‘Planning and Budgeting Bill ready for Parley’

THE Planning and Budgeting Bill will soon be tabled in Parliament for consideration, National Planning and Development Minister Alexander Chiteme has said.

Mr Chiteme said the bill had already been considered by Cabinet and would be presented to Parliament at an appropriate time.

Mr Chiteme, who was speaking in Parliament yesterday when he closed debate on the budget for his ministry, said Government had listened to calls by Zambians to have a law to govern planning and budgeting.

"At the right time, the Planning and Budgeting Bill will be brought to parliament, I will be looking forward to the bright ideas that are going to come from the members of the House from both sides. This Government is a listening Government when you cry, the President listens and we give it out.

"The Planning and Budgeting Bill has already been through Cabinet and its coming to Parliament so that we can all agree as a nation," he said.

And Mr Chiteme also said that Government was committed to delivering development to all parts of the country.

"When this Government is channelling out development, we do it equally. You will agree with me that wherever you have gone in this country, we have development projects going on. I have been to Choma, Mongu and I can attest that there is development.

"Years back there were no roads, but today we have tarred roads everywhere. So you see development has not only been channelled out on the Copperbelt and Lusaka, but even in other provinces," he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Chiteme has called on Zambians and other stakeholders to implement the Seventh National Development Plan (7NDP).

He said the 7NDP was not only Government's responsibility but also other stakeholders. "We are calling on the private sector and everyone to buy-in into the 7NDP, so that we can see that it is not only Government that can enhance development through the 7NDP," he said.