.Dr Phiri

By KAIKO NAMUSA –

THE MMD administration created 83 unbudgeted for projects in the education sector for political expedience in the run up to the 2011 general elections and is now costing Government K500 million to complete, Education Minister John Phiri has told Parliament.
Dr Phiri said this after MMD Chembe Member of Parliament (MP) Mwansa Mbulakulima, asked whether the Patriotic Front (PF) will apologise to Zambians for ‘breaking’ its promises on free education.
Mr Mbulakulima in a supplementary question said that if resources did not permit the Government to provide free education, then this entailed a failure to honour promises to the Zambian people.
“If resources are not enough, does it mean that the PF should adjust its manifesto, which is tantamount to a breach of trust?,” said.
Dr Phiri said the PF manifesto was still focused on providing free education but that financial factors were making this programme impossible to undertake at the moment.
“I rarely want to answer in a manner that will injure MPs. We did not realise that the government we took over from had left glaring reports. They had 83 projects not supported by the budget and it was just for
political expediency.
“We are a responsible Government and we will complete these projects so that we can continue with our manifesto. We could have chosen to provide free education, but we want to create face at a great cost to our manifesto,” he said.
He said that Government hoped to finish the backlog by next year adding that currently K2 million was being paid to contractors for works that could be completed within two years.
“Zambians gave us the mandate and the Lord gave us this privilege and we will honour what we promised the Zambian people. Don’t use this issue for political expediency, we will complete these projects that
we inherited,” Dr Phiri said.
Earlier, Liuwa MMD MP, Situmbeko Musokotwane asked as to when Government would implement its manifesto on
free education, Dr Phiri said K1.7 billion was being spent to improve the education infrastructure in the country.
Meanwhile,  Commerce Trade and Industry, Deputy Minister Miles Sampa told the House that 5,391 jobs had been created as a result of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in various sectors which is currently more than
$1.7billion.
Mr Sampa was responding to Lubansenshi Independent MP, Patrick Mucheleka, who wanted to know the total value of jobs created as a result of FDIs.