Thursday, March 28, 2024

President Lungu bends to IMF conditions, announces austerity measures

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President Edgar Lungu held meeting with An International Monetary Fund (IMF) team led by Tsidi Tsikata who is division chief African department in Washingston at State house. Picture By Eddie Mwanaleza/State house.20-11-2015.
President Edgar Lungu

President Edgar Lungu has announced a raft of austerity measures aimed at fiscal consolidation in line with measures suggested by the International Monetary Fund during its recent staff visit.

President Lungu has also revealed that a decision on whether Zambia will access budget of payment support from the IMF will be made in March when the IMF team returns for further consultations.

Addressing his first official news conference at State House, President Lungu directed the Minister of Energy and the Energy Regulation Board to immediately review fuel prices with the view of attaining cost reflective fuel prices.

Other austerity measures President Lungu announced:

  • Government will review agriculture subsidies and electrify tariffs.
  • Government is going to spend around USD $40 million dollars end of year on power imports hence the need to attain cost reflective electricity tariffs.
  • A ban on unnecessary travel saying local and international travel will be restricted to essential travel only.
  • All Government Ministries, agencies and departments to hold back on the procurement of new infrastructure development projects.
  • Plans to start a new national airline have been deferred.
  • New infrastructure development should be halted and defer all signed projects with consultation of the Attorney General.

President Lungu also regretted job losses in the mines but stated that Government has tried to do its best to minimise the job cuts from a projected 7,000 to around 3,051.
He further announced that the Food Reserve Agency will from next week start offloading cheaper Maize on the market which will see the price of Mealie meal reduce to K 65.
President Lungu admitted that he has the responsibility to resolve the crisis in the mines saying the buck stops at him.
He also announced that construction of the Ndola airport at a cost of 397 million US dollars will go ahead which will create 3,000 jobs.
President Lungu further revealed that the construction of new roads on the Copperbelt under C 400 will also proceed.

122 COMMENTS

  1. Better late than never.Guess he read the article by former finance minister Situmbeko Musokotwane. PF under Sata was the worst thing to happen to Zambia but Zambians caused that to happen.Now its time to work together and think of creative ways to ease the hard road ahead.We have land,the sun and rain..our people should not starve.

    • So why did you refuse last week? Ba lungu surround yourself with good advisors. Last week your cadres on Lusaka times were jubilant of your decision to turn down IMF praising you that you have wisdom now what would they say? Anyways we know PF cadres they will still cerebrate even this decision.

    • @Lord V—— You feature on this site and you let people kill each other with words yet you had inside info. So why didn’t you tell us?

    • Refer to the discourse on this matter on radio, the blogosphere and phone calls, HE is a good rational actor in leadership. He appreciates national discourse and expert judgement. He decides after absorbing issues in a methodical way other than being impulsive. We said yes austerity measure are inevitable to arrest the situation but that we Zambian experts should manage from planning, execution, monitoring and control. We don’t need the murder board or their highly toxic conditional funds.
      Worse case scenario, let’s help GRZ look to bilateral support while prudently managing the baseline. Our problems are not insurmountable. Spared capital projects are critical as they will spike economic growth in short and long term. Bravo!!

    • The President could have gone further by cutting the bloated cabinet, announcing stringent financial control on all government departments such as the banning of imprest and replacing it with standard daily rates, prudent expenditure in state owned enterprises, strong disciplinary action against bribe seeking civil servants including fast track prosecution, closing down of unnecessary embassies and these financial measures must extend to parliamentary expenditure. People must be held accountable for their misdeeds this is why we never progress, selective justice through politics of poverty and appeasement.

    • President Lungu has again demonstrated qualities of unparalleled good leadership Zambia need to reclaim her place. He understands that the buckle stops at the water’s edge. As such, he does not act on impulse in national decision making but thinking through only to come up with a decision that spells best national interest. In implementing austerity measures that spare capital projects of Ndola International airport and CB road infrastructure with highest potential of spiking measurable economic impact, he has won another seal of national trust. Dubious characters are risky for power and reign because they believe in impulsive decisions. They could mortgage the country on a blink of an eye without consulting cabinet or factoring in expert judgement because their myth is that they are…

    • Mr MeeToo President has had a Kneejerk Reaction after hearing his Tanzanian counterpart do what HH has been preaching to him for 8 months.

