such incidents helped in strengthening financial controls which President Banda’s Government would achieve.
[pullquote]“We are not doing it for donors but for the people of Zambia. The donors have said they want to know what actions we will take on the findings of the Auditor General, so it is either we clarify or say what we will do,” he said.[/pullquote]
Dr Musokotwane said talks between the donors and the Government were meant to safeguard the interests of the Zambian people and he was positive that funding would roll out soon.
He said roads and other projects had stalled as a result of the aid freeze but he was happy with the response from the donor community.
The donors had provided premises within which the Government would act to stem further abuse of public resources.
The Government is compiling a roadmap that would contain strict measures to promote adherence to guidelines in the use of donor aid.
Dr Musokotwane said the Government would allow law-enforcement agencies to deal firmly with the perpetrators of financial abuse.
He said measures that needed immediate action such as the dissolution of the board of directors at the Road Development Agency had been taken.
Dr Musokotwane also said donors had demanded specific actions that the Government should take on the audit reports by the Auditor General, which officials were preparing.
“We are not doing it for donors but for the people of Zambia. The donors have said they want to know what actions we will take on the findings of the Auditor General, so it is either we clarify or say what we will do,” he said.
[ Times of Zambia ]
The minister said governments were not immune to corruption but that such incidents helped in strengthening financial controls which President Banda’s Government would achieve. Thats our Finance Minister; in other words; corruption should be encouraged in order to strengthen financial controls to be archieved by president banda’s administration? wow!!! thats our finance minister.
Just because there was aid freeze in the other administrations,then its justification enough to have aid freeze now.This bunch is surelly clueless
#1 iwe stop lies ,you are not dealing with grade two chaps here.You are taking the Minister’s statement out of context.I expect you to blog at a higher level than this .Corruption is not only confined to Zambia even those donor countries do experience issues of corruption.That money they are talking about almost half of it goes back to them in terms of business class airfares for the consultants and their upkeep.They pay a few thousand dollars to our people so that the can cast a blind eye on some irregularities and so on,endless seminars ,workshops and tours are encouraged by the donors in the man of capacity building .How long does it take build capacity?If indeed you criminal you are in Australia ,you know very well that you are not paid to attend a seminar .Only in Zambia with…
Musokotwane. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Prosecute FTJ Chiluba on pending corruption cases invloving colossal sums of money then we can listen to your empty suit.
..donor money .They have enouraged wastefulness .The only solution to this is to broaden the tax base locally and be able to finance our development .We shall never develop with donor money.Donor money is indeed dead aid.They were more than happy to finance a group of over zealous legal chaps with over $40 million to recover $400 000.00!What a shame if they wanted they could have built brand new hospital any where in the country .This is dead aid indeed.
And one thing Sata has been part of all these past aid freezes…. Its beyond me for a ‘president in waiting’ to be pushing for aid to be frozen, so that widespread suffering to an extent that nation is ungovernable so that he can become president:-\” typical kaponya theories …only works at KMB and kulima tower
#2 YAYA
If i’ve put the ministers words out of context,can you put them in the right context for me please,maybe i dont understand english properly,just explain to me clearly in simple english what the minister meant by those two statements
And by the way,just because corruption is happening in their countries it doesnt mean that we should embrace it.You are the one telling lies now,if the money they give your country goes back to them in form of air fares and seminars and whatever they charge is that corruption? your reasoning is of a grade 2 now
#5 Ndobo
Donors are not stupid,they have their own reasons why aid has been frozen for the ministry of health and the roads department, dont bring Sata in this issue,he’s not the one who went to them to tell them to stop.In case you didnt read,go to BBC news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/10331717.stm, that excuse about sata is non starter
“The minister said governments were not immune to corruption but that such incidents helped in strengthening financial controls which President Banda’s Government would achieve.”
This is also like saying, financial systems are not immune to financial crisis but such incidents help regulators strengthen regulations. In short, the fact that such incidents happen help strengthen measures to avoid them from happening. In other words, brainstorming comes into play (what can we do to prevent so and so from happening and if so and so happens, what should we do about it to bring about justice, disincentive it from happening and stop it from happening). Please some things are straight forward. 8-|
Sorry, I got a glimpse of the report. Its interesting that this Audit report covers the most part of 2006-2008. I am just wondering who was President of Zambia then?
This is also like saying, financial systems are not immune to financial crisis but such incidents help regulators strengthen regulations??? one this is not a financial crisis,its corruption at its best and someone has to be held accountable.”the fact that such incidents happen help strengthen measures to avoid them from happeneing? well,we have these regulations already in existencey,so we should let corruption go on so we can strengthen regulations,,,the common of these regulations are that tender procedures are followed and who ever is corrupt should go to jail,do we really need some other form or regulation,how about enforcing the regulations we have already.Justice system is already there,we need to brainstorm before we implement,but here its like we have to wait for corruption to…
OoooH! So because this is not the first time funding is being frozen and also because Zambia is not alone, then it is a small issue. Thanks MINISTER OF FINANCE. wE WILL SEE YOU DURING VOTING.
This is a good statement from the Minister. What he is effectively saying is that this while sad has hapened before in Zed and other countries. he is also saying that sad ocurence has provided an opportunity to improve systems. so Red card @ 1and 23 dont take it out of context.
