 The D.P. is concerned that while in opposition, the U.P.N.D assured all those that were retired in national interests to consider themselves as being on leave as they would be reinstated immediately to the U.P.N.D-formed government. We have noticed with concern that the fulfilment of this campaign promise has taken a regional favour. As so far only those coming from a few named provinces have been reinstated unilaterally while the rest have been asked to go through a non-existent board to hear their cases on an individual basis. The D.P.N.D.s demonstrated by this government is likely to fund tribal division especially among men and women in uniform or form the majority of those that were retired using the frivolous reason of being politically inclined towards the U.P.N.D. itself. We are there for asking government to come clean on this campaign promise and ensure that they demonstrate equity for all that were retired in national interest regardless of their tribal ethnic background. 2022 national budget. While we appreciate the leap of faith with the 173 billion budget that the finance minister Comrade Dastunbekomsovotwan represented on 29 October 2021, the D.P. is however concerned with some issues arising from the national budget that I will summarize as follows. 1. There is unplanned decentralization through the constituency development fund. 2. There is limited incentives to support value addition. 3. There is clearly no clear roadmap towards economic diversification. 4. There is consumptive borrowing at the expense of production. 5. Government is relegating its obligations and government I am talking about the central government relegating its obligations through the constituency development fund. Government is not run through CDF and I speak as minister for 7 years. CDF is just one component of government and you can't relegate road projects, medicines, youth empowerment programs, everything and you lump them on CDF using the 25 million quarchance as an answer. It doesn't work that way. 5. Marginal adjustment of the pay-as-un in the lower salary band that does not take inflation into consideration and also the punitive pay-as-un for the higher salary brackets. 6. Countrymen and women 7. One most of these areas are highlighted above are critical. 8. The D.P. is particularly concerned with government's failure to take responsibility of providing infrastructure development at constituency level and thereby opting to relegate this responsibility to a constituency. 9. We are equally concerned that such an action does not take into consideration some constituencies that are geographically diverse and provide additional resources to meet their operations. If it is just operations for the constituency, what criteria have been used to give the same money and the higher positions will be given to do with the constituency. What criteria have you used to give the constituency and the constituency of Chpila? They are getting the same money and they need the same. That is for you to answer. the approach taken by governments does not equally take into consideration the absence of amenities such as banks and other service providers in some constituencies therefore making the exercise hard for some constituencies and local authorities to fulfill their obligations. A review of the population and land mass of some rural constituencies should have helped the finance minister to opt for creating capacity for constituencies before lumping such a responsibility on them in decision informing government. The D.P. would like to join scores of zambians who have raised their voices at how long it has taken the government to make key government appointments including to such important positions as controlling officers as permanent secretaries. In the operation of government, as a controlling officer, a PS is a key accountable person in the running of a ministry and therefore the delay in appointment of PSs has created a void in the operation of government. We are there for calling upon the president to hasten the process of appointing senior government officials to allow for the smooth running of government. Any further delay in making appointments goes to highlight the lack of preparedness in the UPND's ability to form government and consequently in governing the country. You can't take three months just to appoint a permanent secretary. A permanent secretary is a sub warrant holder in any line ministry. To take three months is leaving the system porous and allowing all kinds of things to be happening in ministries. It might be too late for some of these things to happen. When they'll be taking actions, a lot of damage will have been done. And you will say, no, we are doing this thing methodically, systematically. There is nothing methodic about this. I also want to talk about security of the president. The DP is concerned that the presidency is being taken lightly in the manner that the detail around the president is being handled. We are alive to the fact that the president has taken some actions that potentially compromises the presidency. It is important to note that the country is not short of qualified people who are trained in the management of the presidency. And yet the head of state has opted to create a shield between himself and highly trained presidential security. We are also concerned that the continued use of his private residence poses a risk to the presidency as only state house and state lodge were made with the full features and the systems that are secure enough to protect the head of state. His continued use of his private residence is not just an inconvenience to his neighbors who are stopped every time he is moving to and from but also poses a security challenge as his handlers have to deal with a road that was not specifically made to manage the movement of the president. You will wish to know that the specific roads that the president is supposed to use is not every road that the president uses. The specific roads that is supposed to use that is not one of the roads he is using. And it's bringing all those kind of lapses on the part of governance. And those who can talk will talk for them so they can know that we know how government is supposed to run. Additionally, the president must consider the human cost of having to deploy security all the way from his residence to state house and how far that expense can go if it was directed to other key areas of the economy. I think the route lining that I am talking about is for the police. There is route lining now from his residence all the way into state house and they have to wait. They have to go for lunch. Again the police have to be there, route lining. And the president has to come back. Yes, I know that the president was overwhelmingly voted for by the people of Zambia but that doesn't take away the etiquette of the president. He has to follow the rules and he has to follow them also so that we say to the president we don't want tomorrow and president and I will decide to go and stay moments and I will say be flying men to the Saka every day. I think that is not correct. We are also concerned that the president has chosen to use commercial flights travelling outside Zambia but he does not see anything wrong with viewing the presidential jets when he is carrying out party activities. Walk campaigning within the country Zambia. I think we would like to call upon President Akainde to walk the talk and demonstrate real savings by opting out also of using the presidential jets for the chopper while he is in the country. Women and youth disengagement. The DP is concerned that the new government has paid a lot of lip service to issues concerning women and youths. This is also evident in the appointments that have been made by the president so far which are skewed towards the men. It is important for those in government to appreciate that as a country we have made commitments to increase women representation in governance and the new government seems to be going back again as those commitments. The current government has equally not paid attention to the appointment of youths in government positions as well as to ensure that they are adequately represented. That is why we in the DP are proposing that the youth agenda should be a national agenda by ensuring that every line ministry has a department of youths. Every quasi-government institution must run with a youth department in order to train them not only for today but for tomorrow as well. The DP is equally concerned with the continued use of women and youths to receive the president at public gatherings and meetings. Such tendencies erode dignity from our women. The DP realizes the value that women and youths play in any progressive economy and it is against this background that we will continue to advocate for the welfare of women and youths in Zambia and the role they play in economic development and national building.