Friday, March 29, 2024

President Sata directs his ministers to explain subsidies removal

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President Michael Sata has directed Cabinet and deputy ministers to offer explanations to the Zambian people on his administration’s resolve to remove subsidies on maize and fuel.

Mr. Sata urged the ministers to work tirelessly and with greater urgency to ensure that they engage people and assure them that these bold steps are meant to facilitate practical and equitable allocation of national wealth amongst the people.

“We have to make our people understand that we are adopting and implementing these measures to advance stability, reduce poverty and inequality as well as create acceptable conditions that will stimulate sustained development and growth countrywide,” President Sata says.

“Let’s tell the people that these reforms are designed to produce a better financial system that breeds sufficient jobs; a fair distribution of income and opportunities in favour of the poor, who are the majority of our population; and guarantee a social order where education, health and all other services will be sufficiently available to all Zambians.”

According to a Statement by his Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations George Chella, Mr. Sata issued the directive during a Caucus held at State House this morning.

President Sata reminded the ministers that government needs to increase its revenue base as it improves the quality of life of mainly the poor or those previously excluded from the economic and development mainstream.

The President reiterated that he was very certain that the long-term benefits of these seemingly harsh decisions offset the short-term expectations.

“I am glad that despite the pessimistic or ill-talk from certain elements among our political competitors; the common man on the street is beginning to understand and appreciate that by implementing these measures, we actually we mean well and have a vision for this country,” President Sata says.

“Therefore, I would like to express gratitude to the Zambian people for their patience and confidence in this government’s agenda for the country. And I want to promise them that the trust and faith they have deposited in us is not misplaced.”

In response, the ministers pledged their commitment to equitably uplift people’s living standards by ensuring that government programmes and projects especially in infrastructure development are implemented in line with the PF manifesto.

ZANIS

71 COMMENTS

  1. PF for the next 100 years. The removal of subsidies will definitely make more resources available to invest in infrastructure development and subsequently create jobs. It is important to note that when the infracture development is rolled, alot of people will have purchasing power which will subsequently create demand for goods and services, which will then boost our country’s productivity.

    • 100 years so that you continue stealing from poor Zambians. Tell your Sata to immediately reduce his salary and allowances to what RB was getting. Which infrastructure development are you going to roll out when you are spending 60% of the national budget on salaries and allowances for the unproductive leeches in Sata’s bloated bureaucracy?. PF is a cabal of serlf serving pigs!

    • With the increasing number of BIG and AMBITIOUS Projects being undertaken across the country they deserve another term whether led by Presido Sata or otherwise! My voter’s card is still very clean…!!!!

    • What can Masumba explain about subsidies, Ba Sata nabena sometimes thinks like chakolwa. Its just tomentation to give such homework to ministers. Most of time those ministers walk out of Sata meetings without understanding what he was shouting about.
      Only Chakwanda and Emmanuel Chenda can manage to go beyond 5 minutes of explaining.

  2. As longer as you dont want to reduce your cabinet , by elections the all idea is forfeit how do you claim to care for the people when you dont even consultant nor hear them speak reducing proverty my foot.

  3. I thought you said why you removed that in the other article but this is when you are asking the Minister why they did that???????? whats happening where are we going? whi is inchrge? Kaya!!!!!

  4. They sooner they do this the better.This is one issue which has been misunderstood by our people.I feel sad to seeing people demonstrating and speaking out without fully understanding the merits and demerits of this.

    • I think people understand the reason for the removal of fuel and maize subsidy. The anger is because the they have done this because they have run out of money due to spending on the largest cabinet in african and useless bye elections

    • My dear, it boggles my mind!!! There is despicable IGNORANCE in this country! These people in government (Minister and the like) have a huge task in educating the public on the huge benefits of removing the controversial subsidies!!

      The unfortunate thing is that you find old and supposedly schooled ( yes, not learned) people like ‘their’ so-called HH deliberately misleading people for political expedience. SHAME INDEED!!

