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Swedish Government Unblocks Millions In Health Aid For Zambia Projects
Stockholm, Sweden. 27th May 2015—The Swedish government, one of Zambia’s closest development allies has unblocked up to 400 million Swedish Kroners (sek), which amounts to about US$47,3million meant for improving the Zambian health sector.
The money must be directed towards projects that will reduce the number or deaths among babies and mothers, including tackling other reproductive health challenges.
The release of the money ends a six-year old dry spell of health aid freeze by Sweden to Zambia after the Nordic country raised concerns regarding financial misapplication, a situation which has changed and revived the corporating partner’s hopes that, under President Edgar Lungu, the aid will go towards saving babies and mothers, as intended by the donor country.
Under the agreement, Zambia shall receive an initial 69 million sek, for the programme that will run for a four year period starting from 2015-2019.
The assistance from the Swedish government is being extended to Zambia jointly with the Department for International Development (DFID), the development arm of the United Kingdom, as more Donor countries resume, or boost assistance to Zambia following President Lungu’s popular poll on 20th January 2015.
The Swedish pack in the assistance is 400million sek, money which will compliment well, existing Zambian health funded projects and reduce mortality rates among mothers and babies significantly, in line with the President Lungu campaign promises.
The support will focus on reproductive, maternal, neo-natal, child and adolescent health.
Sweden is currently “reviewing various assessments” to ensure that the aid works well for both Zambia and themselves as a key partner.
A Swedish government team will soon travel to Lusaka to discuss with relevant ministries, how to complete the finance process and ensure procurement and other issues are properly in place and acceptable to both partner countries for finalisation.
Background
Zambia’s health aid from Sweden dipped to an all-time low in 2009 following misapplication of funds in the middle of a five-year agreement (2006-10) for the health sector with the government worth about half a billion SEK (or the equivalent in Kwacha).
The unfortunate development threw the Swedish programme into disarray and funds disbursed were halted for the next following two and half years.
With the renewed vigour to fight corruption under the new leadership of President Edgar Chagwa Lungu, Sweden-Zambia relations are brightening up yet again and ostensibly rising to a new high.
President Lungu has recently met face to face, the Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven at the African Union meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where the two discussed further corporation and possible state visits to boost the two countries 50 year old ties.
The release of this huge chunk of money for health is being seen by pundits as a clear show of confidence that “on President Lungu’s watch,” tax-payers money, local or aid related, shall not be misapplied.”
On Tuesday, 26th May 2015, President Edgar Lungu, in yet another public show of commitment towards fighting graft held a high-level State House meeting with the entire board of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to discuss the scourge of corruption.
Roswin Wandi, the ACC Director General, and Chairperson Judge Timothy Kabalata attended the high level meeting.
Mr Amos Chanda, President Lungu’s Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations said the meeting, he too attended discussed a “wide range of issues aimed at improving strategies and policies to fight corruption.”
Mr Chanda said President Lungu’s resolve to fight corruption and sectional interests in Zambia has not and will not slow down under his leadership as he detests interests groups benefitting at the expense of the majority of Zambians.
Mr Chanda said President Lungu campaigned on the platform of dismantling cartels and special interests that deprived the majority and that direction has not changed.
Zambia and Sweden enjoy extremely warm relations and have corporated in various fields for 50 years now. Unblocking of the support ostensibly signifies the upping of the tempo in the relations of the two countries. Sweden is in the Top Five countries with the highest quality of life in the whole world, especially in health according to the influential OECD or Organisation for Economic Corporation and Development, which measures standards of quality of living scientifically.
Posted by Kunda
on May 28, 2015. Filed under LATEST NEWS.
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Sangwapo
May 28, 2015 at 8:24 am
bla bla bla bla bla bla bla bla
PRIVATISATION
May 28, 2015 at 4:12 pm
Yes this is a very good move.These are the results of sending someone with a clean record to state house. people like Our GOD given EL. If we hard sent someone with 23 years experience in planderling countries resouces during privatization we wouldin”t have seen this.Lord help our beloved president EL, give him wisdom to govern and bring back this country to its sherp.
poly
May 28, 2015 at 8:36 am
May the suspects in the last financial scam be caged now that aid has been revived.Last time it was Kapoko,Kapoko…………when every line official had benefited.
Judge Joe Bidden
May 28, 2015 at 10:04 am
Why this “HUGE millions” hype? That amount is in Swedish Krona. According to the current rate today 28/05/15 1 Swedish Krona = 0.12 US $, Enter Swedish Krona 400 Million gives you a mere US$ 47.2 Million Dollars! Thats an amount of money US spends DAILY on military operations in Middle East. So stopping hyping like Sweden has given you this HUUUUGE amount! Tell Sweden to shove it, and this Amos Chanda wants to make a meal out of it for Edgar? Pliz!
mj banda
May 29, 2015 at 7:51 am
@jjb, who sent America to disturbilize other countries, they deserve to spend at lot, stop comparing Zambia a peaceful country to an aggressor.
Hello Haters
May 28, 2015 at 10:41 am
Wait until PFool cadres mj banda, kayula, isaac, Vampiro, and other dweebs see this article on chagwa’s “nipempako tadidzo ba Sweden i have had enough kaloba from China” they gonna ululate like old women with sagged boobs at a traditional ceremony, THIS IS NOTHING BUT DEAD AID, am sure some dirt minded PFool cadres that have infiltrated the civil service, have a master plan already on how to lay their long slimy fingers on these little ngwees meant for the sick Zambian souls, God protect your people from these corrupt kwindiz. AMEN.
kakolwe
May 28, 2015 at 1:20 pm
Can’t you see the article for its own value? It is actually you who has politicized the deal. In conclusion to your ill-timed attempt at satire with flaccid booooobs dangling on skeletal old bodies, I ask: AID was halted due to issues to do with trust and misapplication. Aid has been restored due to confidence in the same system. Is it good for Zambia or Not?
