• PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu greets Chief Mukuni (second from right) and Livingstone District Commissioner Omar Munsanje on arrival at Harry Mwanga Nkumbula International Airport in Livingstone. Picture By SALIM HENRY/STATE HOUSE

By SYLVESTER MWALE and BRIAN HATYOKA –

PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has bemoaned the slow pace at which the national decentralisation policy is being implemented and called for a review to expedite the process.
Meanwhile, President Lungu has directed the Local Government Service Commission (LGSC) to urgently streamline recruitment, deployment and monitoring of staff in local authorities across the country.
Mr Lungu said he would be sitting down with his Cabinet to take a review of the process and find ways that would speed up the implementation of the policy which is aimed at empowering the citizens.
Zambia adopted the national decentralisation policy in 2002 with a commitment to implement the plan within a period of 10 years with the view of promoting bottom-up approach to development and citizen participation in governance.
However, nothing much has been done to achieve a fully decentralised system and the Patriotic Front (PF) Government was forced to revise the policy in 2013 to reinvigorate the process.
President Lungu told journalist at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport before departure for Livingstone that there had been a lot of bureaucracy in the implementation of the policy.
“Decentralisation process is not moving at the rate we would like it to be moving. There is need to take power back to the people, I think there is too much bureaucracy in the implementation of decentralisation policy.
“Over the years, not only in PF, UNIP talked about decentralisation, MMD talked about it, but not much has been done, and I think we are also moving very slowly, so I will be taking the matter back to Cabinet and see how we can do it quickly,” he said.
The Head of State noted that as long as the Government ignored the people on the ground it, would be difficult to achieve much.
Mr Lungu said the full implementation of the decentralisation policy would be an empowerment to the Zambian people.
He noted that power belonged to the citizens in both political and governance sense hence the need to attain a fully decentralised system.
Mr Lungu has also directed the Ministry of Local Government and Housing to expedite the process of upgrading physical infrastructure and training curriculum at Chalimbana Local Government Training Institute to enable the institution provide senior staff in-service training.
Mr Lungu was speaking in Livingstone at Chrismar Hotel yesterday when he officially opened the 59th annual conference of the Local Government Association of Zambia (LGAZ) and 12th general assembly of the Alliance of Mayors and Municipal Leaders’ Initiative for Community Action on HIV and AIDS at Local Level.
He said the Government was actively looking into the deficiency of staff in local authorities with a view of creating enhanced capacity necessary to expand and expedite service delivery in the local government system.
The gathering, which is being held under the theme “Inclusive Governance: Strategy for Success”, has attracted mayors, councillors, council chairpersons and council secretaries as well as town clerks and other council staff across the country.
“While low budgetary allocations can be a contributory factor to service delivery challenges councils face, I realise that the scarcity of highly skilled and motivated personnel, at the local government level, is a major challenge.
“Most local authorities are experiencing staff shortages, especially in strategic fields of finance and economic development, engineering, development and partial planning, to name just a few,” he said.
Mr Lungu also announced that the central Government would not unnecessarily interfere with local authorities’ legitimate function of formulation of by-laws, which include local taxes, levies and other revenue generating measures.
He noted that most of the challenges facing local government currently were attributed to past policies that undermined service capabilities in all councils.
Local Government and Housing Minster John Phiri thanked President Lungu for his personal commitment to the development of a robust local governance system.
Dr Phiri said the Patriotic Front (PF) Government recognised the critical role of local government as an engine for delivering services, infrastructure and development to the people.
In a vote of thanks, Kalulushi Mayor Bernard Mumba commended President Lungu for measures taken to improve and strengthen local governance in Zambia.
Delegates are this week expected to elect the new LGAZ president to replace Mulenga Sata who is now State House deputy Minister.