Foreign Affairs Minister Harry Kalaba has revealed that Government has started cutting down on international trips in a move aimed at reducing expenditure.
Mr. Kalaba told Journalists in Lusaka that some selected presidential trips abroad have since been cut as government observes austerity measures.
He added that the move has also been extended to ministers, who will be represented by Zambia’s High Commissioners serving in foreign missions.
‘The President should have travelled to the Africa India summit, in the interest of cutting down and in the interest of observing austerity measures, he has not travelled but he has instead delegating Her Honour the Vice President,’ Mr Kalaba said.
‘There have been several trips that the President has turned down because he is cutting down on expenditure and it is the same with all of us at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there are several meeting to which we are delegating our Ambassadors, that is why they are there, it is to represent us.’
Good Move
As usual the critics will find something to point at.
Just completely scrap the unnecessary trips. What cutting down? Lungu & co. should have a chance to see how the people who mistakenly elected them are suffering while they are wining & dining at the high table. How can they be flying all the time to scout for foreign solutions to local problems?
This good move is a little too little and too late. Here are the reasons why;
1. the real issue is the size of cabinet which needs to be cut
2. the fuel allowances the Ministers and their deputies are getting is too much that should be cut
3. the appetite for by elections should have been reduced a long time ago
4. The number of vehicles per minister should be reduced to zero, be allocated only one vehicle when on official missions
4. the real serving should come through stopping the corruption surrounding the contracts for the roads
When told to stop hopping from one country to the other, they say its bitterness. The economy is deteriorating each moment that passes while Lungu doesn’t seem to care. They promised 5000 teacher recruitment and jobless Zambians applied. They spent money moving from one place to the other and posting of applications only to realise that they were duped by the PF government. When people complain the answer given is that HH is bitter and is the one causing them to complain. When people complain of power its politically motivated, when students riot they are sponsored, when people complain of hunger and high cost of living you find Kambwili on the helm of it stressing its HH making them to complain. With all our economic problems, Lungu has never stood bold to show the nation the way…
Lungu has never stood bold to show the nation the way forward. The inflation rate is above 10%, Zesco tariffs are increased by 287%, Bag of fertilizer is above K500, essential commodities are been increased by over 10% in prices. In short everything is getting worse while what we see is a president who has never shown any interest in the suffering of the masses. Only God knows where we are heading to.
Where was scarface Kalaba all along? Did these people believe that the gravy train they inherited from MMD was not going to run dry?
Visionless PF bandits, just say PF has exhausted all the money & now PF is bankrupt, broke to core!
When are the “SAGOMAS” apparently at State House leaving?
Kalaba, Muntharinka was laughing at PF’s reckless spending of 250 cadres to UN with Chartered Planes at a cost of $300,000.
5 months left PF bandits to be dethroned democratically.
The Skeleton Key
~206~
Yip – they have started paying back the looted cash! Yay to prayers!
This is upuba! Cutting down on international trips means cancelling some trips not Ati instead of the president will send the vice president…,,, its still an expense..think you twit
Are you cutting down now because there is no more money for grabs in terms allowances and flights or you have reflected on your actions and noticed that it has been a tompwe less move which needed stopping and not cutting down? How on earth can a country like ours which cannot generate enough electricity for it’s people hire a plane to carry 250 visionless people to USA on tax payers cash ? On top of that 250 people accrued expenditure in the way of hotel bills transport etc. How much did that amount to. That amount can build a school or help repair my old and run down Chamboli Secondary .
THIS IS OCTOBER WHY DID NOT START IN JANUARY
Yes, as a frustrated careless critic, I find this measure to have come too late. Nothing against the move. Ooh no wonder the trips are now localised to Kitwe, Lufwanyama, wusakile, may be even kumasamba….
Is this when you have realized that you need to cut down on foreign trips? I wish you cud try to reduce on self induced by elections.
Too late. we started advising you a long time ago but you arrogantly told us ni ndalama za nyoko? Now you have realised you are in trouble you want to save money. So back at you ni ndalama za nyoko? The trip the president was going to India for was just swapped with his vice who also travels with a delegation. So what cost cutting? The president will also be in Kitwe with much of statehouse staff, so what cost cutting? You should listen at the right time not when you are in soup
If ambassadors are there to represent them then why now, why haven’t they been using them to represent Zambia at international meetings all this time in the first place? Have they just realised this?