    • Despite all this rhetoric about austerity measures, things will only get worse in Zambia and the uneducated villager who dictates the vote in Zambia has no patience for such.

      There is no hope for you Lungu.

      Meanwhile Aleisa HH

    • These are things you and PF has been advised for some time now. Thank you for see light and being that mirror reflecting that light. However, you still need to do more with regards to Executive expenditure as follows;
      1. cut the number of ministries to 12 or 15, no deputies
      2. Stop the deputies attending cabinet meetings as Provincial deputy ministers are wasting tax payers money
      3. Cut the fuel allowances to you ministers
      4. ground the number of big vehicles being abused by govt official trotting in Lsk

    • Wrong headline! The President has not succumbed to IMF pressure, he is simply cutting spending on discretionary items while redirecting resources towards short gap items such as those needing fuel imports as suggested before.

      No $1Billion is coming from the IMF as a result of his actions today. These measures were taken despite of and were our own not because of IMF or Musokotwane’s article. I personally applaud the President once more and no major infra-structure items are being cut here.

      The President is proceeding as planned without IMF conditions, these are Zambian conditions and the next step is to double down on solar/wind electricity production, next phase double down on pipeline from Angola.

    • Very gratifying to see that FF cadres have finally agreed that SATA and PF were the worst experiment Zambia has ever attempted. Wisdom lies in the ability to create a vision, act accordingly and to know the consequences of our actions. Euro- Bond was a bad experiment (PF angel), now the devil we knew IMF is back with us. None of these two are a solution to our problems. Lets listen and follow people with a proper vision for Zambia. Viva UPND 2016.

    • Every great CEO receives as much input from everywhere but finally comes up with his final directive considering all variables based on current dynamics. ECL received input from IMF, his advisers, general populace, friendly diplomats in Zambia and in the end came up with his final draft.

      The very fact that these measures are a combination of various ideas from every corner shows this is the right guy for the smart people of the Zambian enterprise. This shows he has the ability to attract the best brains around to arrive at a win-win scenario for the public good.

      Once again, another great move, Mr. President. Proud of you!

    • Lets not forget we are in this mess because the PF has mismanaged the governance of the country. Qe would not be in this mess if we had good quality leadership. Is the man who announces how he intends to get himself out of a hole he dug for himself a hero or a fo-ol?

    • Put simply the id!ot is sh!t. He couldn’t even spell out what he wants ERB to do about fuel prices? What’s cost reflective pricing?
      He was only honest on one thing. He has BOYS & GIRLS in PF that he sends out to harm other citizens.
      The bum should go & now.

    • Instead of being seen as a flip flopper the president should have started listening from day one to economic advisors than enjoying a lengthy celebration with Jameson! The road to recovery was made lengthy and more potholes developed while ones that pre-existed were deepened! I am only sorry that many of the brains that can help advising on navigating the rough road are those he kept at arms length and saw as enemies! High time his visionless self swallowed pride and honestly embrace a reconciliatory tone! However he should be above board on corruption, let those facing the law dance to their self choice tune.

    • Am I the only one that doesn’t trust this man? Lets see whether or not what he is saying will be implemented. Zambians get deceived very easily!! People suggested these things from day one only for the president to see them 11 months down the line. To me, that’s lack of wisdom and timely judgement of things..

    • I dont even understand why so many people are happy about this predictable speech. Have you guys forgotten that PF got us into this mess in the first place? Why praise them (PF) now for trying to fix what they created? The President only touched a fraction of all the real issues that Zambia is facing. Did we have to wait for IMF to tell us what we already knew from start?

      Lets see the implementation of what he said.

    • Lungu was pinned in a corner and had no option but to comply with the demands of the IMF; part of the corporatocracy of the which perpetuates the interests of the United State. Had he gone against them, they would have cleared / assassinated him like they did to Mwanawasa who advocated for the implementation of windfall taxes.

