Friday, March 29, 2024

Ms Obiageli Ezekwesili urges Zambia to focus on further diversification of the economy

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File:  World Bank vice-president for Africa Obiageli Ezekwesili at State House when she visited Zambia
File: World Bank vice-president for Africa Obiageli Ezekwesili at State House when she visited Zambia

World Bank Vice President for the Africa Region, Ms Obiageli Ezekwesili has urged Zambia to focus on further diversification of her economy to create new jobs and to spur faster economic growth.

“Diversification generates jobs in agriculture, tourism, transport and other sectors such as road infrastructure,” she said when she met with Minister of Finance and National Planning Mr. Alexander Chikwanda.

She expressed confidence in Zambia’s economic potentials and stressed that “it has been a delight to work with Zambia over the years”

Ms. Ezekwesili said the World Bank would continue to support Zambia’s economic growth in areas such as tourism, infrastructure development, energy and education.

The Vice President called on the government to take full advantage of the warm relations the World Bank group has offered to advance the cause of development for Zambia.

Meanwhile, Finance and National Planning Minister, Alexander B. Chikwanda said that the Zambian people had very high expectations from the Zambian government to deliver real improvement in their lives since the Patriotic Front came to power.

“Considering the fact that the coming of the new Government coincides with the development of the Bank’s Country Assistance Strategy (CAS) for Zambia, the government is keen to work with the Bank in this process,” he said.

Some of the key areas that the Country Assistance Strategy will take on board include skills development, infrastructure development, particularly for rural areas, agricultural development particularly irrigation, livestock development and the development of market infrastructure.

Others are the decentralization in order to ensure that Government programmes are implemented more efficiently and equitably and the development of the private sector especially the medium small and micro enterprises so that they can play their full role as the engine for growth and job creation.

The Minister, was however, concerned to note that the level of development support that the Bank has provided to Zambia in recent years was below the level desired by the Government.

He appealed to the Bank to consider increasing the support provided to Zambia and the country’s desire to access Bank resource through the blend of the International Development Association (IDA) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) resources.

55 COMMENTS

  1. So we really do need skills development? What a joke! Why does IMF have to tell us that we need to improve on our skills. Mwilatusebanya. And with such recommendations they slap us on our behind with an sdr to pay.

  2. Really, I would rather ask for more Chinese money. These shady organizations have always treated African nations with oppressive conditions. A nation you can negotiate IMF and world bank really who are they? 1984 where are you?

  3. Timely message but we should not be swayed into huge dedts for us to be perpetual beggars. Watch n wrk out a strategic development plan!

  4. What the wb is saying in a very professional was is ” you need to be exposed ” in reference to the development of skills. Or you are kind of backwards and you really need people in your government that can, manage, direct, control etc. now you can ask yourself , do you really the world bank to tell you that. If you do your freemen job, as opposed to waiting for a salary at the month end you can make progress. She was being very professional and does not want to embarrass our delegation. And in return our team will say yes bwana!

  5. Zambia is a failure on many levels and it will take all Zambians to correct this, not directives from the World Bank.

    The World Bank cant even have an overall African President because the whole operation is a scheme to fleece Africa and keep it enslaved.

    • But why enslave a continent which enslaved itself from way back?? You are busy contradicting yourself princess.

  6. Ukweli sana mama Ezekwesili.Nchi kama zambia ina uchumi unao tegemea madini kwa zaidi ya asilimia 80% ya mapato yake.Ukilinganisha na nchi kama kenya utaona uchumi wao umegawanyika vizuri hivi kwama hawategemei kipato kimoja kwa zaidi ya asilimia 30%.Lakini zambia ni wavivu na wajinga kwa hivyo hakuna matumaini kwamba watazingatia uchumi.Siasa chafu,uzembe na ukabila ndio wameweka mbele.

  7. Marubbish, we do not need IMF or World Bank debts, we can manage with our own resources. What we lack are management skills. This idea of borrowing just puts into lots of debt and waters down our sovereignity.

  8. This conversation was predictable.

    IMF – “We are delighted to continue working with Zambia and look forward to ripping them off for the indefinate future”.

    CHIKWANDA – “Inde bwana. Anso bwelani mu nyosoleko kumbali uku”.

