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The Medical for Quality Healthcare in Zambia (MQHZ) has condemned the reported abuse and misapplication of funds donated by various stakeholders for the purpose of fighting the Covid 19 pandemic.

MQHZ Director General Dr. Quince Mwabu said these sad revelations have come at a time when the Ministry of Health has failed to pay allowances to frontliners.

According to information made available to Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Mwabu said all the donations towards the fight against Covid 19 must be accounted for in order for cooperating partners to have confidence in the Ministry of Health once again.

He added that it is not right for people to abuse office and public resources for their personal benefits when the health sector has monumental challenges.

MQHZ has demanded that the hard working health workers fighting corona virus be paid immediately as promised to them by the health Minister Dr. Chitalu Chilufya. Mwabu has also called on the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to act quickly against all those behind the abuse and immediately have them relieved of their duties if they are found wanting.

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The Medical for Quality Healthcare in Zambia

Tech

The Insurers Association of Zambia (IAZ) has urged all its members to adapt systems that will make it possible for them to update the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) Online system as soon as one pays for their insurance.

IAZ Manager for Risk and Consumer Education, Kambole Chituwo said insurance companies should consider providing a platform that the public can use to have their motor vehicles insured without having to physically visit an insurer.

Speaking in an an exclusive interview with Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Chituwo said insurers should ensure that they update the RTSA system instantly and timely anytime insurance is obtained in order to facilitate online payment of road tax from RTSA online system.

Chituwo also noted that some insurance companies already have an online platform that individuals can use to make payments and have their motor vehicles insured. “There are a good number of insurance companies that have invested in technology and one can do a lot of transactions online, some are doing it faster than others, but we are confident that all the companies will catch up”, he said.

He also added that depending on the type of insurance one wants to get, one may need to physically visit an insurer because some types of insurance might require inspection of motor vehicles.

There has been concern from members of the public regarding the timely update of information by insurers because one is not able to make road tax payments online if the payment made to insurance companies is not reflecting on the RTSA system.

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The Insurers Association of Zambia (IAZ) has

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The University of Zambia (UNZA) says it has continued to make strides towards finding the cure for the corona virus using natural products.

Speaking in an interview with Zambian Business Times-ZBT, UNZA School of Natural Sciences Lecturer and Researcher, Dr. James Nyirenda said he has continued to gather various plants which can be used and is currently testing the cells to see if they are able to destroy the virus.

Dr. Nyirenda said one of the major challenges has been in the procurement of special cells which are used in the testing of viral infections worldwide.

He also said progress has been made, the consignment of cells which need to be used have been ordered from Germany and will be in the country a month from now and then more tests will be performed.

Dr. Nyirenda further said that the project which started in August this year has a timeline of 12 months.

However, major global pharmaceutical firms such as Pfizer have announced that they plan to release the COVID 19 cure before the end of this year. Once the big pharma row out their corona virus cures, this project may only be viable for finding a local and more cost efficient solution to the pandemic.

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The University of Zambia (UNZA) says it

Tech

The National Action for Quality Education in Zambia (NAQUEZ) says the introduction of the online TEVET bursary application system poses a challenge to individuals that might not have access to the internet.

NAQUEZ Executive Director Aaron Chansa said government should consider making the online application system optional so that those who are unable to use the platform can resort to using the manual process. Internet access and quality in rural areas is still as challenge.

Speaking in an interview with Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Chansa said the Ministry of Higher Education should also engage in sensitizing people in rural areas who are usually the most needy and may not be aware of this online facility as well as provide another option for those who are unable to access it.

Chansa however said that the world has continued to evolve therefore it is important for everyone to adapt to technology and familiarise themselves with new ways of doing things.

“It is a good development because it might reduce bureaucracy and make work easier but some people may not be conversant with it or have access to devices that they can use to access the internet therefore government should consider providing another option, he said.”

Chansa added that it is important for government to ensure that people in far flung areas are catered for as they are in most cases the ones in need of financial assistance the most as compared to people in urban areas.

The Ministry of Higher Education has launched an online bursary application system that replaced the manual process which it says involved some cumbersome factors and needed all applicants to travel and physically lodge an application form.

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The National Action for Quality Education in

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The Electoral Commission of Zambia – ECZ has warn unscrupulous people that are intentionally taking advantage of the situation of long queues to register more than once, that if found out will be liable for prosecution.

The voter’s registration exercise was launched on the 9 November 2020 and 9 million people are expected to register, but there have been a lot of concerns on ground regarding the time one has to spend on the line before they are finally registered. ECZ has introduced the Biometric Voter Registration System which is capturing biometric data such as finger prints.

Members of the public and officials from both the ruling party and the opposition have been complaining that the voter’s registration officers are a few and also slow thus they don’t believe that the goal set for 9 million people to register within the given time frame will be possible.