    • BE CAREFUL FELLOW ZAMBIANS. REMEMBER THE SAYING “EASIER SAID THAN DONE”. THIS IS TYPICAL OF LUNGU’S PRONOUNCEMENTS. THEFTS AND LOOTING VISES ARE DEEPLY ROOTED IN THE RULING PF GOVERNMENT. LUNGU CAN NOT CHANGE THE THIEVING MIND-SET OF HIS MINIONS, BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT HE IS HIMSELF A BENEFICIARY OF THE RAMPANT CORRUPTION CURRENTLY GOING ON IN OUR COUNTRY. THAT IS WHY WE INSIST ON CHANGING GOVERNMENT NEXT YEAR. WE NEED A KNOW CROP OF LEADERSHIP FROM A BRAND NEW PARTY COMPOSED OF MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE READY TO WORK FOR OUR LAND TO MAKE IT A BETTER PLACE FOR EVERYONE TO LIVE IN. UPND AND HH ARE ZAMBIA’S HOPE IF WE ARE TO RESCUE OURSELVES FROM THESE ECONOMIC DOLDRUMS.

  2. Congratulations President John Magafuli for showing the way (without IMF tho’).

    If Magafuli can do so can I.

    #GlobalSyndrome

    • A drowning man will grasp any floating object within reach even if it’s a childs rubber duck.Nothing humble about this move.If he was humble he wouldn’t have taken over 200 people to New york on tax payers monies

    • He tries to pretend to be humble and prayerful to deceive Zambians, but the things he does behind the scenes reveal his true nature

      Taking 200 people to New York is a sick move Ba president. And we haven’t forgotten how you are benefitting from the Chipata Mafia families links to state house through Kaizer Zulu who by the way was acquitted despite attempting to shoot Kavindeles son. We have also not forgotten how he pardoned peodophile Kanene after he released a song of praise to you Lungu while in prison

      Is all about deception when it comes to Lungu

    • If you think that this nonsense and these lies from a clueless lazy bum that “pangaed” himself into State House is “wise” you are the dullest M0R0N ever to be born.

      Sata and Lungu have caused this disaster that we and our children will have to pay for for the REST OF OUR LIVES!

      Criminal is the right thing to call it.

  3. where are those PF kaponyas on these blogs supporting lungus supposed snub of the IMF last week, what do you have to say ?

    • Patrick no need to mock them, maybe they will realise that blind support doesn’t pay. PF or not prepare to pay more for your fuel and electricity. Thank-you ba PF for taking us back to the IMF.

    • Problem with you us you do not follow simple truths because all you think of is voting for HH. Truth remain that ZAMBIA has not gotten any IMF money as for now. As they said, they promised to review their operations, and that is exactly what they have done. In this case ECL is thinking ahead of most of you who would have simply given in an let your people suffer even more. Chagwa is mature and he loves you.

  4. It’s now crystal clear to all that Zambia is in dire financial woes! By the time we go to the polls, the entire economy will be bellies up! Zambians, just how they could vote for such a visionless lumpen vexed me deeply. Sata was bad enough because from all we know, he ascended to power seriously demented! He was “sick in the “medulla oblongata” or “mukalukobo” as Kasais would put it! And yet his fellow Kasais voted for the imbecile in doves. Next time, they will vote for a dog, as long as its called Mwansa, Mulenga or Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngbendu Wa Za Banga!

    • My brother you need help and deliverance from your ***ble bitterness. Visionless Edger was when he was ascending into power but now he has settled in his job and the man is beginning to equal his task.

    • @Ngombala Muhapi wa Linaha: Please do not use my kids names in vain. Use asterisks if you may or use yours as a place holder. Just do not be disrespectful of other people’s names.

  5. The IMF is not your friend. Watch this space in 10 years or less. You will wish you had not dealt with these people, IMF and World Bank. Epo mpelele.

  6. Welcome to greek mythology, the Ikarus Syndrome of economics, you’ve gotten too near to the sun aLungu! The sky is not the limit but bongo-bongo…you were always lapping-around with Kaunda, ask him; You are now in a Penalty shoot-out with your Eurobond lenders and the chinese…the hounds of hell are howling over yonder, muzalila awisi but most of all the short-sighted wako-ni-wako voters led by RB! LPM and even kafupi must be turning on the other side and believe me Jesus won’t weep…fyakuiletelela ifi, struth !!

  7. ECL, come 2016, it is yours! UPND should do what the NAREP friends have done. With all these pronouncements, am sure sure HH has collapsed.