Good move but these sadist will always oppose anything no Wonder i can not vote for them.
Bwana minister a few weeks ago you were on ZNBC Sunday interview a program hosted by Mr Zulu where you vehemently defended the international trips pouring scorn on the Zambian citizens who in there interest to safe guide the little in our coffers voiced out on this particular issue, but in the usual cadre muzungu anikonde attitude and the fact that you were equally a beneficiary considering your portfolio, you totally rubbish concerns from the likes of Prof. Saasa, Dr Musomali the list is endless. Mange vintu vavuta ati we have cut down better to shut up then issue statements that you later regret bwana.
Some of u are anti everything….! They have realised the unecessary expenditure on foreign trips and hence the move to cut down……but u still complain…! Do u want them to continue travelling…? Good move bwana minister…!
@ munene
Mostly we are against 5tupid comments from a bunch of crooked political failures masquerading as “humble”, “wise” and “anointed” leaders (lol) and 1mbecility driven support from cretins like you.
PF………..Always poor planning. After messing up all the little resources, they are now feeling the heat. This could have been avoided a long time ago.
When the opposition was advising, PF was adamant. When all the resources are depleted, they now want to save.
Meanwhile they will say Opposition is just criticizing and not giving solutions, but when advices and solutions come from HH, Nawakwi and others, they pay a blind eye, and would say the opposition is politicking. Now when things are really bad, they talk of saving, what is there to save now? It is a little too late.
Shame on this govt.
HH is already governing, you see!!!!! It’s his decision
HH has been vindicated
I clearly remember when HH ordered Lungu to stop unnecessary trips. It was on HOT FM and that was when Lungu was scheduled to travel to Kenya just after coming from Namibia for that drinking spree. After that Lungu is scared to travel. The only trip he has made ever since is the New York UN one. The one he blundered.
..indeed too late….the damage has already been done…
there is nothing left to spend, should fortunes turn it would be back to old ways….lol
There is something very disturbing and wrong with this logic.
Right step in the right direction..but austerity measures should not only be seen to be put in place but should be implemented.. It shouldn’t just be a pronouncement as has been the case in many instances. Let the monies saved from this move be transparently and prudently put to good use. We need to see an improvement in the perfomance of the kwacha visa viz major convertibles, reduction in prices of essential commodities, creation of pensionable jobs for the jobless majority as opposed to just focusing on the already cushioned civil servants whose salaries you have continued to increase thereby eliminating the middle class and widening the gap between the haves and the have-nots, increase student allowances to cushion them against skyrocketing prices of basic needs, reduce loadsheding,…
Ba MASONISTS MULETASHAKO FIMO.
@Silencer, be logical. Inonge is not in India for free. She did not travel there alone either, she went with a large group of people. We may have reduced the expenses a little bit by sending her instead of Changwa but we are still incurring expenses. True cost cutting government would have asked the Zambian High Commissioner to India who is already in the country to represent us. So, tapali ifyakutasha apa iyo! Shibukeni mwebatu icalo cabipa!
These thieves,after grounding all the reserves & eurobonds!Scar face Sir,Just tell us that you have amassed so much wealth in terms of estates & companies,& that there’s no more money left!We know what you have done to our country & will never forgive you till you pay back what you stole & deprived the poor Zambians of! Just prepare your lawyers & corrupt deals in advance because next year will be a bad one for all of you in PF!We will demand authentic audit to all of your dealings,we are alive to all your corrupt activities Baba!In any case,you have already plunged Zambia into irretrievable debts & economic malaises,its too late Baba,you have already lost it next year-Im have never supported PF since its inception & I’m now vindicated to that effect!
It is not just criticising. The problem is to run the country reactively instead of pro actively.
Do you mean that the country should actually be run pro-actively? It is reactive leadership that has brought us to where we are; if we were PRO-ACTIVE we would have maintained the Kariba Dam walls, sought new sources of energy generation and improved on our road networks, among other things, our “austerity” measures would not be so dramatic..
These Stupid Stinking Creatures have met their targets!
These Stupid Stinking Creatures have met their targets!
What is there to save now when all the resources have been depleted!
Some abroad asked me where zambia got that ka short dull funny looking minister of foreign affairs
You’re mingling with the wrong crowd, dude…
@ zambia
Do you know answer?