However, in a statement made available to the Zambian Business Times – ZBT by Electoral Commission of Zambia Acting Public Relations Manager Sylvia Bwalya said that, the commission has started deploying additional staff and registration kits to all registration centers which have recorded high numbers of people so that the voter’s registration exercise can be expedited efficiently and expeditiously.

Bwalya said that, in order to ensure that those who pre-register online spend less time at the registration centers, the commission will be publishing designated registration centers especially for those who pre-registered online.

She however said that, all registration centers will still be able to cater for those who pre-registered online and those who will be commencing their registration at the physical registration centers.

Furthermore, Bwalya added that, the commission is undertaking the voter’s registration in four phases and that each phase is running for a period of 7 days after which the registration officers move to the next phases.

She however disclosed that, the commission has ensured that there are other open registration centers within the catchment areas and all eligible voters will have access to the registration centers for the entire registration period.

ECZ further stated that, it has come to the attention of the commission that some members of the public are offering to work as volunteers in the registration centers but that the commission would like to appeal to all stakeholders and members of the public to refrain from interfering in electoral operations.

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The Electoral Commission of Zambia - ECZ

Tech

Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) says it has received overwhelming response from the public concerning the use of its online platform.

RTSA Public Relations Manager Frederick Mubanga said over 13,000 clients have utilised the RTSA online payment portal and the compliance levels of payment of road tax for the fourth quarter of the year 2020 is high.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Mubanga has advised members of the public that are seeking services from RTSA offices such as the payment of road tax to take advantage of the RTSA online payment platform as it is simple and less time consuming.

Mubanga also said that the agency has implemented an E-enforcement application that will work hand in hand with the online payment portal and can be used to check the validity of a driver’s license or the validity of road tax and any other related documents without mounting a physical checkpoint.

He added that the application will enable officers to stand beside roads without being on the road carrying out the actual enforcement and this will also encourage less physical contact with the public while officers perform their duties under the Covid 19 pandemic.

He further said that the agency is currently granting road service licenses for the year 2021 and wants to encourage all public service vehicle operators to come forward before the 30 of October 2020 which is the deadline.

RTSA has since urged members of the public who wish to renew their road tax for the first quarter of 2021 to do it now and online without the need to wait for the deadline which is December 31, 2020.

The online platform has come at the right time despite some glitches which had curtailed its launch much earlier in the year. Some motorist spoken to by ZBT challenges RTSA to smoothen out the insurance matter online as some insurance companies do not upload the insurance payment making it hard for one to pay online.

Insurance companies also need to move online and have an integrated system that can allow members of the public to pay for chosen policies online and this will bring a lot of efficiency and root out opportunities for corruption, which was perceived to be high when physically paying for these services.

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Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) says

Companies

The Private Sector Development Association-PSDA says most Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are still facing challenges with their businesses as they were greatly affected by the depreciating Kwacha whose effects are now compounded with the COVID 19 pandemic.

Association Chairperson Yusuf Dodia said inflation which is almost at 15%, deteriorating exchange rates and high interest rates incurred from borrowing money from the bank have negatively affected most businesses.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Dodia said the high inflation rate means an ordinary producer of goods needs to increase prices which are pegged in Kwacha to have a meaningful return to run their businesses as the currently high inflation rate impacts on almost everything in the economy.

He also told ZBT that with the depreciating Kwacha, it means the prices of imported goods are shooting up to almost double due to buying in foreign currency.imported inflation is also affecting locally produced goods and services which have imported inputs.

“Most of our small and medium size local businesses rely heavily on either importing inputs into their business or trading, which means importing goods and then reselling them therefore with the high exchange rates, most businesses have hiked prices which affect demand and are just managing to survive, he said.”

Dodia added that small and medium size companies that are trying to borrow money from the banks or other financiers have to pay high interest, which means the prices of the products they are manufacturing or buying and selling increase too because of the high interest rates.

He also noted that loadshedding has continued to affect most businesses and with ZESCO announcing going back to the 8-12 hour loadshedding schedule, means that most businesses have to close down for half the day which impacts on the productivity and sales of the businesses.

Stakeholders have warned the government that there is urgent need to manage the macro economic fundamentals to safeguard the socio-economic wellbeing of the people. Large infrastructure projects in the absence of strong management of the exchange rate anencephaly inflation will negate the benefits accruing from the massive infrastructure projects undertaken.

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The Private Sector Development Association-PSDA says most

Companies

The National Biosafety Authority (NBA) has urged everyone who wants to deal in products that contain Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) to ensure that they get permits from the authority to avoid having their products seized and destroyed.

NBA Communications Officer Sandra Lombe said individuals that fail to adhere to these regulations can be fined at least 100,000 penalty units, face 10-15 years imprisonment or both in some instances therefore it is important for everyone to adhere to these conditions.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the Zambian Business Times-ZBT, Lombe said no one has been fined or imprisoned yet because most of the people found wanting are first time offenders but other people should not take advantage of that.

