13 November 2008
DEPUTY Speaker of the National Assembly Mutale Nalumango has ordered the Government to explain the escalating prices of mealie meal and why prices of fuel have remained static when global oil prices are falling.
Ms Nalumango gave the directive in Parliament yesterday after Pemba Member of Parliament David Matongo (UPND) raised a point of order asking if it was right for the Government to remain mute in the face of the escalating prices of mealie meal.
Mr Matongo also wondered why the pump price of fuel in Zambia had remained the same when the global crude oil prices were falling.
The deputy speaker said that the point of order raised by Mr Matongo was important and therefore deserved an explanation from the Government.
"The relevant ministries should issue statements either this week or early next week. These are issues of national importance and therefore the point is relevant," Mrs Nalumango said.
Meanwhile, Mines Deputy Minister Maxwell Mwale told the House that the Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines Investment Holdings (ZCCM-IH) had put in place stringent measures to ensure that pollution at Kabwe Lead Plant was minimised.
Mr Mwale said ZCCM-IH had sunk boreholes, improved domestic water supply in communities affected by lead, provided cover wastes so as to prevent evaporation and embarked on the distribution of food supplements to reduce lead levels in children.
He also said that the Government did not have any information of any resident whose health had been affected as a result of the lead and could therefore not compensate any individual.
Mr Mwale was responding to a question raised by Kantanshi MP Yamfwa Mukanga (PF) who wanted to know the measures taken to minimise pollution and whether there were plans to compensate residents whose health had been affected by pollution.
Finance Deputy Minister Jonas Shakafuswa said the Pensions and Insurance Authority board comprised a representative from the ministries of Finance and Labour and Social Security, the Bank of Zambia (BoZ), the Zambia Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Zacci) as well as the office of the Attorney General among others.
Mr Shakafuswa said that the sitting allowance for the chairperson was K2 million net of taxation and K1.5 million net of taxation for board members.
He further said that as for board committee meetings, the sitting allowance was K800,000 for the chairperson and K700,000 for other board members.
He said that the term of office for board members was three years.
Mr Shakafuswa said this in response to a question by Gwembe MP Brian Ntundu (UPND) who wanted to know the composition of the Pensions and Insurance Authority and the conditions of the board members and their term of office.
He also wanted to know how much money insured clients claimed from the insurance companies from 2002 todate.
"The total values of claims incurred by insured clients of insurance companies from 2002 to 2007 amounts to K616,608,000," Mr Shakafuswa said.
Mines and Minerals Development Deputy Minister Boniface Nkhata told the House that the current management at Kansanshi Mines stood at 12.
Of the 12, Mr Nkhata said that three positions were held by Zambians and the rest by foreigners.
He said this when he responded to a question by Mwininlunga East MP Stephen Katuka (UPND) who wanted to know the current management at the mine.
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