When deciding who to appoint as Minister of Foreign Affairs, crucial factor was not IQ test but 5tupidity test and Hon. Kalaba did score 96%
These are empty tins that’s when the relies its wasteful after they chartered a plane to carry Lazy Lungu and 200 others….you also have this selfsame bo Inonge who doubles as national planning minister yet hasn’t made any statements merely drawing a free wage.
Good statement (on paper) but I hope we are not now aping austerity that is hurting the Europeans. That said, the Veep is part of the PRESIDENCY, you oaf! She also should have not gone; YOU should have gone, flying coach. Also, do cancel your plans to order a Presidential jet; that does not show your commitment to “austerity”. Stymie your numerous ministries’ launch (I understand you are also planning a Religious Affairs Ministry/Desk at Ministerial level – delay that one, too, in the interest of austerity). Enough said.
Reverse gear applied. It’s like watching a fumbling soccer team that has been continually scoring own goals believing it will catch up on the goal deficit by end of play. Good luck. Too little too late. That said 180 degrees is what PF needs, reach across the aisle and focus on what you can realistically achieve before losing your minds to election fever when lying to the masses becomes your norm again.
He will start traveling again after 2016 elections. Good decision!
After the coffers are dry, that is when Kalaba is talking about ‘cost saving’!! When pipo advised you, what did you say? Bwana, it is too late to start saving now. There is nothing to save.
Can we have a more serious Government next year. Let us vote wisely.
I thought the minister wanted more trips because according to his understandn that was a means to solving our problems, what has changed? next time learn to respect the editorials especially in the post, the wisdom ther is ignored at your own peril,
Comment:Bwana minister,you did not need prayer and fasting to realise that you needed to take these measures,it is to late and unfortunatly the damage is alread too huge.You, Pf chaps should stop politicing and lean to be adviserble.
Too late bwana KALABA to reason that.
KALABA YOU MEAN THAT THE MONEY HAS RUN OUT? TOO LATE TO U TURN ON THAT, YOU GUYS HAVE SQUARNDERD AND PLUNDERED.
this costshedding must have started a long time ago like in 2013 but as Zambians when people tell you that this money in the bank can finish you say it cant until the teller says sir you only have book balance thats when you say you will start saving the book balance
Comment: its to late. Ba pf just start parcking 2016 you ar going
Lets close some foreign missions in some countries and consolidate others, and recall some ambassadors and High Commissioners. We will save money that way.
@munene, get serious with national matters. Read Rooftop Zulu’s write up. We are not just talking about your stomach here, but the future of 14 million plus people, those who are being born now and those not yet born. Scarface is talking of cutting down on travelling and calls it austerity measures. You have to look at a whole list of wastefulness and not just travelling. His reasoning is not up to scratch, he must have suffered panga wounds on his forhead. Ati the president has turned down several trips…of course he has to. He was elected to work for us and not to travel everywhere he is asked to go to.
We understand things are bad but kindly lets learn to be civil fellows, lets start thinking of what we can do in our individual capacity to contribute to mother Zambia. Remember, even if diversification was to be realized, Edgar and H.H will not be the ones to grow those crops but us. Zambia today we imports furniture because our fathers didn’t want to study Capentry and joinery instead they went and mine copper for the white man on the copperbelt, we are importing vegetables because our fathers decided to go and get a job from those indian shops in town instead of being farmers like our friends in Botswana. Mother Zambia needs our collective efforts to be transformed brothers and sisters.
Hatred is murder. The way people hate the president am sure if they had an opportunity they would kill him. Shouldn’t we say yes to this decision and encourage them to extend to other areas the same will. Its now clear that the issue is not the state of the economy, its pure hatred for President Edgar Lungu.
I have news for you people if you don’t start walking in love, your political party will never rule this country because God who allows people to be elected is love and anyone who wants God’s favour they should walk in love. If you can criticise even things you have been saying government should do, and they do just like you have been saying. You change and say its too late. How. People its never too late to be right. Even you at your individual levels some of you have stolen…
cutting international trips while replacing them with 5 days provincial trips is worse. local trips like coperbelt trip will cost more money because it goes with a great political escot and security. all these wants allowances. a local trip will require not less than 100 people participating.of these an estimated 200 will require subsistence allowance while 100 will be accommodated using govement cofers. the dancers will also be paid and the security will also be paid. pls stop this.
Good move ,hon. minister.now why do you carry alot of media personnel when it is cheaper just to use three journalists from zanis,reporter,cameraman and a photographer. The all nation can be informed