“We seize and destroy products if permits are not produced which is enough punishment because these people suffer losses, imagine you have a truckload of goods worth thousands of kwacha or dollars and these goods are destroyed, it means you have wasted time, money and the profits you would have accrued from the products, she said.”

She also said that it is easy for people to get permits that allow them to trade in products that contain GMOs, therefore it is disappointing to find that some people have chosen not to comply.

“We urge everyone who wants to deal in products that contain GMOs to get permits from the authority or copies of permits from their local distributors where they are getting their products from. They will get it for free from their distributor who is the one that pays therefore it is strange that some companies have continued to trade without permits, she said”.

Lombe said the authority has a mandate to regulate everyone and ensure the safety of humans, animals and the environment.

She has also noted that the number of people getting permits or having them renewed is impressive and this can be seen from the spot and compliance checks that are being conducted that a lot of people are complying.

Some stakeholders have called for the total ban on importation of products and especially foods containing GMOs to safeguard the health of the nation. The increase in cancer incidents and other health related problems among Zambia’s had been attributed to consumption of foods containing GMOs but no full study has been done to confirm these allegations.

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The National Biosafety Authority (NBA) has urged

Lifestyle

Families are Nations Founder and President Judith Mwila has advised members of the public to understand what is contained in the curriculum of comprehensive sexuality education – CSE before deeming it inappropriate.

Mwila said the curriculum is necessary and has relevant topics that need to be discussed in order for young people to know about their sexuality and sex education especially because we are living in times where information is easily accessible online.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Zambian Business Times – ZBT, Mwila said the only thing that needs to be observed is age appropriacy ensuring that the right information is given to the right age groups.

She stated that there is nothing outside of Zambia’s teaching practice in the comprehensive sexuality education curriculum, therefore individuals should take time to read and understand before dismissing it.

“The only thing we need to do is determine in what ways we give the information because as Africans we have a different way of explaining certain things to different age groups, she said”.

She added that people should not be ignorant about the curriculum and only question when to teach what and to whom, as this information should be given to our learners from official sources, otherwise there is nothing wrong with providing comprehensive sexuality education in schools.

Mwila has urged the individuals spearheading comprehensive sexuality education to allow and encourage people to discuss it more so that they can understand it. Sexuality is part of adult life and children need to given vetted and good quality information so that they take the right decisions as they approach adulthood.

Most learners in Zambia have no official source to learn sexual education and end up getting wrong information from peers and friends who in most instances are also ignorant. With the advent of technology, especially mobile internet, most learners get exposed to sexual content and have no one to ask to get formal and approved information on best practices.

More over, most of the cultural practices in Zambia does not give a platform for parents or guardians to discuss sexual education with their children and especially teenagers who urgently need this information, so children or teenagers end up with limited or become miss informed on sexual education.

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Families are Nations Founder and President Judith

Tech

Former Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) president Eddie Mwitwa says there is need to interrogate the curriculum that students are getting from their various universities before enrolling into the Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education (ZIALE).

Mwitwa said LAZ has the mandate to influence the curriculum of universities, therefore it should examine the quality of learning that law students are getting from their various institutions before they enroll at ZIALE.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Zambian Business Times – ZBT, Mwitwa said ZIALE  works with by products or lawyers that have been prepared by various learning institutions and it only helps these lawyers to become practitioners, therefore there is more work that needs to be done at the grassroot level.

Mwitwa also said that in an effort to improve the pass rate, the previous ZIALE students underwent a pilot project where students were given six months to do attachments and six months to attend classes which has never happened in the previous years.

“These results are for students who were taken on a parallel stream in an effort to produce better results. They were given time to do attachments and time to attend classes as opposed to the usual set up where they would do attachments during the day and attend classes in the evening, he said.”

He said there is need to do a scientific analysis and determine what impact the pilot project had on this year’s pass rate.

Mwitwa also explained that some students face challenges in terms of getting attached to law firms or legal institutions because there are more students enrolling into ZIALE compared to the number of law firms or legal institutions in the country.

He further said that this negatively impacts students because ZIALE courses are practical, so students need to get practical experience in order to appreciate what they are being taught.

The former LAZ President further added that students were having online classes and may have had challenges logging in, asking lecturers questions as well as with load-shedding, so this can also interrupt students’ ability to participate fully.

Mwitwa also notes that only 14 students out of 179 (about 9%) cleared all courses in full in the recently held 2020 Zambia Institute of Advanced Legal Education (ZIALE) examinations but it may be that the majority only failed in a few courses.

Some stakeholders have called on ZIALE to decentralize their operations and demonopolize the bar exams. Having only one centre when the country has expanded may be one of the reasons stifling innovation and alternative thinking around how best to offer bar training.

Moreover, Zambia has a disproportionately higher number of lawyers in Lusaka leaving the other provinces with little legal options. Most of these lawyers that pass the bar exams end up settling either in Lusaka or Copperbelt leaving the other provinces with limited options.

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Former Law Association of Zambia (LAZ) president