    • @ 4.1 Tito kapalu, an adult like you believing the the blue lie that our around 70 Ministers and deputy ministers is the biggest in Africa?? Its foolish to blindly accept as gospel truth anything you read on some known hate website site!!

  5. And I want to promise them that the trust and faith they have deposited in us is not misplaced.” Dear Mr president its time for you to start delivering what you have promised already. FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLS STUPID GOVERNMENT.

  6. While the F.O.OL is holed up in statehouse he wants them to go explain his stupid ideas..

    This is what you said:

    1. I will reduce number of ministers
    2. Petrol price is high in Zambia because of RB corruption
    3. The Kwacha is loosing value because MMD does not know how to ran gov
    4. The Chinese are infesters and are stealing your jobs
    5. When we come to power the will be no more load shedding
    6. RB does not want to fix hospitals and he his sending people to SA
    7. The NCC is a waste of money. PF will produce a Constitution in 90 days
    8. etc

    Come and explain what are you scared of

  7. Where you see the following words, “development for all”, “education” and “health”, from a serving politian you should know that “BUFI”… These are words and phrases they use knowing full well that they will touch the conscientious of the electorate and win their support. How has education and health seen” any development in this country? From the Euro-bond, health was lucky to get $29m – but what’s that for a nation of 13m.
    The fact is that the majority of any returns from the subsidy removals will be to finance the lavish and extravagant lifestyles of this Govt and nothing else.
    Cut your cabinet and sacrifice your pay increments across Govt before you start urging the common man to sacrifice the little he has.

  8. Step father Bufi, Keep your Bufi playbook of kitchen sink politics to your party as Zambians redeem themselves.

    I repeat, PF is a legion of pathetic failures who have practically lost moral, spiritual, intellectual, political and economic authority. You callous chaps have lost a platform to even keep shoving your load of drivel on determined rational Zambians.

    You have betrayed, insulted, risked, failed and abandoned Zambian masses enough. Its 11:45 hrs before the hour of reckoning. Change or face a critical mass of Zambians from all walks of poverty exponentially building up today. Forewarning, is forearming.

    • @ Junior citizen, I think you are very immature!! You need to grow up…! Did you claim to be Senior citizen? Disappointing indeed..

  9. Mr. President you step up and call for a press conference at Statehouse a “2 hour Q &A session” will do please!!

  10. The first thing Mr. Sata’s ministers should explain is how they all manage to sit around that big yet hopelessly small table. I doubt all 80 Cabinet members can even fit the meeting room!

    • Iwe don’t be foolish ala, there is no 80 Cabinet members there are only 20 cabinet ministers. A deputy minister is not a cabinet member. You should ask your daughter or niece who is at primary school for advice before your submit comment.

    • Who tells you that they are 80?! Adults who’ve been to school like you should not allow any one to mislead you!! Don’t believe everything you read as gospel truth! Sometimes do a simple research…! Yes, members of cabinet have increased in number from the one we had in the KK days! But our country’s population is growing rapidly every year, so its unrealistic to make comparisons with past cabinets!!

    • Ignorant prat ask you daughter or son who is at primary school to explain to you the difference between a cabinet and deputy minister.

  11. I repeat :
    Immediately cut your over bloated cabinet from from an alarming 80 ministers cabinet to 18 only.

    2). Cut the rubbish of posting 3 Permanent secretaries per ministry to 1 PS at each ministry.

    3). Stop the amoral inducement of expensive bye-elections each costing ZK5.5 billion. If you believe there was something wrong with the 2011 election, immediately dissolve your Government and call up for a General election to get a clean public mandate. This would solve the rubbish of bye-elections.

    4). Stop the rubbish of multi billion Kwacha tribunals on the orders of criminal debtors legally deserving to be declared bankrupt and in jail.

    • You’re a liar ci Senior Citizen, firstly we don’t have 80 cabinet ministers secondly PF wasn’t in government when the current constitution was drafted which allows for freedom of association.

