The Opposition Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) has challenged Finance Minister Alexander Chikwanda to publish a list of how much government is spending on each category of public workers.
Speaking in an interview FDD spokesperson Antonio Mwanza said most the 75% of Domestic Revenue emoluments that the Minister has given as reason for not lifting the wage freeze actually goes towards supporting the extravagant life styles of Ministers and constitution office bearers as opposed to civil servants.
“Mr. Chikwanda has told the nation that he can’t lift the wage freeze because 75% of all Domestic Revenue is going to emoluments.
“As FDD we say the bulk of that 75% is actually going to people like Chikwanda and his friends. The bulk of that money is gobbled by Ministers and other Constitution office bearers through hefty salaries, exorbitant allowances extravagant privileges such as posh SUV cars, phone bills, health and education weavers that Ministers enjoy.
[pullquote]The budget which Chikwanda presented in parliament for 14 million people is actually half of Botswana’s budget, a country which has less than 3 million people.[/pullquote]
“As FDD we therefore demand that Mr.Chikwanda publishes the list showing how much the country is pending on each category of civil servants,that is per teacher, per nurse etcetera and should also include how much the government spends on each Minister and other Constitution office bearers,” Mr. Mwanza said.
Mr. Mwanza also said instead of punishing poor workers Mr. Chikwanda should be devising tax regimes which will maximise revenue collection as opposed to the current regimes which he says continue to favor foreign investors such as the mines.
“Second, it is Chikwanda’s own failure to devise tax regimes that would maximise revenue collection that has resulted into low revenue collection. For example the mines despite being major importers and exporters (accounting to about 80% of all exports and imports) contributes less than 19% of revenue to the treasury.
“But Chikwanda has continued to give the tax breaks including removing Corporate Income Tax and not refusing to introduce windfall tax.
“The budget which Chikwanda presented in parliament for 14 million people is actually half of Botswana’s budget, a country which has less than 3 million people. Chikwanda and PF are a liability. We demand for the list to be published,” he said.
yes mama, tell them,,
FDD have no credibility, besides there is nothing wrong with expending on emoluments.
This is another minute party who strangely refuse to concede that we are going through the most stabilising and exciting time for this country.
Jubilee celebrations were done in the best way possible, constitution is out, more jobs than at any other stage , my sources say that unemployment has dropped to a mere 11% arguably the best in Africa.
This is time to stick together and thank the PF as most people ‘s dreams keep being unfolded.
I am not making this up, these are FACTS
They don’t give MBA, MSc, CIMA ACCA, Bsc in Applied Accounts, PhD and I use most of my analysis using the education I have gathered from these studies
Thanks
I suppose the 50th Birthday party (Not independence celebrations) is over and now its time to start the “new dreams” that statesman RB aluded to during his Jubilee message.
FDD has rightly started on a key point of Govt wastage of meagre resources on fattening a few MP’s and Consititutional Office bearers. Surely you cant have 75% of national revenue spent on less than 1% of the population. If Chikwanda refutes this, then let him give us the accurate (Not bufi) details of Govt revenue income and extenditure so our debates can be based on facts. We are now tired of “Donchi Kubeba” type of politics.
Dear Ndobo, Dear Saulosi, Dear MMD Bootlicker, Dear Wanzelu, Dear Jay Jay, Dearest Mushota, Dear all of you who nominated us, Dear FDD;
Let show these PF government how to spend public money. The LT award we gonna win should be decided by us on how to spend it. I mean all of us. So please bring out proposals such as The 26 or so pupils we lost last week, or the boy who was abandoned…
Anyway let me not guide you too much, am not dictator as you know.
@ Nostradamus
This chap is Chanda Chashi a.k.a. Reuben Mwansa the man wanted in Chicago for threatening a fellow Zambian with death. Although his blog shows a U.S. flag he blogs outside the U.S. In many cases the location of the blogger is identified by the computers IP. He has provided a clue to his true identity at http://www.lusakatimes.com/2014/10/25/50-years-exactly/ Access it and read between the lines. We are dealing with a very dangerous person here. His blogging will now help the U.S. investigators to track him down.
Even too much is spent on Permanent Secretaries, the majority whom are just party cadres who do not deserve to be anywhere Government offices.
What do you understand by constitutional office holders…permanent secretaries are in this category
Coming from Nawakwi, I agree, she knows exactly how the national cake is divided and shared among themselves, from her experience in the system.
