THE GUEST OF HONOR, MINISTER OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL
SECURITY MRS BRENDA TAMBATAMBA (MP)
THE PERMANENT SECRETARY MINISTRY OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL
SECURITY MR. ZACHARIA LUHANGA
OTHER PERMANENT SECRETARIES PRESENT
THE PRESIDENT OF THE ZAMBIA CONGRESS OF TRADE UNIONS
MR. BLAKE MULALA AND YOUR TEAM
THE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERATION OF FREE TRADE UNIONS
OF ZAMBIA MR. MUYAYWA M. KABISA AND YOUR TEAM
SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS PRESENT
THE INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION DIRECTOR FOR
ZAMBIA, MALAWI AND MOZAMBIQUE AND SPECIAL
REPRESENTATIVE TO COMESA
MEMBERS OF THE PRESS
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
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I AM PLEASED TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SOME REMARKS
ON BEHALF OF THE EMPLOYERS IN ZAMBIA AT THIS TRIPARTITE
CONSULTATIVE LABOUR COUNCIL MEETING.
GUEST OF HONOUR I WISH TO START MY SPEECH BY COMMENDING
YOU FOR HAVING BEEN SO PROACTIVE AND ADHERING TO
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE REQUIREMENTS, IN THAT SINCE YOU
BECAME MINISTER OF LABOUR AND SOCIAL SECURITY, YOU HAVE
ENSURED THAT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR INSTITUTIONS
UNDER YOUR MINISTRY, HAVE BEEN TIMELY APPOINTED. WE DID
NOTICE THAT, IT TOOK A VERY LONG TIME FOR OTHER BOARDS, IN
CERTAIN MINISTRIES TO BE CONSTITUTED. YOU HAVE DONE IT AGAIN,
HONOURABLE MINISTER, IN THAT FOLLOWING THE END OF THE TERM
OF OFFICE FOR THE FIRST BOARDS, UNDER YOUR MINISTRY IN
JANUARY AND FEBRUARY THIS YEAR, YOU HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
APPOINT THE BOARDS WITHIN A PERIOD OF THREE MONTHS. WE
COMMEND YOU FOR THIS, AS WE KNOW VERY WELL THAT OTHER
STATUTORY INSTITUTIONS HAVE GONE FOR A LONGER PERIOD
WITHOUT BOARDS, BECAUSE THE APPOINTING AUTHORITIES HAVE
NOT GIVEN APPOINTMENT OF STATUTORY BOARDS, THE
SERIOUSNESS IT DESERVES, TO ENSURE OVERSIGHT BOARDS IN
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THOSE INSTITUTIONS. OFTEN TIME APPOINTING AUTHORITIES HAVE
PUSHED THE BLAME ON THE VETTING PROCESS TAKING TOO LONG
TO COMPLETE. WHILE THIS MAY BE TRUE, IN SOME CASES, IT IS ALSO
TRUE THAT IN OTHER SITUATIONS, THE APPOINTING AUTHORITIES
HAVE BEEN THE ONES THAT HAVE DELAYED THE PROCESS. THEY
HAVE SIMPLY NOT CONSIDERED THE FACT THAT STATUTORY
INSTITUTIONS SHOULD NOT OPERATE FOR A LONG TIME WITHOUT AN
OVERSIGHT BOARD. WE THEREFORE, ENCOURAGE APPOINTING
AUTHORITIES IN OTHER MINISTRIES TO TREAT THIS EXERCISE AS AN
IMPORTANT ONE AND EXPEDITE THE PROCESS OF BOARD
APPOINTMENTS, WHERE APPOINTMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN DONE.
TIMELY FOLLOW UPS MUST BE MADE ON THOSE CHARGED WITH THE
RESPONSIBILITY OF VETTING, TO MAKE THEM WORK WITHIN SOME
PRESCRIBED TIME FRAME.
GUEST OF HONOUR, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS MEETING HAS
BEEN CALLED TO DISCUSS OR TO GET UPDATES ON ITEMS SUCH AS
THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE WORKERS COMPENSATION
FUND CONTROL BOARD AMENDMENT BILL 2025, THE PAPER TO DEAL
WITH THE PROPOSED PENSION REFORMS, THE PENSIONS AND
INSURANCE AUTHORITY (PIA) REFORMS AND THE OCCUPATIONAL
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SAFETY AND HEALTH BILL UPDATE. I ALSO RECALL THAT LAST WEEK
WE DID DISCUSS VIRTUALLY AT THE INTERNAL LEGISLATION
MEETING THAT WAS HELD ON 17TH JUNE 2025.