  12. Pierdole :
    I agree with you. Who is incharge. I thought as well that when the announcement was made there was consultation among cabinet.s but looks like it was not !! why take 100 steps and come back and say go and explain? BUFI. Cut the cabinet first and reduce you blooted governement that is when we shall sacrifice, we have not foggoten of SAP where we drunk water to get the debt reduced and now you borrow mor morey EURO BOND in your pocket? Rubbish

  13. Ba Sata we voted for you to protect our interests
    but there you are increasing your salaries, you
    cabinet and by-elections then you ask us to
    sacrifice. Lead by example sir. We can’t believe
    you on this one sir

  14. PF are just thieves aiming to release more money from the masses to their pockets. No free medical service, everything has to be paid for now even subsidies..Go to Hell. Let everyone with a wise head and sound mind go on strike NOW. They are taking every zambian for granted. These are the very things they said they wouldnt do when they were campaigning. 100 days of everything. If you re not stupid making your stand now and dont accept being cheated blatantly

  15. 1. The president was supposed to tell his ministers to explain the removal of subsidies to the people way before actual removal rather than start explaining after seeing the resentment. Being reactive is not good at all. We should plan and be proactive in all of our dealings.
    2. Our president, you called for Zambians to sacrifice but for how long will we sacrifice? You promised to reduce the cabinet but we see the number increasing through by-elections. You promised to bring back the windfall tax but the few who are in formal employment are still burdened while the investors are smiling.
    3. We can only sacrifice if we know that our sacrifice will pay back and not end up in the wrong pockets.

    You may mean well but we need assurance of a better tomorrow.

    • What is there to be positive about Sata and his criminal and irresponsible government. It is the worst government ever! Did your Sata ever say anything positive about the MMD? Go hang!

  16. @ 18, whenever I see the name ‘Goncalves,’ I don’t read the trash that follow! This chap suffers from chronic Verbal diarrhea!

    • You claim that you don’t read whenever you see the name ‘Goncalves’ . But here you are commenting on something you read concerning ‘Goncalves’! Do you PF cadres even know when you’re telling lies?

    • @Common Sense: People like you behave like tin pot dictators who only want to read posts massaging their bruised egos. Be told, it’s not your site , if it were, believe you me you would be the only blogger. Learn to process divergent views and if you are smart, you may just grasp something. Your attitude needs a serious rework.

    • You lack even the commonest common sense, is it due to the crumbs you are feasting on from the PF table. Your PF is a danger to Zambians and you fail to see that.

  17. BUT SOME PEOPLE TAKE TOO LONG TO RECOVER. SURELY AFTER LOSING THE POLLS IN 2011 WE EXPECT PEOPLE TO HAVE ACCEPTED THAT SATA WAS THE MOST LOVED PRESIDENT. OTHERS ARE STILL SO BITTER THAT ALL THEY OFFER ARE JUST INSULTS ON SATA. AND THE OLD MAN SATA IS SO CLEVER THAT HE HAS SEALED ALL POLITICAL LOOP HOLES. THE BITTER GUYS JUST REMAIN WALLOWING IN CONFUSION. THE REMOVAL OF SUBSIDIES IS GOOD. EVEN EDUCATED PERSONS ARE FOR IT. BUT BITTER GUYS LIKE HH CANNOT EVEN SEE BEYOND THEIR NOSTRILS.

    • Its disappointing my dear, in our Africa!! Our idea of Democracy is very PRIMITIVE! Its JEALOUSY, ENVY, BITTERNESS, TRIBALISM, HATE all just because of being defeated in an election. I personally, no longer have to listen to the views of most of our so-called Opposition leaders on most national issues!! Why because their views are soooo Predictable!!!!!

      In other words, if you want to know what a hakainde has to say on a national issue say setting up of a tribunal, just know that he will say the opposite of what President Sata or other members of cabinet have said! Very PRIMITIVE indeed!