    That is our toothless, spineless Zambia Enslaved and smiling about it. They don’t need to send slave ships acrosss the Atlantic anymore. They make us slave in our own back yards and make us deliver the fruit of our slave labour to New York.

  9. ” She expressed confidence in Zambia’s economic potentials and stressed that “it has been a delight to work with Zambia over the years” ”

    45% of children have their growth stunted because of malnutrition.

    Job well done, ms. Obiagelii Ezekwesili.

    There is only one diversification that matters, and that is getting all the taxes from the mines, and using those to finance other economic sectors like infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing, even government reform (decentralisation).

    So what I want to hear from her, is that she wants Zambia to start taxing the mines instead of taking ‘donor aid’.

  10. These educated African are the ones I say have been compromised! They work for the wb and IMF instead going back to their countries to help solve some of the problems. They preach that africa has this and that and we can do this blaa blaa. And isnt it ironic that USA, Canada, Japan, Germany, denmark, uk, etc have no debt purchases or loans from these institutions. And here we are asking for a hand out! Shame on you chikwanda and the team.

  11. I don’t like the World Bank and her sister IMF, just ask Ireland or Greece why they never wanted help from them. I rest my case.

  12. Countrymen it is not IMF which came to us it is us who have gone there to justify our financial needs. Skills? Yes we need “skills” not just degrees. People with skills make things happen and those without skills just identify problems and write reports

  13. @ Nubian Princess dear lady, we are once again on the very same page. I would rather we eat Kandolo, soya, and other foods we can grow and produce than borrow once more from IMF, the motherland is the most fertile and blessed continent this planet knows period. If it was not the hippos NGA tafyaina efyo fyainina ( Na bokosi ). If we the people could work now that tujilijili have been banned Zambia shall guide Africa into the future.

    • Mwanakwitu, i hope you mean what you say, but i know you are busy buying burgers wherever you are, when you go to zed you are the same pipo who look down on zed restaurants in favour of exotic, tikuzibani!!!!

  14. Ba koswe imwe, you’re busy complaining like IMF sent you an invitation card. Zambia voluntarily went to IMF and besides, those of you saying you don’t need the world bank. Huh? You don’t need the world bank? And you think you can survive in Zambia without IMF financial help? You fraking kidding me. You have depleted all your natural resources and them some. Trust me, you need the world bank bane…chibe chibe. True, perhaps now that you all won’t have the toxic tujilijilis to fry your brain cells, maybe you can think intelligently. Fyola!

  15. Umupondo ni we koswe! Infact you are showing your ignorance. You are probably educated and write reports but you can not make things happen!

  16. :(( Sorry Ms Bla bla, we chucked out RB, so whatever your advice, as things stand will fall on deaf ears.

    You can blame our gullible people who fell for some so called ‘donchi kubeba’ promises……

  17. @17 Zambians, what highest level of education have you attained? Yes,You’re right about me being educated and wrtting reports – financial reports that is. With that said, I’d like to know what you meant when you said I ‘can not make things happen’. And if you do explain yourself please, try not to sound like an embcile. There is afterall such a thing as constructive criticism. Thanks.

  18. Pipo here are busy shouting WB n IMF for their misfortunes, well time for that is long gone, SAPS yes, but not any more. Look into yourselves and understand why things are the way they are. The new WB presdo is not just there becoz of his credintials, after all he is a medical doctor. And all you do is insult chila bushiku, continue, this world is not for the faint hearted, try heaven.

  19. I can’t tell you what level education I have but I have been exposed a lot and accomplished a good education ground to warrant what I say or need to comment. I don’t know if you do know the history of the IMF, WB involvement on the continent. But I do want to say that they advised us to follow the structural adj prog and you can correct me if am wrong, but the essence of this prog or Atleast one of the effects was to produce efficiency in various industries. In lieu of that, they asked us to privatize the mines, I was actually very young then and was one of the guys that were sent on audits for paying out mines. Anyway, to make this very short, I want to ask you a few questions, do you think privatizing the mines was the best option? That was one of their recommendations

  20. By the way umupondo, in regard to your question about reports, there are groups like the institutions under debate that write a lot of reports and have some of the most educated people but have failed to solve the same problems they have been claiming will solve for many years. So degree or no degree sometimes it come down just to the basics. Don’t get me wrong, I think you can use some education to get things done but sometimes education you do not need it solve solve some of the basic needs.

