Zambia on course to implement SDGs-Chiteme.

Minister of National Development Planning Alexander Chiteme says Zambia has laid a sound foundation for implementation, monitoring and reporting on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Mr. Chiteme informed the Committee on parliamentary and Cabinet Affairs that his Ministry through the Zambia Statistics Agency (ZAMSTATS), developed the national SDGs baseline report, which provides comprehensive assessment of indicators that Zambia is able to report on with the data available from local and international data sources.

In the statement availed to ZANIS in Lusaka today, he explained that in line with the National Planning and Budgeting Policy of 2014 and the National Planning and Budgeting Bill of 2019, the Ministry of National Development Planning has been guiding government Ministries, Provinces and Spending Agencies (MPSAs) on the mainstreaming of SDGs at various levels.

“Government has led Zambia’s efforts in collaboration with the UN country team through the United Nations Sustainable Development Partnership Framework (UNSDPF) 2016-2021, which was jointly signed on 19th November 2015. The partnership framework has been aligned to Zambia’s Seventh National Development Plan (7NDP). All SDGS relevant to the country context were mainstreamed into the 7NDP to the extent of 86 percent. The Ministry, in coordinating the formulation of subsequent national development plans, will ensure that the country continues to mainstream the relevant SDGS,” Mr Chiteme said.

He said the ministry was working with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in building the capacity of sub-national 7NDP coordination structures namely the cluster advisory groups, the provincial and district development coordinating committees.

Mr. Chiteme explained that the Government and key stakeholders conducted the Mid-Term Review of the 7NDP and identified implementation challenges, which included among others, delays in the implementation of identified reforms in the 7NDP.

He said the Mid-Term Review provided recommendations and actions to be taken to strengthen and fast-track implementation of national development programmes including SDGS.

“As part of periodic monitoring, the National Development Coordinating Committee (NDCC) meets twice a year to monitor performance of the Plan, identify implementation challenges and their implications, and come up with policy resolutions to address the identified challenges. In addition, clusters report on a quarterly basis to President Edgar Lungu,” he said.

He informed the Committee that the National Planning and Budgeting Bill, once enacted will provide a legal backing for the operationalization of the advisory bodies both at national and sub-national levels.

The Minister explained that Government developed and launched the National Monitoring and Evaluation Policy in 2019, which provides government wide-monitoring and evaluation or management information system principles, procedures, structures and responsibilities that shall be used to effectively conduct national monitoring and evaluation for all development processes.

This was contained in statement availed to ZANIS in Lusaka yesterday by Ministry of National Development Planning Spokesperson Chibaula Silwamba.