Government spends K5m to revamp Government Printers

Felix Mutati

Works and Supply Minister Felix Mutati says Government has spent K5 million to bring the remaining parts of a web presser which was bought in 2015 and will soon be running tests to see what the machine can do to answer to the printing challenges of Government Printers.

And Mutati says his Ministry has embarked on a transformation agenda to fit into the seventh national development plan of diversifying the economy.

Speaking in an interview after inspecting the Machiya Pontoon in Mpongwe District on Thursday the Minister said Government was spending colossal sums of money printing documents which should be printed by Government Printers.

He explained that the focus to recapitalise Government Printers is meant to not only create jobs but save the country huge sums of foreign exchange.

He expressed concern that Government departments and Ministries have opted not to do business with Government Printers due to the inadequate technology of the company and that over 36 security documents of the country including exam papers are being printed abroad.

“We have spent K5 million for the web presser which was bought in 2015 but had some remaining parts and couldn’t function so now we have paid and the parts will be coming, they will be fixed and will soon be running test drive to see what it can do to answer to the printing challenges that we have got. You must know that ballot papers are less than 10% of the business capabilities that Government Printers can do.

“What is concerning is that even fellow Government Ministries and Departments are no longer entertaining business with Government Printers. Of the 35 security document that ordinarily would be printed by Government Printers are being taken elsewhere so even as we focus on the ballot 2021 we could be able to have its current business create capacity with matching technology, skills and security including integrity and then we can elevate that to deal with the 2021 ballot papers.

“Only a few days ago I was engaged with the Examination Council of Zambia, they have said that for example for grade saven alone at every sitting they bring in 18-40 foot containers full of exam papers, can you imagine if even a portion of that was printed by Government Printers how many jobs we would be able to create and how much foreign we would be able to save so those are part of the things which are part of the transformation of Government Printers,” he said.

And Mutati said his Ministry has put up a five pillar transformation agenda with a focus to ensure that Government Printers becomes one of the contributors to the government treasury.

He said the standards of Government Printers should be lifted so as to answer to the modern needs.

“One of the pillars of the seventh national development plan is to ensure that we diversify the economy as a basis for creating jobs and wealth for the country and therefore the Ministry of Works and Supply fits in that transformational process and we have five priorities that we are focusing on in 2018 that we must be able to deliver on.

“The first priority that we are focusing on as part of the transformation to create value to answers to diversification, job creation and value addition is that we are going to answer to the challenges of Government Printers. The low capacity utilisation of government printers, the levels of technology that are inadequate to respond to the challenges, the structures of the company and also the equipment most of it is obsolete.

“We sent a team to South Africa a few months ago and the equivalent of Government Printers for South Africa is giving back revenue to government, in our case we have to support them including paying for their salaries and operations yet business is out there so we are working with the workers to come up with the transformation agenda,” he said.