We are saddened by the the upward adjustment of fuel prices because of the unbearable hardships that this move will add to the many excruciating challenges our people are already grappling with.
The hiking of fuel prices will further worsen the already dehumanizing poverty levels most of our people are wallowing in as the prices of essential goods and services such as food, transport, accommodation as well as energy will automatically go up. The price of fuel has been adjusted upward twice in the last three months and with the continued depreciation of the Kwacha the situation is likely to worsen.
The current economic malaise is not an act of nature but a result of bad and inept leadership on the part of the Patriotic Front Government. And for as long as the PF continue to be in power we as a people have to, in the words of the Finance Minister, Alexander Chikwanda “brace ourselves for harder times.”
The adverse effects of a weak Kwacha, a runway budget deficit, rampant fiscal indiscipline that has resulted in a record K13.4 billion, unplanned and unbudgeted for expenditure, a huge trade deficit, continued debt contraction are now crippling our economy and further making it hard for most of our people to meet the cost of essential needs such as food, shelter, transport, health and education.
What is more worrying is that instead of responding to and addressing the fundamental causes of this economic meltdown, the Hon. Minister of Defence Edgar Chagwa Lungu and his Government are playing “Sojo” and “Kalambe” with people’s lives.
They have continued their reckless expenditure on useless trips, meaningless by-elections and unabashedly waxing themselves in extravagant lifestyles at the taxpayers’ expense despite the dwindling revenue collections. Hon Edgar Chagwa Lungu and his Government are not paying any attention to the huge trade deficit and dwindling revenue collections that are further putting a serious strain on the Kwacha. Mr Lungu and his Lieutenants have failed to find ways in which they can generate enough revenue locally without further strangling the poor majority with more tax burdens, instead in their laziness and lack of care and concern for the next generation Hon Lungu and his colleagues in Government have opted to chain and enslave the nation in debt. To them, the only way out of this mess that they have created is to borrow and spend, borrow and spend, borrow and spend. They are like headless chickens who know not where they are going. Unfortunately, their myopic leadership is leading the entire nation into an economic abyss.
These problems that we are facing as nation should save as a sharp reminder to all of us as a people that when a man tells you that he has no vision we should believe him. Honourable Edgar Lungu repeatedly told us that he had no vision, no plan for this country. And he was right. He is a blind leader leading us into a ditch. Running a country is no child’s play. It is serious business and requires vision, discipline, honesty and dedication.
Issued by:
Antonio Mwanza,
FDD Spokesperson.
These people are not burdened. they have chosen this life. Let it get worse. Terribly worse to a point of starvation. We need to start from Zero. Let their children die of hunger and malnutrition. That’s what they need to make wiser decisions. Viva PF, bring on more poverty!!! We told them and we looked foolish.
I have just heard about riots/protests taking place in Livingstone over this issue. It must be very hard for most people living in Zambia.
elo lusaka times teti abikepo iyi story, kaili ni pf supporter so ena inchito yakwe kufisilisha ifilelubana mu zambia and how people are reacting.
CRYING OVER SPELT MILK! YOU KEEP VOTING FOR WRONG PEOPLE EVEN WHEN YOU ARE FORE-WARNED. WHY DO ZAMBIANS HAVE SHORT MEMORY SPAN? YOU VOTED FOR LUNGU THIS YEAR JANUARY IN SPITE OF THE MANY WARNINGS AND APPEALS WE MADE TO THE PEOPLE OF ZAMBIA NOT TO VOTE FOR EDGAR LUNGU AND PF GOVERNMENT BECAUSE THEY WERE A WRONG GROUP OF PEOPLE WHOSE ONLY AGENDA IS TO STEAL FROM THE NATIONAL TREASURY AND ENRICH THEMSELVES. PEOPLE WERE MAKING VERY LOUD NOISE SUPPORTING LUNGU AS IF LUNGU WOULD COME TO MAKE THEIR LIVES AND THE COUNTRY BETTER.
Antonio your comment is nothing but just as insolent as the language which comes from your master Edith Nawakwi. You know that Mr Edgar Lungu is the president of Zambia but in your foolishness you opted just to call him Defence Minister which effectively has cancelled all the sense behind your comment.
In politics you can either choose the right leaders to do the right things or elect the wrong leaders and beg them to do the right thing.
Ba Zambia finshi mulefwaya natwishiba fwe bene eeeeh Lungu eeeh Lungu eeeh Lungu eo tulefwaya x2 via singing…ifintu ni Lungu malabishi yeka yeka
when election will be near the PF Government will reduce the fuel price and other commodities. To the civil servants you will be given salary increment and thereafter a wage freeze for 5 years. So vote wisely in 2016.
