HH FRUSTRATED BY STIFF GOVERNMENT SYSTEMS HINDERING SERVICE DELIVERY
HH FRUSTRATED BY STIFF GOVERNMENT SYSTEMS HINDERING SERVICE DELIVERY
President Hakainde Hichilema has expressed frustration over the rigidity in government systems, which he says are hindering the effective and swift delivery of services.
He was responding to concerns raised by Media Owners Association of Zambia (MOAZ) President, Costa Mwansa, who mentioned that the association has made several submissions to the government with suggestions to alleviate challenges faced by its members.
The Head of State made these remarks while officiating at the MOAZ Conference and Annual General Meeting on Wednesday afternoon at Pamodzi Hotel in Lusaka.
He assured MOAZ that the government would review the association’s submissions and work towards resolving the highlighted challenges.
Hichilema emphasized that media is not just about journalism but also a business that needs to thrive and contribute to economic development.
He urged media owners to take advantage of upcoming government funding opportunities to invest in energy and become producers rather than just consumers.
He reiterated his call for investment in solar energy, suggesting that media houses should assess their energy consumption and supply surplus power to the grid through the ZESCO Net-Metering facility.
Additionally, the President acknowledged that his administration has not been communicating enough with Zambians through the media and took responsibility for this lapse.
Earlier, Mwansa commended the government for enacting the Access to Information law after 22 years of attempts, and acknowledged progress in self-regulation efforts with the establishment of the Media Self-Regulation Council of Zambia.
However, he also highlighted the difficulties in administrative costs for running radio and television stations, with the current energy challenges raising operational expenses to at least K18,000 on fuel.
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