Mind you, this ain’t a loan but a grant. Redo grade 8.
Hello Haters
May 28, 2015 at 1:41 pm
I think you need to reload your brain kolwe, there nothing political about my comment and never said it’s a loan, is ubwafwilisho/tadidzo and loan the same buddy,wemusambashi we chinshi chilubene, pantu naishiba @ uli musulwishi kwi lyashi lya chalo, and the meatless thread of skin hang boobs women ululating is just the best way of describing you and your dweebs.
kakolwe
May 28, 2015 at 2:10 pm
Awe iwe waalifunta! Kikikiki! What is with you notumabele utwapompoloka, appearing monga nika tie today? Have you been suckling lately? Ikalafye with your comparisons or else, I will also compare you kuli lilya ilyaapompoloka without any elasticity on a very hot day. Get the drift?
Seriously, my question to you was: Is it a good or bad prospect for the nation that this aid has started flowing’iii? That’s going beyond PF, UpeeND or dweebs from either camp.
Hello Haters
May 28, 2015 at 3:17 pm
Kikikiki fortunately we going into the cooler weather, i know what you mean a Toyota vitz with two flat tires. PERSONALLY AM NOT A FAN FOR AID , PEOPLE NEED TO BE PROVIDED WITH GOOD HEALTH SERVICES, SO KULOMBA IF YOU CAN’T FIND YOUR OWN RESOURCES,BUT FOR HOW LONG SHALL YOU WAIT UPON THEIR AID, SOON EUROPEAN TAX PAYERS WILL SAY “NO MORE GIVING AID” we just need to pull up insokoshi has a country bu chilombelombe tukaleke, just hope those ngwees will be utilized for the intended purpose.
jabi
May 28, 2015 at 10:02 pm
Shat-up you miserable cockroach!you think you’re better in judging of Governance best practices than the Swid’s? Inflation [email protected] from 7.5,to hell na ka party kenu insala yekayeka!hh has failed to improve conditions of service to his employees,they say Charity begins@Home.
mj banda
May 29, 2015 at 7:54 am
@hello haters. am unlike you the all time losing cadre, remember am not a freemanson cadre will never be, i give credit where its due .
Duke
May 28, 2015 at 11:01 am
Ba Judge what’s your point? The article has already given us the actual amount in dollars.
Judge Joe Bidden
May 28, 2015 at 11:22 am
Just in case PF cadres think that rate was THAT TIME in 2009!
Loose Canon
May 28, 2015 at 12:01 pm
Bye-elections money yamoneka
VAMPIRO
May 28, 2015 at 12:24 pm
If you can’t see seriousness in our president regarding fight against corruption then you must be deaf or dump. 2008 the cartel were on top of things and deeply rooted in amassing national wealth at the expense of zambians. Another cane of wild turkey please ……
IF NOT
May 28, 2015 at 3:14 pm
Good move by Swedish govt
observer
May 28, 2015 at 5:06 pm
what is wrong to have millions of dollars unblocked by sweedish government to benefit every zambian whether upnd, pf, mmd nor narep.this is not politics its hard cash bane.its unfortunate that some misguided chaps are politicising dollars.
New Educated Zambia©
May 28, 2015 at 6:19 pm
Poverty can make people celebrate over the most useless of things. People are now happy to be beggars. They have lifted the ban on you being a beggar kiki and you say that you are working. vote upnd to emancipate yourselves from this poverty way of thinking
Hello Haters
May 28, 2015 at 9:00 pm
Kikikiki, my brother check out the observer’s post above you, what a shameless begger all he can see is dollars/hard cash in his begging bowl, when he gets that money he will forget about the poor sick souls and buy a nice white pimp suit, white shoes and a boss white hat, jaguar and refurbish is house.
jabi
May 28, 2015 at 9:40 pm
Iyi nimbwa!so abena Observer ignore such bin Dogs like helh na nez who can’t see beyond BANTUSTANISM
jabi
May 28, 2015 at 9:51 pm
Shat-up you miserable cockroach!you think you’re better in judging of Governance best practices than the Swid’s? Inflation [email protected] from 7.5,to hell na ka party kenu insala yekayeka!hh has failed to improve conditions of service to his employees,they say Charity begins@Home.
Hello Haters
May 28, 2015 at 10:24 pm
Wakuta nsima mufana wanga pwanya n… /jabi gona tomorrow is another day, a heavily filled stomach, am sure your bowels are terribly overwhelmed, create pressure on you heart to start a faster rate than normal, which is a recipe for convulsions.
twetwe
May 28, 2015 at 11:07 pm
what makes us proud to beg ? Very soon we will be told the Victoria Falls was auctioned by fossil economist as surety for a loan yet to be announced. First its good news to sway opinion and a week later drop the bomb since we are good at having a forgetful mind, we will still be sending accolades to comrade fossil lupala… Zambia in the bright sun shine !!!
TOE
May 29, 2015 at 12:04 am
What good wil u do to zambia who see always bad even when it Is good?When wil your gvt be formed and by who? We Really Doubt Nez.