Ministry of Finance and Smart Zambia has partnered with the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) to effective communicate to the public on the new method of service provision using an online payment solution under an integrated system called Government Service Bus (GSB).

Ministry of Finance Chief Analyst for Budget Kayula Chimfwembe says the GSB system will be accessed throughout the country and will enhance quality service delivery and will also improve the provision of service to the public.

Mr. Chimfwembwe said this during the sensitization workshop on the online platform for members of staff at ZANIS headquarters in Lusaka today.

He said the implementation of the Government Service Bus is part of Smart Zambia’s transformation agenda aimed at modernizing public service delivery through digital technology.

“The system will help improve revenue collection and enhance efficiency in service delivery in the public service,” Mr. Chimfwembe.

He said through the system, payments can be done using a debit card or other mobile services to access government services.

Mr. Chimfwembe said government service buses will help to eliminate corruption and reduce on the time taken to access public services.

He said through the government service bus, people will be able to access various services such as firearm registration, fingerprints clearance and motor vehicle registration among other services that require payments.

“ What caused the government to come up with the e-government system is because government services were done manually which posed a lot of challenges such as poor services and customer care due to the increased number of population and which led to an increase in the cost of doing business,” Mr Chimfwembe noted.

And Zambia News and Information Services Director Patrick Lungu pledged to assist the government in communicating with the general public on the services being offered under the GSB portal.

“The GSB services investments will take Zambia to greater heights and the added services will add value on the one line platform for money not to exchange hands to pay for various services,” Mr. Lungu noted.

Meanwhile, Smart Zambia Team Leader Baeton Sibulobwa said the project is aimed at ensuring that quality service delivery is done in a more convenient manner to solve the challenges being faced currently.

Mr Sibulobwa stated that the Zamportal has 96 active services that can be accessed online.

Among the services listed on the Zamportal include different government departments such as the Road Safety Agency, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, National Registrations, immigration and forestry department.

“The benefits of the online payment platform GSB is that it will improve service delivery and will also reduce on revenue related quarries such as un accounted for revenue and delayed payments and also reduced interaction between public officers and the general public”, he noted.

The government has given a green light for the National Sugar Corporation ( NSC), a local firm scheduled to set up sixteen modern cities and industries across the country.

Disclosing this in an interview with the media yesterday, Corporation Executive Director Edgar Ngoma said Secretary to Cabinet Simon Miti recently gave his firm a go-ahead to commence the multi-million project.

“Yes I can confirm that the government has given a go-ahead for my company, National Sugar Corporation to set up its various cities and industries across the country.

“Secretary to Cabinet and various Security Wing have separately cross-checked and verified all the needed documents and have thus given a go ahead for the project and told us to actualize the project with the involvement of the Zambia Development Agency ( ZDA) and the Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, ‘’ said Dr Ngoma.

The NSC Executive Director further disclosed that his firm now awaits the accent of Attorney General Likonde Kalaluka who by broadcast time was still checking and studying the validity of the documents for the said project.

By press time, the Attorney General Kalaluka, could not be reached on his mobile phone for comment.

When the Sugar project takes off, it is expected to cushion the nation’s unemployment challenges especially the youths but also contribute to the nation’s dwindling treasury.

In what seems to be his New Year message of hope to ordinary Zambians, Dr Ng’oma said 2021 was a turnaround year for the country.

“The project is a game changer for the nation. All the unemployed youths, Service men, civil servants and ordinary Zambians across the country would eat from the same cake, equally. We are going to empower Zambians with land, jobs and investment opportunities, among others,” he said.

Currently, his Corporation is in a process of getting more partners who he said will come up with innovations that will help actualize the project in areas like water reticulation, infrastructure development and industrial clusters to be set within peripheries of the project.

The project has 16 sites located throughout the country covering areas such as agri-business which will process all farm produce for local consumption and export.

The NSC proprietor disclosed in the same interview that already his company has received a written order of 150, 000 tonnes for Africa, 250, 000 tonnes for the rest of the world while 100,000 tonnes of orders have been confirmed for the local market.

“As you may know most neighbouring countries such as Angola, Mozambique and Namibia are still need more food after going through their liberation struggles. Hence these countries depend on Zambia for food supply.

“This is why we have arranged with the neighbouring countries to supply them with Agro-produce exports such as cereals like rice and wheat and a lot more that they would require,” said the NSC Executive Director.

He also said because of the COVID-19 pandemic, his corporation is engaging prospective investors through virtual video conferencing, to finalize the commencement of the project.

“We are however trying to arrange for a conference soon so that investors can come,” said the NSC Executive Director.

Explaining the nature of the project, Dr Ngoma elaborately said the project comprises three components where in some provinces there will be more than two of the three namely real estates, agriculture and industry, tourism and sports/ entertainment.

According to Dr. Ngoma, each prospective in conjunction with his Corporation take up two or more of the above stated components depending on their capacity as each project will be worth K 2.5 billion,minimum.