    • This is stale stuff because pf has got more problems that it can handle. The worst is that pf is now broke and want to force Zambians to make contributions. Party of beggars mwa sebana ba mambala.

    • Yes,loved just like a prostitute.you screw it in the night and you don’t want to see it the next morning.people no longer want to hear about ukwa no matter what you pretenders would like to portray.people are vomitting with anger when this man opens his mouth worse when ka splinter kapimbe adds to it

  18. Zambia’s growing sense will be noted and appreciated in years, 2 years to come. Zambia at this time is in best hands, subsidies are not good for beggars who want to be free. rather just looking at the removed subsidies, how about when you look at how much it takes government to borrow money to build a road. come on we develop our own and be proud without putting a burden of debt on our sons and grandc like umubemba inkoko who cant even speak bemba

  19. i believe even students at UNZA are well paid in terms allowances those who are government sponsored, the minimum wage for those who work is huge enough for a country like zambia justt trying to find its way out of calamities of poverty especially and other vices. right now all zambians are proud of the many projects going on in zambia for a fact. let the guy do his job, there is plenty of money in most peoples pockets serve for them that work for the multinational especially mandahill. those SA investors were signed as investors by Chiluba, Mwanwasa saw them, RB loved them and now there is seem to be a measure of work which may not be easy after those ‘investors were lured on premise of free trading and backhand methods’. meanwhile we would love to maintain a cordial relation with SA

  20. give us something about Prof C Chirwa please. What is happening with him? is he ok? the man had a dream, a bit off though. you dont to build underground trains in zambia for now, just reduce the distance between stations as set now, then you can increase number of running trains, just bear in mind that trains will have to compete with buses and the many jobs that have been created with buses and bus owners. but if trains operated for major goods, good. then we can reduce the stress on roads. simple for next 31years

    • People that have been in the academic World for too long like Prof. Chirwa are rarely practical. His ideas sounded good for an academic presentation at a University and not for implementation in a country like Zambia. A case in point is that it was going to be too expensive and the ordinary Zambian cannot afford such luxuries.

  21. The ministers are in for a backlash when they start explaining to the people. I bet they will not be able to provide convincing answers because of the way it has been implemented. It is more like a knee jerk reaction rather than a well thought out plan. What they should realise is that they are dealing with human beings and not just figures on a balance sheet.

  22. Sata is smart so now when people start complaining of hunger the minister will have to explain to them, they need to explain the side effects not just sugarcoat the whole thing. i would listen more to GBM than arrogant kabimba

  23. Sata is not fit to run a country, I has no idea what’s going on. I don’t who is advising this guy but they are full of colonial ideas that brought Zambia to its knees under KK. This man is destroying the country. What in the hell is thinking? Removing subsidies from the most need commodity to Zambian people . What he needs to do is cut his salary. This guy is not working for the Zambian people, is working for himself, family and his friends. How hard headed can you be to implement such . More money in your pocket sounded good before. ( DON’T KUBEBA!!) that’s why adopted this as his theme song. People you should have known. This guy is destroying the country. Now is blaming RB for all of his miss up. What a joke!!

  24. This man need to stop insulting other leaders. I can tell you that sata does not represent me. What a low thinking guy. He is putting sanctions on himself on our beloved country. His ignorance has to stop. Somebody needs to put some sense in this guy . What’s sending his cabinet to explain to Zambians going to do to the poor Zambians. Once fuel price goes high so as the rest. We are going back to KK era. What a weste of time. 5 years of development down the toilet

  25. Why are all the comments coming out of Zambia . Stop scaring people mr. Sata. The politicals of intimidation are thing of the past. Watch all the dictators, how they fall. Do a good way to go. Zambians in Zambia speak out, Zambians need
    Your voice , I need your voice , my kids need your voice, my neighbor needs your voice, unfortunate Zambians needs your voice. We can’t leave it up the UNZA students. Lets stand and stop this bulling of zambians and post colonial kind of ruling. Awe twakana!!