The issue with Zambian Government and even Government works, is that there is no accountability. If we look, our Ministers / Leaders like the president spend more tax payer’s money on their personal luxury Life once in Power. Because it is acceptable and seem to be the African Norm. See a classic Example of the President going for Medical checkup, to unknown Location, with family members?? On the Expenses of Poor Zambians.
Ministers draw free fuel for their personal trips and no one would question.. Because they don’t feel the cost of such lavish life style? They will not work / put strategies that would help bring down cost of living, because it does not concern them. On this I agree to the article, our Leaders should CHANGE. Otherwise 50 years will pass with no development.
First of all, oil exporting countries and gold-and-diamond nations generally have superior budgetary power. So, let us not add more confusion to a rather confusing picture. Now, the fact that emoluments of senior officers and executives are generally on the high side can not be in question. Or are you arguing that in certain countries, it the top leaders that earn the least? That shows lack of humor. Bring all the facts from all the countries of the world. Then, ask the technocrats to provide options. By technocrats, I am not including emotional or emotive speakers. I mean real serious guys that mean the best for the nation.
come on witch doctor Makasa,,,, give us dictorate stuff here not some spritual proverbs
Ba doc, its you thats over complicating thing, why technocrats for something as simple as comparing figures and establishing who gets the largest piece of the cake?
Ba doc, its you who is over complicating thing, why technocrats for something as simple as comparing figures and establishing who gets the largest piece of the cake?
Do not be delluded, most of revenue goes to construction and public services, what is spent on ministers is negligible.
The question we must ask ourselves is who introduced this lavish spending on ministers and so called constitutional office holders? It’s the MMD under which Sata, Nawakwi, Guy Scott served. Under UNIP, Ministers used to live humble lives, MMD introduced lavish spending, corruption and misapplication of funds etc. Madam Nawakwi was Minister of Finance, did she cut spending on the lavish spending? The answer is NO. If elected President, is she likely to cut spending on Ministers? The answer is a categorical NO. Current president also preached about cutting on spending, but what do we see? Bloated government, illegal deals through Roads contracts etc. Madam Nawakwi is just like any other politician, Hypocrites!
Actually the wage freeze is supposed to even take much longer. May be 4 or five years. The pay rise given to the highly unproductive and useless civil service is unrealistic though unprecedented.
Off the mark – Lets arm chikwanda to clean his economic mess – the severe impacts of this mess will be felt 2015 & beyond. we expect constructive criticism from FDD.i.e. should chikwanda push 20% mineral royalty down the throat of mining companies & not pay VAT refund – issues of wage freeze- what are the implications and what are the options?
Well spoken on the need to cut on expenditure by Government top brass. They must be seen to reduce on expenditure.
However you mislead people by saying Botswana budget is twice that of Zambia. 2014/15 budget for Botsawana was P48 billion (ZMW33bn) which was 36% of GDP. Zambia 201 budget was ZMW 47bn or 24% of GDP.
Imwenamwe, convert the currencies and analyze basing on the same strength. GDP for 14 million people will surely be different with that of 3 million people.
@Humphry. When we are talking economics and comparing countries, we do so using ‘GDP Per Capita’. Zambia’s GDP Per Capita is way lower than Botswana’s. Yet our lovely Hydro-electric power stations supply electricity to Botswana. If you factor in the lucrative financial packages enthusiastically handed to government officials, it becomes a case of relying on foreign aid in order to invest into the country.
@Humphy
Are you serious or are you challenged in basic analysis as exposed by @Yaks. Botswana is light years ahead of Zambia despite that in my time we used to host them for free at Yunza but their diligence after the diamond boom has made them stars on top of their meat industry.
I worry when people are so shallow like Mushota. What type of school are you now going to?? In the days of ba Kaunda, school was serious business …… today just leakages and then you have someone who thinks shallow water style.
2014/10/27/sata-leaves-london-hospital-stable-condition
@Other Side-No one forced you not to become a civil servant- you airhead!Your single mindedness costed you that!Civil Servants are the driving force of any rational & radical progressive country.Your outrageous compulsion rants are worry some.We know you to be illiterate masquerading as an educated blogger. Please research or hire someone to be blogging for you if you can not say something appreciative to the hard working & poorly paid civil servants.It useless Ministers & PF cadres who are inimical to the social-economic development of Zambia.
Chalesi Katongo Mwango Chilufya Sata duped us.
He said he will reduce the Cabinet when voted into power BUT wht we saw was just renaming the SAME MINISTRIES and INCREASING the number of DULL DEPUTIES.
