.LUNGU

By NAKUBIANA SHABONGO –

DEPUTY Speaker of the National Assembly, Mkhondo Lungu has called for heavy investment in population data as it documents charateristics of people who affect development.
Mr Lungu said it was necessary to heavily invest in population data saying without it there would be a vacuum in planning.
He said that Governments needed to integrate population dynamics into planning and implementation of development initiatives within all sectors at both national and sub national levels.
“Therefore, the capacity to monitor and project changing population dynamics and evolving demographic age structures must be a core investment for development.
“Informing the response of Governments to where and how best to invest development resources and protect human rights and dignity,” he said.
Mr Lungu made these remarks during the Asian and African Parliamentarians Capacity Development on the Integration of Population Issues into National Development Frameworks workshop in Lusaka yesterday.
He called on parliamentarians to step up efforts in holding Governments accountable to gathering, analysing and disseminating data on population.
“May I remind you of your key role as parliamentarians in guaranteeing enabling laws and policies in order to accelerate the momentum to create and renew institutions that deal with population and
sustainable development,” he said.
Vice Chair of Japan Parliamentarians Federation for Population (JPFP), MP, Teruhiko Mashiko praised Zambia for taking a lead in Africa in parliamentary work on population and development.
Mr Mashiko said parliamentarians must complement the functions of Governments which they dealt with directly in their line of duty as Government alone could not meet the challenge.
Speaking at the same event, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Deputy Representative Chinwe Ogbonna commended Asian and African parliamentary for population and development in advancing advancing advocay, policy and legislative actions on population issues at regional levels.
Called on the two continents to increase the age of a child as the country had a high prevalent rate of child marriages.
Zambia All Party Parliamentary Group on Population and Development, Vice Chair Boniface Mutale, MP said continued enhancement of the capacity of members of parliament would help with the formulation of legislation that supported the achievement of sustainable development.