‘Fictitious creditors draining state resources‘

By SIMON MUNTEMBA and ADRIAN MWANZA

ZAMBIA is losing a lot of money in paying fictitious creditors, President Hakainde Hichilema has said.

President Hichilema disclosed that the country had been losing a lot of money through procurement of expired drugs and overpayment.

The Head of State said this when he swore in four office holders at State House yesterday who comprised   Martial Muchende as the new Solicitor General, Mulilo Kabesha as the Attorney General, Felix Nkulukusa as Secretary to Treasury and Denny Kalyalya as Bank of Zambia Governor.

Mr Hichilema said he was shocked at what he has discovered in the past two months as Republican President.

“This country is losing a lot of money. A lot of money is lost on paying fictitious creditors. People who have supplied air to Government are paid millions of dollars. People who have supplied expired drugs are paid millions of dollars. 

“Sometimes, one invoice is paid twice or three times. We need to address this issue.  The illegality around this issue  is causing Zambia to lose millions of Kwachas which ought to go to the youths, the sick and retirees,” President Hichilema said.

The President urged the four office holders to help his administration bring to an end the illegalities in the country. 

Meanwhile, President Hichilema has called on the newly appointed Bank of Zambia Governor Denny Kalyalya to be aggressive in dispensing his duties to help revamp the economy.

Mr Hichilema said that his government would give the new governor all the support and that there was political will to do the right thing.

He said aggression coupled with the political will would help him deliver because the economy needed to be improved. President Hichilema said Dr Kalyalya’s appointment was critical and that it was up to him to ensure that the bank was put back on track. Dr Kalyalya, President Hichilema said,  was not new to the bank but that things had changed because this time around there was political will from  government.

“The good news is that you are not learning new things but I know you faced some challenges because you did not have the support to operate the bank properly,” Mr Hichilema said.

He said the governor needed the central bank to play its role which was to support growth of the economy.

He urged the new Attorney General and Solicitor General to ensure that there was no excessive delay in the delivery of justice.

He said that justice delayed was justice denied hence the need to ensure that they helped the country by ensuring that such processes were expedited.