NAREP has issued a statement condemning what it called the unjustified increase in the take home benefits of senior government officials. In a statement made available to the media by the party secretariat, NAREP explained that the increase was as a result of the fuel subsidy reduction and subsequent increase in the pump price of fuel.
“Every Deputy Minister is entitled to receive the cash equivalent of at least 800 litres of fuel per month. What this means is that now the fuel price has increased, each Deputy Minister and Cabinet Minister will receive more money in their pockets while the people of Zambia continue to struggle with the rising prices of goods “, read the statement
“The entitlement to 800 litres of fuel means that with the additional amount that needs to be paid as a result of the fuel increase, each Deputy Minister has now had a salary increment of about KR1440 or K1, 440,000 in the old currency.”
“Bus operators are being asked to be patient and not increase fares, while students at the University of Zambia are being asked to pay more for the bursary application form at short notice.”
[pullquote]Does Government really need to have more than one deputy minister per ministry and even 3 deputy ministers in four different ministries?[/pullquote]
“An on the spot check has indicated an alarming increase in the price of commodities and this is as a direct result of the recent removal of the fuel subsidy. These increases could have been better managed had the Patriotic Front administration adopted a more inclusive approach towards decision making.”
“To avoid causing further misery to an already battered citizenry, we urge the PF administration to engage in broader consultation with stakeholders before making decisions of this nature.”
“Is this really the time to be triggering more unnecessary by-elections? Does Government really need to have more than one deputy minister per ministry and even 3 deputy ministers in four different ministries?”
“The removal of fuel subsidy should have been staggered and measures put in place to cushion the impact on the most vulnerable Zambians, many of whom are wallowing in poverty and lack decent employment.”
Ba Chipimo wants to find some relevance on non issues. The PF Government is implementing an ambitious road development programme which is opening up areas which have been neglected for the past 50 years. The fuel subsidy removal will make available K1.1 trillion for this expansion which will subsequently lead to the growth of the economy and ensure the trickle down effect due to access to rural areas
That was not a subsidy as has been stated but an increase in tax. The initial reduction in tax in 2011 was being enjoyed by us the poor Zambians as the fuel tax including road levy on fuel are too high for us the average poor Zambians. Besides, when u increase the price of fuel, you increase the price of production including transportation and it is us the poor that suffer. We need leaders to start thinking of us and how to alleviate our heavy burden
What an *****ic response to what NAREP has raised. Fuel is a major factor in the economy. With the hike in fuel prices, all commodities will go up including basic food. The poor will be hardest hit since public transport and all related costs will go up against static income. Think you kaponyas before you condemn
My biggest issue with this gov’t is that they thought governing was easy and said MMD’s removal of the subsidy was to fund corruption and now is when they understand the math behind it. The same goes for Sata’s rude awakening to the fact that an economy like ours can’t do without China. So many issues they innitially condemned are biting them back in their butts. That’s y isukulu lila fwaika ba President
You’ve clearly not understood the implications of what the government has done. It is either you are a beneficiary of the increased fuel prices or you are lack the ability to look beyond the party symbol.
Why a hand of white-woman on NAREP logo? Its looks so primitive, and so pathetic. Even Sata’s ubwato which is mean-less is better.
ARE YOU SURE THE NUMBER OF DEPUTY MINISTERS,THE INCREASE IN THE PRICE OF FUEL AND THE ANTICIPATED IMPENDING INCREASE IN THE COST OF GOODS AND SERVICES ARE NON ISSUES?
Chimbwi no plan, it’s all total madness ! Fellow Zambians, are we going to watch pf boat drown us all? Oh my Godoo! No more pa bwato crap !!! I hope it’s not another fonko fonko? Remember Kaunda’s slogan?
What is the role of Deputy Ministers by the way.. I dont see any point in having them.
To be honest with you, I do not either, they are just weevils and stock-borers.
Frankly, socialism needs to end. The government cannot be expected to pay up for citizens on the price of products are generally are not essential for their survival. It’s about time our country starts operating like many other countries. Is Chipimo saying that he supports socialism? Please state your case.
Chipimo is not supporting socialism; he is instead talking about prudent management of the affairs of the economy and the country.
Spot on mate! Elias’ reasoning or lack of it is alarming. Truth be told this subsidy should have been done away with a long time ago. You go round the corner where rape and tomatoes are sold ati on the ‘spot check’.
@Fosters, well received. However, the only obligation government had was to perhaps announce this policy shift earlier on in the year and maybe have stated that the date of effect would be later (an exact date). Zambians need to roll up their sleeves and work harder, period!