In fact DURING THIS PROCESS HE was evening CONFUSING HIMSELF eg Ministry called ‘child’ blah blah……!!
This Govt is a USELESS ONE !! I hope th Edgar Lungu led will b Great !!.
Which is better wage freeze or to cut emoluments and fire some civil servants. Other political parties if you came in Government today what would you do to reduce the 75% budget going to personal emoluments.
@Mzee H-Wage Freeze means inter alia increasing personal emoluments;employing more formal workers,promotions of deserving civil servants & carrying out transfers of civil servants! Now why do you talk of firing some civil servants along side with lifting wage freeze! You are asking on how this 75% can be reduced-What a foolish question to blog on- Go through the article above you illiterate & you will analyse the resolution to yourself! You are told that PF has a blotted useless ministers,deputies,Permanent Secretaries,NGOs,etc on their pay sheets!You are being reminded that PFs inter ali have huge allowances & insentives!What more do you want to know.
WHO WAS THE MINISTER OF FINANCE DURING THE INFAMOUS FINANCIAL ABUSES OF THE ZAMTROP ACCOUNT AND OTHER SLASH FUNDS ????? I REST MY CASE.
That must have been Ronald Penza; Nawakwi had moved to another Ministry by then.
The rich are getting richer and fatter while the poor are getting poorer! The rich have the military to support their cause. The poor have no army.
Hei guys
Let’s try to be realistic. What is wrong is wrong. It doesn’t matter who did what but the fact remains that wrong is wrong. If MMD practised corruption it does not mean now it becomes the game of the day NO. If NAWAKWI made mistakes in the passed it doesn’t mean she shouldn’t question what is not working for US. Yes she made her mistakes and she has learnt from them and am sure she regrets for having done it if any, we need to know where our tax payers moneys are going because we work for it period
Well said Doti! It appears that in Zambia two wrongs make a right. We do not seem to learn from our mistakes. Just because MMD did that so should PF, that ain’t right people. It is so wrong on many levels. There are people who work hard and are not part of this stealing and all they ask is to be given the necessary facilities that can help with their well-being but that does not happen. Only those in power get richer by the day. We all can’t join politics and it would only be fair if were given what we work hard for.
I have always complained about the perks senior govt officials get, I totally agree with FDD though its a pity Edith never realised this when she was minister of finance under Kafupi as she had an opporunity then to set a good precedent which might’ve been followed but alas that was not to be. Anyway my PF that I love and support was infiltrated by former MMD officials that contaminated the mindset of PF and hence the extravagant spending on these good for nothing govt officials. We need to do away with the luxury vehicles and mansions that these senior so called civil servants are getting. The PF govt is not about luxury, those that want luxury must not only resign but be arrested, PF is about delivering a better life for poor Zambians. Abash lavish lifestyles in govt!!!
Face it guys, it is Zambians and Expats as well who are eating the cake. I’m in the South of France, with my pretty Indian wife. I was given a 2-week holiday by vedanta for the good work I did in Chililabombwe. I cheated, it was not I alone. It was men like Kabuswe/Kabonga/Kantu/Kangwa/Kasaro/Kapalakasha/Kabwe/Kachelo who did the hard work, but Krishna got the reward.
I’m hoping that my bosses are not reading this blog.
Cheers.
Really!!? are you trying to tell us about what you might have done in the past as Minister? give us some solid number so we can see if the word “Most” is applicable kaili!
Let us put things into perspective. Zambia’s economy at $25 billion rebased is much bigger than that of Botswana which is about $15 billion. However despite Zambia’s bigger Gdp than Botswana ‘ s it has a much lower Gdp per capita(per person) at $1,500 compared with that of Botswana which is about$7,000. It is not true that Botswana ‘ s budget is bigger than that of Zambia because our budget is about $7billion while that of Botswana is $ 4 billion . From these figures what is true is that Botswana ‘ s budget relative to its Gdp(33%) is bigger than Zambia’s share of its budget relative to its Gdp Which is about 25%.Botswana has a recurrent expenditure of 75% while that of Zambia is about 52% of total budget(domestic & external resources combined) meaning Zambia is actually better…
iwe munyo mwanza, your wholay fdd president spent her time as finance minister lavishly using tax payers money on married man she grabbed from another woman. Shut up or shut it.
We should not look at spending only but waste too. Just make George Siame, formerly of ZRA, Special Advisor to the President on Revenue matters and Government will increase its revenue base!!! George is corrupt free and all revenue and white collar criminals do not want him.
Time has come for tables to turn.