  8. I Listened to Edgar Lungu’s press comference. i have now admitted and iam now concoring with UPND varders that Lungu will lose to HH next year. This press comference has really ecposed his failures. he is indeed the outgoing president of Zambia. it iz embarrassing to have a copy cut president.

    • Which conference did you listen to? Unless you do not understand English, that conference has shown Zambia is in safe hands for now.

  9. Bettter late than never. This is necessary surgical pain Zambians have to face for the poor economic performance we are currently facing due to shortage of electric power and low international copper prices.
    Mr. President, can we further start diverfsifying the economy rapidly through expanding the energy and agriculture sectors. We have plenty of sun for solar farms and massive land and water resources that we can strategically utilise to bring the respective economic sectors to fruition. After our agriculture takes off, let’s go into value addition and never export any of our maize, millet, sorghum and other horticultural products in raw form. This is how we will stop exporting the same jobs we are so angry for.
    For now this is a brave move, but we need to take another giant step.

  10. which channel were you watching from or listenning to?Frank Mutubila asked what was discussed and the was yes they came and they are coming in march that is after they have studied the presentetion given to them by gvt on how they are going to mitigate the economical challenges but you re saying he agreed but muli ba yanga yesterday you were saying he would have accepted but today you r saiyng something else.good presentation ECL 2016 nize

  11. KEKEKE ALAS THE LOADIST WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG!!!!!! TOLD YOU SO. WE WHERE JUST WASTING VALUABLE TIME. LUNGU AND GRZ ARE NO POSITION TO TURN DOWN IMF THEY HAVE ALREADY RUINED THE ECONOMIC POSITION OF THE COUNTRY. NO OTHER INSTITUTIONS WILL TOUCH ZAMBIA RIGHT NOW. THE IMF IS THE ONLY ORGANIZATION WITH AN OPERATIONAL MATRIX THAT CAN TAKE UP THE RISKS INVOLVED WITH ZAMBIA. GRZ IS BROKE. ALAS IT HAS COME TO PASS JUST AS THE LOADIST PREDICTED. KEKEKEKEKE! I SUPPOSE ALL THOSE TUMA FAKE PF ANALYSTS AND CADRE BLOGGERS SHOULD HAVE THIER HEADS IN THE SAND. YOUR PRESIDENT HAS NOW PJBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGED IFINTU TAFILI BWINO. ITS TIME TO START THE HEALING PROCESS. STEP ONE PF MUST GO….

  12. I liked the honesty and straight talking of the man. Instead of the pie in the sky lies of the opposition led by the fraud and hypocrite Mmembe.
    Thus Lungu will get my vote in 2016.
    God bless Zambia.

    • Pie in the sky is going to CB, promise the miners that no-one will lose a job; have Chimbwili Kashimba threaten that if retrenching even one miner and the govt will grab the mines – only to admit with tail between legs on a press conference, after the jobs have been lost.

    • He will get my vote too. Meanwhile, flight HH is headed for another crash, a terrible one this time – I mean beyond repair!

  13. Is this the result of national prayers and fasting conducted last month? Lifting fuel subsidies, ZESCO subsidies and somewhat reinstating S133? All these are self inflicted problems. You see where the so-called unprecedented infrastructure devpt has led us to. BACK TO IMF. It took us as a nation so much sacrifice in order to be independent of IMF. Where are we now? Crawling back to the same evil. (Black) Africans never learn!!! Yours, disgruntled black African.

  14. I think the measures though welcome are late and so not go far enough. He was expecting him to:
    – Cut the number of ministries;
    – Make a call alternative sources of FX such as remittances though an investment vehicle for the diaspora
    – Inform the public of higher taxes come 2016.

  15. I Listened to Edgar Lungu’s press comference. i have now admitted and iam now concoring with UPND varders that Lungu will lose to HH next year. This press comference has really ecposed his failures. he is indeed the outgoing president of Zambia. it iz embarrassing to have a copy cut president.

  16. Good to see he is doing something but, what they should actually cut down on is ministers allowances and perks.
    The fuel allowance is definitely one to go, the cars given – these should only be used for work purposes. Personal business use your own car and fuel (in the UK ministers and MP’s use public transport and also cycle to work)…
    The other thing is by-elections, these should only take place if an MP has passed away. Where someone switches parties, they should be allowed to continue without wasting tax payers money on new elections (imagine the number of hospital beds, school desks and books they could have bought with money spent on by-elections?!)

