Press Statements

PRESS STATEMENT ON NCC DELEGATES’ ALLOWANCES

Caritas Zambia would like to express concern at governments’ decision to pay NCC delegates a sitting allowance of K500, 000.00. In addition to this, the delegates to the NCC from outside Lusaka will receive a subsistence allowance of K650, 000.00 per day for accommodation meals and other incidentals. All the delegates will further receive a transport refund of K100, 000.00 while those from outside Lusaka will also receive a transport refund of K300, 000.00 from their place of residence. It should be noted that the NCC according to the Act will sit and deliberate for a period of twelve months. Assuming that the NCC sits for the twelve months as provided for in the NCC Act, and then each delegate from Lusaka would have received a minimum of K144, 000, 000.00. For those coming from outside Lusaka they will receive a total of not less than K300, 000,000.00 per year and another K300, 000.00 transport refunds each time they travel to Lusaka for the sittings. The cumulative amount is therefore in excess of K100billion. Surely can we justify why the delegates should be paid such colossal amounts and why Zambia should spend this amount on allowances for delegates only? It should be noted that there are numerous other costs that will be expended towards numerous other activities such as hire of the venue, support staff, stationary etc

While it is appreciated that the delegates are going to be working, the allocation still raises a lot of questions considering Zambia’s economic situation. It is a shame that when the Oasis Forum proposed that the Constitution be adopted using a Constituent Assembly, the government claimed not to have money but now it has enough money to spoil those who are going to sit on the NCC. It must be noted that these delegates are merely going to discuss what they should adopt from the Mung’omba recommendations and therefore much work has already been done.

Caritas Zambia which is part of the Oasis Forum raised this concern of hefty allowances from the beginning of this debate and the Zambia Episcopal Conference even suggested that bodies being represented under the NCC should meet at least half the costs of their delegates. This would not only help to reduce the burden on government but it will clearly show that delegates are not being motivated by money.

The other concern is that with such hefty allowances and the rate of poverty that is prevailing in the country, the objectivity of the delegates will be marred. We strongly feel that if this government is going to make any strong social and economic impact then it ought to be prudent in the manner it which it spends public resources.

 

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