    • Totally hear you my brother, I know exactly what you mean. We are in real trouble if we approach the Bretton Woods guys with the mindset of actually ‘needing them’ already. They have a clear agenda and its not to protect or promote our interests. We also have options now on how to grow our economy that doesn not depend on them and they know this but clearly WE DONT!!

  21. An Australian came to Solwezi but kept on asking how to get to Solwezi. He was told that he was actually in the town he was looking for. When it dawned on him that what he was being told was the truth he openly wept. He could not believe what he was seeing because according to him the development back home that the wealth of Solwezi had brought up was unprecedented. He expected to see the same in Solwezi and he found it impossible to reconcile the poverty in Solwezi with to the wealth back home as a result of the gold and copper from the area. Our politicians need to wake up and chase away these thieves in the name of World Bank and IMF officials. Which country in Africa has ever developed because of following their advice?

  22. South Africa developed isolated from the world. Why do we need the Brentwood instutions? We go there goalless.

  23. @ First Gentleman, I am African to the core. We saved and raised baby Jesus. I seek vinkubala and kalembula at Chinese stores here. Kablangety nchunga ( beans ). humble myself I do because God instructed. Thank you for putting up checks and balances though :).

  24. #22 Nostradamus thats really disrespectful and uncalled for.Lets maintain some decorum and stick to the topic.

  25. Banda what can tell us when he himself is failure, he failed the people of Zambia, just come back we are waiting for you, Mpundu Trust Fund and your son Henery.

  26. I’m still rooting for the back room ladies and gents. Political parties come and go but they are keeping things ticking in the background. Overworked, underpaid and rarely credited by the leaders of the day. They are the ones who make the best of a bad situation and when the deals are done are pushed to accept or deliver. They are on the ground while most of us are not home with some planning never to return but full of advice or doom depending on the mood in the ivory tower. I’m going to show some love to the old boy’s club as they play the inevitable game. Smooth slick move from WB and round 1 hasn’t even started yet. Wear ear plugs coz the flute of the snake charmer is actually played in round 2 :) 

    • Looks like we are certainly already losing mate if your minister thinks increasing our ‘dependency’ or ‘indebtedness’ is what he has been sent there to do. We are already on the back foot. He must hang out with the Nigerians and South Africans perhaps and have them talk for us. They are certainly less intimidated in these forums and understand the moderm economic landscape and Africas new real position in the power balance better than our 70s relic!

    • @Jack – my dad’s favorite way to embarrass us as kids was to wait til we had a group of friends over then pretend to break dance. Our friends found it hilarious and he was the guy. We would pretty sheepishly wish for an end to the excruciating performance but root him on regardless know what I mean? I’m gonna give these guys love coz they bring those feelings back :)

      @Barotse Son – I have it down as a little further back. 1884 – 1885. Location: Berlin residence of Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. f I could go back there I would have a big old red marker to draw my own lines in to the treaty in Berlin then I would have pulled out a map of Europe and created a few countries of my own with nice names like Yanga, Yandi, Yesu and Atase :)

    • Oh and I have said before but I’ll say it again coz I like ya both. I am not a big fan of politics and so no party gets my allegiance :) Being non-aligned is a slippery slope up here though. What I enjoy is the amount I learn from people (like yourselves and others with opposing views) that speak up on an issue and I grin a lot coz there are actually a lot of smart people up here even it does get a tad personal for those who only want their viewpoint acknowledged as be all and end all [insert insult of choice] but I like to think its coz fundamentally everyone cares about Zed.

  27. The pack of incompetents in government look at getting money from IMF when we should be working at generating internal wealth by prudent use of our resources. Chikwanda is as good as not being present!

  28. Sadly borrowing is the only economic growth strategy known to our current government and especially ABC. How sad that he even asks why the assistance dwindled over the last years!!! He should have gone with Hon. Musokotwane to explain why – IT IS BECAUSE WE BECAME LESS DEPENDENT ON AID AND LOANS, AND WERE ACTUALLY ON OUR WAY TO SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH, YOU DINASOUR!!!! This is one of the reasons we were fast tracked into lower middle income status and got positive sovereign ratings on our first attempt!. A refresher course in economics is required for this ‘blast from the past’ Minister!