YOUR ROYAL DARKNESS, I LIKE YO WRITING. INDEED, THE REMOVAL OF THE SUBSIDY IS A GOOD MOVE, HOPING THE FUNDS SAVED ARE DIRECTED TO THE RIGHT PLACES, MOSTLY ROADWORKS.
HOWEVER, THE ONLY DISAPPOINTMENT I HAVE THIS IS THE IMPROMPTU IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SAID POLICY. BEING CAUGHT NAPPING IS THE WORST KIND OF SHOCK A POOR MAN CAN SUFFER. ANNOUNCING MUCH EARLIER IN THE YEAR WOULD HAVE MADE US READY MENTALLY, EMOTIONALLY AND FINANCIALLY.
NEXT TIME, DO IT BETTER GUYS
Chipimo is merely politicking and he has every right to, if its going to gain him political mileage.
The government should not treat R.B as an enemy and ask him how he overcame their current probelmes because in r.B’s time we never used petrol, we never used to worry about mealie meal. But now its wild
ITIZII TURU!
indeed..its so true..we need some change of govt urgently..
AWE MWANDI SURE! VERY URGENT INFACT, LIKE YESTERDAY
In your dreams
ndetamba fye first
Deep down Chipimo and the opposition would have done the same if they were in gov’t…the problem with this gov’t is that there is too much confusion no leadership; they have a prudent and justified reason to remove the subsidy as its unsustainable to subsidise consumption especially fuel consumption. They should have been on a charm offensive last week elaborating why they can not carry on with subsidies and instead direct funds to front line services but instead have let buffoons like Kambwili expose their ignorance in public and issuing irresponsible statements. Joe Public does not even now what a subsidy is in the first place.
You can not just be subsidising fuel by K4 Trillion its not prudent any economist worth his salt will tell you this.
Fuel allowance applies to certain categories of management levels. It is unfair to single out Cabinet. What about other senior managers in Govt? What about managers in other statutory bodies? What is going to be the relationship between Public Sector and Public Sector? These issues are not trivial. Fuel is not intended for self-aggrandizement. It is intended to generate revenue for completion of infrastructure projects such as highways, hospitals and schools.
Why are they paid fuel allowance? Its amazing how western countries still give us financial aid. Just like everyone else, they have to pay their way living. They get enough salaries to afford their life style. If they travelling on duty, that’s the only time they are entitled to allowances. But, hey who am I kidding, it make sense to them at all.
the hour has come
the pro poor govt you wanted.
I doubt whther a government can ever be pro-poor. It can only be communist
DONCHE KUBEBA…………………………………………………
What this can be called it is very sad that our government no longer worries about the mother in the village who has to walk kilometers to find a hospital. We will go the NAREP way come 2016. NOMBA NINSHI!!!
Could someone please help me understand this….why is fuel cheaper in Lubumbashi (DRC) than Zambia? They have no refinery like us. Their fuel is transported by road which is more expensive way of transportation than pipe line. Petrol in Lubumbashi is equivalent of K5.5 and ours is K10??
Can someone please help solve this puzzle??
@Mike, sometimes please use your head. With the military, you wouldnt even have the audacity to write such nonsense!
For me, this the best the government can do under the circumstances. The point is prudently use of the saved money.
These big companies (mines et al) were laughing all the way to the bank, while the poor Zambian governemnt was subsisiding fuel.
This problem started from the MMD with their appeasement towards big big business.
The savings will be enormous and my guess is that we shall feel their effect.
Finally, whether HH, NM, or EC where in leadership, it would be envitable for them to remove the fuel subsidy because it has been a major drain on the treasury for too long a time.
@JM it has been a drain ha ha ha ha ha ha. You’re so naive to think that the savings made gonna go to bettering the general populace….and you’re so intelligent to be one of the people diredtly enjoying the spoils of been in the governing body…pathetic really.
l am all for an end to all subsidies check the kink below to read what the house of commons said about Zambian subsidies
http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/344344/Zambia-must-end-maize-subsidy-MPs
We need what JJ Rawlings did in Ghana in 1979 and 1981. I would welcome a military coup and put all these criminal politicians on a summary trial. JJ executed all of them. And today Ghana is a functioning democracy where id.iots like the ones in Zambia are afraid to run for elections. Only normal dare run for elections. I am done with these PF maggots!
Bwashako umutengo twapapata.
Go NAREP!
