7 November 2009
VICE-President George Kunda has said that donor countries have started releasing their budgetary commitments to Zambia after being impressed with the country's governance.
Responding to Chitambo MP Solomon Musonda (MMD) who wanted to know Zambia's relationship with its co-operating partners, Mr Kunda said the relationship with the donor community was extremely warm and cordial.
"We have recently held discussions with donors and most of them have promised budget support and others have already released their budgetary commitments," he said.
He said Government would work to strengthen its relationship with donors and most of them were impressed with Zambia's governance and commitment to the fight against corruption.
The vice-president said that the British government supported the Government's idea to come up with a Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) Bill that would ensure the organisations were subjected to public criticism and scrutiny.
He said in response to Isoka West MP Paul Sichamba (MMD) who wanted to know when the NGO Bill would be operational.
Mr Kunda said the Government was working with NGOs before the bill could be effected.
He said there were many NGOs in the country, apart from a few that were engaged in politics within Lusaka.
He said the Government wanted to work with NGOs and if they could criticise it, they should also be ready to be criticised and should not complain.
On how NGOs were funded, he said the Government considered them as public entities that were required to be accountable to the public by declaring their assets and liabilities.
Mr Kunda said the minister of Finance and National Planning signed a lot of agreements with donors and a large chunk of the money went to NGOs especially, those dealing with poverty reduction programmes.
He said that the Government was carefully treading on the Freedom of Information Bill (FOB) because it was concerned with State security.
Responding to Livingstone MP Sakwiba Sikota (ULP) who wanted to know changes that had been made to the bill, Mr Kunda said if not properly handled, the bill could destroy the country.
He said some media institutions were irresponsible and unpatriotic and could sell the country which bordered on espionage. The bill would be taken to the House at the right time in the interest of the people.
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