  29. I think the WB/IMF do not necessarily want to reap us of. Its how we apply their advise and aid that gets us into these situations. In the case of Zambia its only in the last decade or so that private enterprise has been encouraged, abeit corruption, e.t.c. Privatization of the mines was right in my view, again abeit the process & transparency. I’m no economic graduate or financial guru (just a technician) so you might want to help me out here.

  30. “She (Ms Ezekwesili) expressed confidence in Zambia’s economic potentials and stressed that “it has been a delight to work with Zambia over the years” “. Is it possible that over the years the World Bank was delighted to work with a “corrupt government” as some quarters keep singing? Can we conclude that if MMD g

  31. Can we conclude that if MMD government was corrupt, so is the World Bank by implication? And if the World Bank supported a corrupt regime why are we still associating with it if we are so allergic to corruption?

  32. No country has ever developed due to the World Bank or IMF.  Not a single country! These institutions have a cope-out phrase – the inability of the client or host company to implement their programs.  Zambia needs to be friends with countries with real development agendas and experiences.  We should be talking to the Chinese and the Batswana.  But PFooters are the wrong people to do that as we have seen recently from Sata’s embarrassing behaviour towards these two countries.  Instead Sata admires Zimbabwe!!

  33. Round 1 begins with a well aimed punch by the BRIC nations. They demand more say in exchange for putting money in to the Eurozone bail out. Lagarde ducks stating something can be worked out. The Europeans mumble that they can pay for the bailout without the BRIC nations. All go running for media cover leaving the center of the ring open to commentators from both sides.

  34. Ruff my advise to you, do a little more research about the who privatization process. Parties involves, how negotiations took place, the key players, what the world bank bank asked as, the pressures involved, what the arguments were etc. once you do that post your message again. And by the way, find out who the Zambians on the negotiating team got 10 percent cuts from the sales

  35. For all the neoliberal fools who think that there is no coersion involved in the fact that most countries in the world follow the VERY BAD policies of the IMF/World Bank. In the words of President Kenneth Kaunda (available online, google the title):

    Zambia’s IMF break: Lessons for Latin America
    By Dr Kenneth D. Kaunda
    Posted by Editor on May 21, 2007

    While as our intentions were genuine and straight forward, and *the results of what we planned to do and, indeed began to do, were showing some truly wonderful results*, we were affected by the negative reaction from IMF, World Bank, and some donor governments.

    Economic sanctions were imposed on our government. Assistance was withheld. We were isolated. Africa and debtor governments did not come to us in support.

  36. However, at that time. we registered a record- high economic growth. But the various measures against us weakened the economy. Eventually, we had little choice but to go back onto an IMF and World Bank programme.

    ***

    So there you have it. Everyone knows that non-free trade policies work, including the IMF/World Bank, which is enough to show you that they have an agenda that has nothing to do with the development of any country. Why would they? They are there to increase the wealth of their masters, their shareholders, who are the trillionaire bankers and their extractive industry corporations.

  37. Wewe number 7 (Mzambia wa zamani) sidhani kama watu wa zambia ni wavivu na wana ukabila kama ulivyo sema ndugu yangu. Kwanini Kenya baada ya uchanguzi kuliwa na msongamano? watu wengi sana waliuwawa, wengine walipotesa manyumba na mali nyingi sana, Kati ya Kibaki na Mwenzake Odinga na watu wao. Sasa huo ujinga unatoka wapi? 

  38. Countrymen, allow me to state that no one in the world has ever developed their country without foreigners. Let us not cheat ourselves, especially when we look at our mediocre building projects. It is of ofcourse a question of our people to have useful negotiating and analytical skills (not just masters and doctorates) to ensure that whatever investment is in the country, the benefits trickle down firstly to the area of investment. Honestly, we dont have even a handful of people in zed with balls or breasts to do such

    • ” Countrymen, allow me to state that no one in the world has ever developed their country without foreigners. ”

      Proof?

      I can easily turn that statement on it’s head. No country has ever been colonized and robbed by their own population.

  39. Remarkable issues here. I’m very glad to peer your post. Thank you a lot and I am looking ahead to contact you. Will you please drop me a mail?

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