Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Elijah Muchima is concerned with long and meandering queues of people at the ministry seeking mostly title deeds.
Mr. Muchima said there is a need to find a suitable and digital payment system that would see reduced queues at the Ministry of Lands in Lusaka.
The Ministry of Lands currently has only two offices in the country which issues title deeds.
One office is located in Lusaka and another in Ndola on the Copperbelt.
When Investrust Managing Director Mr. Simangolwa Shakalima paid a courtesy-call on the Minister, Mr. Muchima said the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources collect revenue throughout the year hence the need for an efficient payment system.
Mr. Muchima has since called on Investrust Bank Plc to develop financial products and incentives targeted at Zambians and civil servants.
The Minister further implored the bank to integrate the Ministry services to the Bank so that the queues at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources could come to end.
The Ministry was committed to digitizing the processes and payment platform and appreciated the relationship with the bank.
He stated that Zambian Banks stood a better chance to service the citizens but were rigid hence the reason why micro finance institutions were performing better.
Mr. Muchima urged the Zambian bank to be competitive and develop products that would alleviate poverty among civil servants.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources Director of Finance Mrs. Phales Phiri has said her concern is the queues at the Bank and later at the cashier office to make payment and collect a government receipt.
She proposed to the bank to develop a mobile banking platform to assist decongest the Bank that was housed at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.
She was happy to note that the Ministry enjoyed a cordial relationship with the Bank adding that deposits done through Investrust Bank Plc were clear and easy for her office to reconcile.
And the Investrust Bank Managing Director, Mr. Simangolwa Shakalima said that the Bank was ready to work with the Ministry to digitize and help to reduce the queues at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.
Investrust Bank Plc was unique as it was the only bank that had remained 100percent locally owned and had enjoyed support from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources.
The Bank had a branch at Mulungushi house which was meant to service the Ministry in its effort to collect revenue and this has been successful.
Mr. Shakalima stated that his visit was meant to explore other avenues where the Bank and the Ministry could work together.
According to a media statement from the Ministry of Lands Public Relations Unit, one of the projects the bank would like to partner with the Ministry was the National Land titling project which the Ministry was implementing.
“At Investrust Bank Plc (IBP), we are deliberate and intentional about strategic partnerships that help to accelerate the economic growth of our nation. We are committed to working with organisations and other partners that share our passion to serve,” Investrust said in a statement released after the engagement.
“We are happy to have engaged with the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Hon. Elijah Muchima and his team earlier today. We discussed possible business avenues where we can collaborate and work together,” the bank added.
Then do something about it. You are in charge now.
Muchima sounds surprised. Which is surprising because the Ministry of Lands – together with MoH – are top of the bill in corruption, thievery and bureaucracy for at least TWENTY years. And you have only found out after SIX months in power? What have you been doing up till now?
#1 Yeah.
Time is money. Europe understands this. That is why its economy is functioning. Government needs to Reduce on time as much as possible in everything from title deeds to passports, to installation of electricity
Does it include title deeds for Forest 27?
True. Thats what Africa can learn from Europe and Asia. Time is a major factor in producing commodities. If government institutions allow endless ques they are slowing down production in the entire country. By speeding up its processes government is dictating a faster pace in national productivity. The faster this pace the more GDP.
YEAH CORRRUPTION IS THE ISSUE
FAST TRACK COST BIG MONEY !!
MOST HAVE EXPERIENCED IT
That exclamation remark from the minister is a language of a privileged person, who has never gone through the agony of many Zambians on an endless queue to obtain a tittle deed to their property. Get on with it, if it has surprised your office Mr Minister.
Nothing new here, Clients are allowed to use their Visa ATM cards but some still prefer using cash. The problem is with the system at the ministry which needs to be decentralized to all provinces for a start. Secondly some of the staff at the ministry have become to familiar with their offices especially those working from the Typing Pool, they behave as if they’re doing you a favor.