#7 Red card-smoothcriminal,
its seems you have brain failure syndrome.. you brain cells are collapsing due improper use and improper reasoning..now. let me help you…i did not say aid is being frozen because of Sata.. i said i don’t understand how sata can be pushing and be happy with aid been frozen..i know that donors have their own ways of operation.. but for a zambian from with zambia to be pushing for donor aid to be frozen in order to gain political mileage is gutting:o
The calibre of the thinking (or lack thereof) of this Minister makes a strong case of why presidential nominees should be vetted by Parliament. Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane is an embarrassment to all educated people, especially those who call themselves “Dr”. And this guy was a Deputy Governor of the Bank of Zambia. GOD help my country!!!!!
#13 ndobo
I dont know how scientific that brain cells can start to collapse due to improper reasoning,maybe you have experienced it,i wish i could demean or call you names,but i cant,sorry!!
Now,Sata can push for aid freeze if that aid not going to the intended people,like what happened at MOH or Roads department,if it is being stollen to benefit a few individuals,while the masses are suffering,then he is right to call for aid freeze,im sure you would call for aid freeze unless you are a direct beneficiary of the corruption
The Sarbanes-Oxly rules in USA were born out of the collapse of Enron and Telekom. Rules were strenghtened so CEOs and their CFOs should not cheat and make shareholders lose their money. In the same vein I am sure Dr Musokotwane is drawing inference from such when he makes a statement as put forward by #8 the capitalist. To me disasters are the ones that strenghten existing controls. Even the WW2 made world leaders not to produce Hitlers again through Strenghthened UN and its wings.
Hehe…now these thieves are admitting that tey have been stealing the donor money. Hehe…Mulongoti was quick to tell off the donors to go to hell over the allegations that the RDA was mared with corruption. The donors have shown Mulongoti and the MMD a red card. Ohh how great is the Donor community. Please Donors continue doing the good work for Zambians by not giving the monies to the MMD thieves coz they will use it for campaigns. What is needed is to let UNDP manage the money for well recognised and identified projects. Not the way the MMD misuse the RDA money during elections. Hehe, MMD thieves you cant out smarts the donors. And it is so embarassing to always cry over mney which is not yours. When are you starting generating your own money from he mines? YOU USELESS PEOPLE.:)>-:)>-
#16 Mavimba… you are very correct.. and major action was taken where moslty those invloved eneded up dead or serving life sentences (hitler, enron chief & CFO).. but in our special zambia case, the perpetrator FTJ Chiluba has been freed and is wining and dining and has even become spokes person for our President.. Serious action not talk is what we are interest in.. dissolving a govt appointed board (RDA) is nonsensical action nobody is interested in hearing. Where are the prosecutuions for the main players at Ministry of Works & Supply, Tender board, ZDA etc, Ministry of Finance, and eventually Statehouse?? Bottom Line CORRUPT MMD does not have the moral fibre to DE-CORRUPT itself. and has demonstrated this at RB’s level. MMD out. New regime will clean.
#4- What makes you think locally generated funds are not prone to abuse? You have to deal with issues of insititutionalized theft before you stretch us beyond elasticity, mate. I for one am not prepapared to pay an additional ngwee over and above what I currently pay.
“Aid freeze not new” “so it is very normal and welcome” one must add. Hon. Dr. is that the impression you want to feed us? Think before you talk then we read between the lines. Which tells us exactly how immune you have become to corruption.
MMD has made alot of national progress since its inception in 1991. We have brought foo, security, happiness, marriages, stores, invstements, health sector, free markets, roads, schools, colleges, universities, housing you name it… We are a working government and the majority of Zambians see this and that why they have continued to vote for us. Come 2011 we are going to see Satan and Ichilema cry foul because they can only win in 3 provinces MMD coming second and scooping all other provinces!
Ba MMD bum licker…
Awe bane mulekwata isoni. I told you earlier on that dont tease Zambians. God one day will humble you man. Dont think that those poor Zambians who fail to send their children to school have liked it…no man. You should fight for them so that they can have access to schools and hospitals but what you do is to always tease them. Again I repeat God humbles people like you man.
#15 collapsing brain cells are dying brain cells… brain cells which are starving of oxygen
that money which was stolen at MOH,,, was not stolen at one goal, kapoko and company have been stealing since chiluba and sata’s time..RB was innocently found in the mix
By the way kapoko is on the record of major PF funders…PF regularly held meeting at the ‘stolen’ lodge.. and kapoko’s uncle is one of sata’s advisors.. tell me, who is stealing here?….
“one this is not a financial crisis,its corruption at its best and someone has to be held accountable.”
I was giving an analogy. You know this but chose to ignore it.
“well,we have these regulations already in existencey,so we should let corruption go on so we can strengthen regulations”
No one said this. Refer to my post again to get a clear understanding of what I meant.
“the common of these regulations are that tender procedures are followed and who ever is corrupt should go to jail,do we really need some other form or regulation,how about enforcing the regulations we have already”
Go read my post again. I said strengthen and not bring in some other form of regulation.
The problem we have in Zambia is that govt leaders have no respect for the people they rule ,if they respected people they would use finances properly and protect it from thieves, besides anyone exposed to unprotected finances can easily steal, either by any so called clean person that is why we need proper laws to protect public finances; but if we put it in RB s pokets he will take it to his farm just as anyone can
The Minister is talking about corruption as a necessary evil. He is talking about the freeze of funding as a necessary evil. Mr Sata is really a sad presidential candidate – to call for withdrawal of aid for your country for political mileage is really a portrayal of low quality thinking. He thinks that donors will respond the following day upon change of Govt – very low quality candidate.
Advisor, you question Sata’s asking the Donors to withdraw their aid to Zambia? If you are aware that your son is behind robberies and murders, wouldnt you report him to the police inspite the fact, that the son has been maintaining your household?