TOURISM and Arts Minister Sylvia Masebo says the Zambia Wildlife Authority (ZAWA) has a debt of more than KR 2 billion (K2 trillion).

Ms Masebo said the debt could be attributed to various facts among them poor administration.

She was speaking in Lusaka yesterday when she featured on Radio Phoenix 'Let the People Talk' programme.

The minister said the debt included non remittance of statutory obligations as well terminal benefits for former employees.

"We want to ensure that we have proper management of wildlife. The debt which ZAWA has accumulated could be as a result of poor management," she said.

Ms Masebo said ZAWA and the Government will have to raise funds to pay people and institutions which were owed.

She said the poor management dated back to the 'old days' and could be attributed to previous Government administrations.

She said the Patriotic Front (PF) government wanted to reverse the poor trend.

Ms Masebo wondered how a lion could be hunted for US$3000 in Zambia and later be sold at $70,000 elsewhere.

She said the little money which was paid for wildlife hunting was not properly accounted for.

She said she had no regrets for banning the hunting of wildlife in game reserves.

"This period will give us time to create more jobs in the sector as well as allow Government to come up with better legislation," she said.

Meanwhile, Ms Masebo said she would announce the new ZAWA board this week.