  26. THE MMD GOVERNMENT (2008)
    Ministers:
    75,117,124 Salary
    26,382,673 Special allowance
    26,680,000 Utility allowance
    —————-
    128,179,797 x 24 = ZK3,076,315,128
    Deputy Ministers:
    70,953,196 Salary
    24,107,904 Special allowance
    26,680,000 Utility allowance
    —————-
    121,741,100 x 43 = ZK5,234,867,300

    Total expenditure:
    3,076,315,128
    5,234,867,300
    ———————–
    K 8,311,182,428

    Source of Raw Data: The Amended Presidential Emolument Bill No. 18 of 2008

    THE PF GOVERNMENT (2013):
    Cabinet Minister:
    149, 938,472 Salary
    38,380,194 Special allowance
    38,812,730 Utility allowance
    —————-
    227,131,396 x 20 = ZK4,542,627,920.
    Deputy Minister:
    141,626,993 Salary
    35,070,974 Special allowance
    38,812,730 Utility allowance
    —————-
    215,510,697 x 53 =…

    • @Sola. IT IS WISE TO COMPARE THESE FIGURES WITH MORE STABLE CURRENCIES LIKE THE US DOLLAR. ESPECIALLY AFTER FIVE YEARS. OUR KWACHA HAS BEEN LOSING ITS VALUE. MY ROUGH ESTIMATES SHOW THE FOLLOWING: 1 USD IN 2008 WAS VALUED AT ABOUT K3,500 OLD CURRENCY. AND IN 2013 1 USD IS VALUED AT ABOUT K5,400. THEREFORE YOUR TOTAL EXPENDITURES SHOULD READ:

      MMD (2008) ZMK 8,311,182,428 = USD 2,374,623.6
      PF (2013) ZMK 15,964,694,861 = USD 2,956,424.9

      THAT IS A MARGINAL INCREASE OF ABOUT 25%. SO BE CAREFUL HOW INTERPRETE THESE VALUES.

  27. Goncalves has a point. The level of intelligence ehibited by some Zambians pro PF is shocking. To fail to see any thing wrong why high prices of maize meal and other commodities in Zambia today when we got rid of that chaos long ago is shameful.
    PF govt has failed not only to Zambians but to South African region and the world. PF govt is busy defending itself from local and internation accusations of its brutality and incompetence in governance.

  28. Typical of Mr Sata, doing things the wrong way round. We have read reports of civil servants salaries being cut without explanation and the affected people only discover it from their payslips. The so-called explaining by ministers should have been done before the actual removal of subsidies. That would make better sense.

  29. @Goncalves, keep hammering them and I see the run. What do you expect from a bunch of failures? They haven’t got the brain power to understand what’s gone wrong in our country and we are running out of patience to explain it to them. Fuel subsidy removal will bring about stealth price increases in all goods and services which will break the people’s resolve to keep going. We are headed to the Zims ways. I have always maintained the country is wealthy on paper yet very poor on the ground. The first thing we need to sort out is our main bread earner – copper!!!!! Stop them abusing our trust by their evils ways of transfer pricing! Majority of Zambians cannot claim to have enjoyed this natural resource in our nearly 50yrs of independence.They have made the world so hard!

  30. Zambians always want free things. They don’t want to work hard. Its time they woke up to his reality. You want to continue with subsidies don’t you? Well its gone now. Wake up up and do a honest days work. The only problem though is that the money to be a save will go to pay for additional Deputy Ministers who cross over to PF. What a country When you going to stop this Play For Today behavour

  31. Look at the people in that picture…All fat! Don’t they have gyms in Zambia? Steal, steal, steal, then fatten and drop dead with all the loot left in a swiss account for the likes of Glencore chairman’s great grandchildren to enrich themselves even more as if the copper they have taken is not enough. What a vicious cycle with the same known players and same known losers. We have to have a game changer soon and that sounds like a plan for me.

  32. I wonder if the current crop of Ministers and deputies save for a few really understands what subsidies are. Do some Deputy Ministers know even know how to read?

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