Fuel fuel fuel!Let us let to sacrifice some of this socialist economics!Of course poor people will suffer and even Jesus the son of God admitted that the poor will always be with you!You can not get rid of the them,no matter what social policies you implement!Let us sacrifice for the future!The current France president also thought it will be more money in his citizens pockets only to get rotten grapes!
I am in support of the removal of subsidy of fuel for the one reason that it really never served the people of Zambia from astronomical fuel prices.
In spite of the so called subsidies that existed, our pump prices remained comparatively high in the region. One would have thought subsidies should have saved us from the biting force of high pump prices.
While the recent development is bound to trigger ripple effects in all sectors of our economy, I would like to remind the readers that it is not the first time this sort of move to lead to escalating fuel prices neither will it be the last.
This should help the citizenry used our combined wisdom in a concerted effort to consider procuring petroleum from the likes of Angola, Mozambique than afar field. This is one of the surest…
I always wondered why some of my former UNZA classmates voted for PF…Some of us saw this coming but you guys kept crying about the chitenges and bicycles RB stole.Now you are facing the consequences of your very bad choices.Prices are skyrocketing,meal meal shortages,fuel price hikes,increases in by elections and increases in deputy minister numbers.Where has the so called man of Action gone to. Anyway hope we are learning our lesson.
@Mulenga.. are you sure you were at UNZA? Your english is very pathetic….
more money in the pockets of pf leaders
LESS MONEY FOR THE POOR MAJORITY.ZAMNIANS
its time like this we miss RB
under RB fuel was 6kr
The problem with PF is that they have squandered the most important and very expensive ‘commodity’ ; good will of the people. Its gone! Even if you scream using the Bemba boys Kambwili and Sampa in explaining how the removal of fuel subsidies will benefit the people in the saved monies being redirected to development,people won’t believe you. You ve lied to them before and you unfortunately taught them to believe lies than the truth. To them an increase in prices is an increase,period! Those semantics being espoused by PF, to them are just what they are; semantics! The oncoming by elections may speak volumes!
800 litres!!!?????????? a typical saloon car average tank is 40ltrs which means a FULL TANK EVERY DAY for 20 days of the month or alternatively A FULL TANK EVERY one &a half days!!!!!!! Where do these people have to travel?????? we have phones, faxes, internet etc – most reside in Lusaka- Which is a TINY CITY dare may I say!!!! – WHAT IS THE JUSTIFICATION??????????
If they are travelling that much , MEANS THEY ARE NOT SITTING IN THEIR OFFICES DOING SOME WORK!!!!!! They AREN’T DELIVERY VAN DRIVERS!!!!!!! Now just becoz lots of our people have a little grasp of English, DON’T CHEAT US BY SAYING THEY ARE DELIVERING DEVELOPMENT!!!!!!!!!!! my feeling is they will be selling it on the black market!! Talk about kaponyas in Govt!!!!!!!!
NAREP this is where you need to UP YOUR GAME like Yesterday!!!!! coz if you don’t , We have YELLOW CARD coming, thus you might find yourselves consigned to history – You need to describe in above simple & relative terms to bring appreciation to bear to the ordinary person in the street!!!!! Even ask taxi drivers or minibus drivers if they need so much fuel everyday – & you will see their reaction!!!!
Its not a bad idea for government to remove the 5% for fuel subsidy, the problem is that the money won’t be used for social sectors such as schools, health centers and infrastructure development, it might be used for politics. We all want to see the government to perform to the expectation of all citizens especially the poor who suffer to put meals on the table. Honeymoon is over, lets work!!!
I am no genius. But the Government first reduced fuel prices when it came to power meaning the brought subsidies. next they are increasing to alrming level. is this trial and error or what. mwebantu…
At first they reduced the price of fuel and promised further reduction.but what do see next,a huge increase like never before.just wondering if this boat is going to last the storm.
i believe in pf
Harry N. Mumba
~NATIONAL AWAKENING~
We all agree despite our political party afiliations
that this government is ironically, the worst ever.
Personally i think impeachment should finish all
this senseless government propaganda, gross
incompetences and mismanagement of resources
that has led us where we are now in just a short
period of time, THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO NEED
FOR US TO WAIT FOR 2016, BECAUSE IT WILL
ALREADY BE TOO LATE TO SALVAGE ANYTHING
WORTH REBUILDING.* I hope people Love mother
Zambia as much as i do.
Its far better for a few individuals to stepdown,
than for a Whole Nation to be dragged down into a
sinkhole, because either way they have failed the
entire population of the Country. Prevention is far
better than the Cure.
This appeal goes especially to the…