GUEST OF HONOR, FOR A LONG TIME NOW WE HAVE BEEN
DISCUSSING PENSION REFORMS IN ZAMBIA BUT VERY LITTLE ACTION
HAS BEEN TAKEN TO MOVE THE PROCESS FORWARD. AFTER THE
REFORMS THAT SAW THE COUNTRY MOVE FROM THE PROVIDENT
FUND TO THE NATIONAL PENSION SCHEME AUTHORITY (NAPSA) , AND
FOLLOWING OUR REALIZATION THAT THE PROCESS OF NOT HAVING
NEW ENTRANTS INTO THE PUBLIC SERVICE PENSION FUND AND
LOCAL AUTHORITY SUPERANNUATION FUND HAS BEEN A KILLER TO
THE TWO INSTITUTIONS , WE HAVE HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT
REFORMING OUR PENSION SYSTEM AND WE HAVE AGREED TO HAVE
THE TWO INSTITUTIONS REFORMED TO BECOME OCCUPATIONAL
PENSION SCHEMES. WE HAVE NOTED THAT THE POSITION PAPER ON
PENSION REFORMS BEFORE THIS TCLC HAS PROVIDED FOR THE
SAME PROPOSALS ON THE TWO INSTITUTIONS. IT IS OUR HOPE IN ZFE
THAT ONCE THIS MEETING TAKES A POSITION ON THE AFORE STATED
SCHEMES BECOMING OCCUPATIONAL PENSION SCHEMES, THE
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ACTUALISATION PROCESS MUST BE EXPEDITED, IN ORDER TO BRING
LIFE TO THE TWO PUBLIC PENSION SCHEMES.
FROM THE TIME THE LAST PENSION REFORMS WERE UNDER TAKEN,
WHICH CAME INTO EFFECT IN THE YEAR 2000, WE HAVE UNDERGONE
A LOT OF CHANGES IN DEMOGRAPHIC, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND
POLITICAL CONDITIONS, WHICH HAVE CONSIDERABLY INFLUENCED
THE SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEMS IN THE COUNTRY. IT IS OUR VIEW IN
ZFE, THAT PENSION SYSTEMS BE CHARACTERIZED BY RELATIVELY
LEGAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL STABILITY, IF THE PENSION SCHEMES
ARE TO REALIZE THEIR PRIMARY GOALS.
GUEST OF HONOR, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN IT IS OUR EXPECTATIONS
IN ZFE, THAT AS WE TAKE A STEP IN REFORMING OUR PENSION
SYSTEM, WE SHOULD NOT TAKE A TOP DOWN NATURE, WHICH IN
MOST CASES IS IMPOSED ON THE PENSION SYSTEM’S PARTICIPANTS,
WHICH EVENTUALLY BLOCK THE INVOLVEMENT OF VARIOUS ENTITIES
IN THE TRANSFORMATION PROCESS AND REDUCE THEIR MOTIVATION
FOR UPTAKE OF PENSION SERVICES.
TO INCREASE PENSION UPTAKE, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO
PRIVATE PENSION SCHEMES, THERE IS NEED TO UNDERTAKE
SENSITIZATION ACTIVITIES, IN ORDER TO MAKE THE GENERAL
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PUBLIC AWARE OF THE PENSION FACILITIES AND ENCOURAGE THEM
TO TAKE UP THE SERVICES. THE CHANGE PROCESS IN OUR PENSION
SYSTEM MUST BE A LONG TERM ONE, WHOSE FINAL RESULTS MUST,
IN THE NEAR FUTURE, BE VISIBLE AND POSSIBLE TO ASSESS, EVEN
SEVERAL YEARS AFTER THE REFORMS. THEREFORE, GUEST OF
HONOR, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OUR PENSION REFORMS SHOULD
AIM AT
- INCREASING THE ADEQUACY OF PENSIONS,
- REDUCING THE RISK OF POVERTY AMONG OLDER
- PEOPLEDIVERSIFYING PENSION FUNDS,
- INCREASING THE FINANCIAL STABILITY OF PENSION SYSTEMS –
AND PROLONGING ECONOMIC ACTIVITY.
GUEST OF HONOUR, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE EMPLOYERS LOOK
FORWARD TO A DISCUSSION THAT WILL YIELD FRUITS DURING THIS
TRIPARTITE CONSULTATIVE LABOUR COUNCIL MEETING.
HAVE A GREAT DAY.
I THANK YOU .