The complete debate on why Zimbabwe MPs opposed the National Competitiveness Commission Bill

Several Members of Parliament yesterday opposed the proposed National Competitiveness Commission Bill saying it was not necessary and only served to create jobs for the minister’s cronies.

Here is the full debate.

HON. P. D. SIBANDA: Thank you Madam Speaker, I have got a number of points that I want the Hon. Minister to clarify on this Bill. The first point of clarity that I am seeking from the Minister is , I ask the Hon. Minister to state in very simple layman’s terms why we really need this board and Act? We need to understand that we have created a lot of institutions in this country that are sucking from the national fiscus. What is it that we really need out of this Bill that will make it necessary to be there?

There are other issues that I want to understand from the Minister. He says that he wants to create a board and I was just wondering to myself whether there are no other existing structures currently within his Ministry that can do the responsibilities that he wants to create a whole board for. I was really wondering because some of the duties that he wants to assign this board are literally duties that are supposed to be done by him as a Minister and other people that are within his Ministry. Why do we need to create a whole board for those responsibilities that are supposed to be done by the Hon. Minister and his team?

 I also want to understand, the Hon Minister says that this board is going to be appointed by him in consultation with the President. May be before I even go there Hon. Speaker, let me start talking about this whole board. The Minister wants to create a board which is a creation of this Act. As I indicated, basically what this board will be doing are functions that are supposed to be done by technocrats that are within his Ministry. Therefore, we begin to ask ourselves what is being done. Is it really to create a board that is going to add value to the economy of this country kana kuti kutsvakirana mabasa kwamuka vazukuru who want some jobs somewhere.  The Minister needs to justify the reason why we should have a Bill, an Act that is going to create another board and whether that board is actually going to add value.

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Order Hon. Member, would you please refrain from repeating yourself because you are saying the same things.

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