The riots in Livingstone are as a result of the increase in fuel and RATSA taxes. The taxi and bus driver expect an explanation from their leaders on how they come up with these imposed increases. Just the other day, parliament approved that they increase their emoluments and yet the main tax payer remains in the pf wage freeze. mr Lungu and the mbuya chikwanda, were are you taking this country. The other day one comerce minister announced that govt will revive the airline soon. Country ment and women, Have already forgotten what mukanga said a few years back. Let me remind you what he said, bu June 2013, te national air line will be operational, IS IT ????????EVERY THING UNDER PF has gone up and its citizens have become poorer. zambians, brace your selves for more PF lies and believe them
Imagine. In one post we are told that there is a nuclear deal prompting a reduction in oil prices. So what is this oil increase.
Without any political witch-hunting, the PF govt has to do something to uplift the living standards of the people. I can imagine the circumstances. Let me not dwell on the issue of “no vision” but remind you that choices have consequencesi
INDEED EDGAR LUNGU DOES NOT DESERVE TO BE PRESIDENT OF THIS MIGHTY NATION CALLED ZAMBIA, IF ONLY WE HAD REALISTIC VOTERS IN ZAMBIA. ZAMBIANS SHOULD LOOK FOR QUALITY LEADERSHIP WHEN CHOOSING A PRESIDENT OF OUR REPUBLIC. BETWEEN HH AND LUNGU, HOW CAN A REASONABLE PERSON VOTE FOR LUNGU AND LEAVE OUT HAKAINDE HICHILEMA? THIS IS ABSURD AND IRRATIONAL! GET REAL ZAMBIANS, DON’T BLAME OUR LORD GOD FOR THE HARDSHIPS YOU FIND YOURSELVES INTO DUE TO YOUR WRONG CHOICES. WAKE UP AND VOTE FOR HH AND UPND NEXT YEAR. BE SERIOUS!
What is so special about HH, other than the fact that HH short changed the people of Zambia during the privatisation process. During the SABC interview HH failed to explain how he made his millions. On the other hand Warren Buffet is able to explain how he made his billions. To me HH failure to explain how he acquired his wealth is a clear indication that HH used under hand methods to acquire it. I for one cannot, will not trust HH with running the affairs of this country.
Mr Chama has already said it all, UPND under Hichilema will go no where. Continue fooling yourselves with your Southern province president ,and we hear you want to declare your province a country this year?
Just work hard and start to plan your lives. Government doesnt owe you a life not anywhere on earth. Its like taking an exam, if you dont prepare and expect good results, ubepefye.
In America, fuel is $3 per litre and so what is your problem? Learn to be innovative, imwe ba mampolyo. Nigeria is the largest oil producer in Africa, how is it that there are queues of petrol and diesel everyday there?
Zambia is far much better of under PF than one can ever imagine. We travel and know what other countries experience, worse poverty than in Zambia. 2016 its PF again because they are serious with development.
Then why the hell am I paying taxes??? This work hard bullsh!t makes no difference if the whole economic landscape has gone to the dogs. The woman who wakes up at 3 in the morning to get orders to you is not working hard??? That argument always gets me pissed off because it lacks intelligence. Work hard my butt!
Hikes of various licenses is unjustifiable. For example, last week I wanted to renew the fire arm license which was K20 in 2012 when I last renewed it (fire arm license is renewed after three years). To my surprise I was told that the license has been raised upwards to K500! Now think of the margin in simple arithmetic it is K480 difference! Is this increase justifiable or the government through the local authority just want to swindle from innocent citizens who are law abiding? On the other hand, the various vehicle licenses and fines have also been hiked unjustifiably. Don’t you think it will be a conduit of corruption? Bakapokola balawina, because I cannot accept to pay heavily when I can pay kapokola a small fine. It is up to the government to digest!
These chaps in Cabinet are no longer thinking properly. Their brains have withered with time because of corruption. Very soon this country will be ungovernable. The idio.ts are so engrossed in enriching themselves such that they’ve forgotten their responsibility of delivering to the expectations of the people. The country has no direction at the moment because Edgar has no clue of what is going on around him.
This is politically motivated…..
Most of our politicians are just hypocrites. We need a good constitution to protect us, period. They all change when given power, becoming insensitive to the people who put them there in the first place.
I concur with you Avinocaya. The fire arm license fees that Lusaka city Council has imposed on the innocent citizens is exploitative and unjustifiable! Where on earth can the fees be hiked like that, what percentage was used? What is the law makers up to, to punish the citizens? Equally, the vehicle fees are too high! Can you listen to the complaints and cries of people and act wisely. It is our country and we have the right to complain where we feel decisions have not been done in good taste. Dictatorial tendencies is not the right way things should go. RTSA and Lusaka City Council, can you do something justifiable?