  17. This is the result of voting for a person(RIP) and Party of thugs!They find money in our coffers and start blindly “unprecedented development”….more suffering. let it continue especially for miners on the cb. Afta their redundancy packages finish by early January,we ll gladly buy their household goods cheaply we ll even grab their wives,daughters and girlfriends!yes we shall….let the suffering continue .pa bwato!!

  18. All these measures remain pronouncements in futility without IMF supervision under a prpgram. It is like telling a doctor, ‘thank you for the diagnosis and prescription but I will treat myself using medicine similar to yours but will come for review in March’.

  19. Facing reality now which is good. But how do you praise someone for doing something which you have been advising for months he should do. So I will reserve any praises. Anyway its good he has realized that it is better to tell people the truth and not the PF motto of donchi kubeba. Our policies have taken us back into the loving arms of the IMF from whom we divorced after the MMD made us tighten our belts so many years back. Thank-you PF for taking us back in time.

  20. UPND cadres u are just crying babies u oppose anything no wonder u will remain in opposition until 2050 bravo bwana President.

  21. Edger when ascending to power was vision-less but now he has settled in his job and the man is beginning to equal his task. With time he is making a good Head of State. I believe when he gets his second term he will have more balls to deal with critical situations because most of these guys who financed him in this year’s election will have nothing on him.

  22. So, decisions on austerity have been based on what kind of analysis? Seems measures are low impact ones while high impact measures have been left out. To benefit who? The cadres employed as DCs. Why not suspend road projects which are not critical just as Zambia airways?

    • @Zambia first I agree with you on some road projects. Why do more fancy roads on the Copperbelt which has already relatively well developed roads instead of spending that money on some power generation project to meet our energy deficits?!

  23. @ Ngombala .It is really sad that we have people among us who think like so called Ngombala. On record I dont belong to the tribe with the names mentioned but as a responsible Zambian, It is my duty to condemn any unbecoming behaviour.

    People are free to offer their views without targeting any particular tribe, colour, sex or creed.Let us resist inflammatory and derogatory statements.

  24. It pains me to the borns that within 3yrs Sata and Lungu (PF) have lost all the fortunes Mwanawasa and Magande scored by paying off debt to reach HIPC completion point.These two prodigal sons running a criminal organization labeled as a Government in Africa have brought as to our knees like a pregnant girl crying for man to accept her.We have no choice to accept IMF as long Lungu and PF remains in power.The best option is for Zambians to reject Lungu and PF and repent by accepting HH and UPND to help reclaim our lost glory.Like a pregnant girl who truly repents and cling to God she can have a chance of getting married to a good man.I have always said that no mater how much money Zambia will borrow as long as lungu and Pf remain in power it will like throwing it in an endless pit.lets give…

  25. THANKS TO ALEXENDER CHIKWANDA. ABC IS THE ONLY VOICE OF REASON AND REALITY IN THIS USELESS CABINET. AS MUCH AS PEOPLE SEEM TO HAVE ANGER FOR THIS MAN HE IS REALLY THE ONLY PERSON THAT HAS BEEN CONSISTENT WITH TRYING TO REIGN IN THIS DISASTROUS GOVERNMENT. IF LUNGU HAD OVERULED ABC ONE MORETIME ABC WAS DONE. WE SHOULD ALL UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING NOW WE NEED TO FOLLOW THIS UP WITH A NATIONAL COMMITMENT TO DIVERSIFY THE ECONOMY. AGRICULTURE, TOURISM AND SMALL BUSINESSES IN MANUFACTURING. THANK YOU ABC FOR HELPING LUNGU SEE THE LIGHT.

    • You got this wrong! I love ABC but this is not entirely his plan. ABC has been great but his time is up. We need fresh perspective at Finance. Again, I have a lot of respect for ABC and severally have I single handily defended him on this forum.

      But this wasn’t his blue print. It was the President’s. Bashikulu Ba Chikwanda has done his best so far for the smart people of our Zambian Enterprise but it is time for fresh ideas.

  26. Is the Copperbelt going to bring in more money by investing in more infrastructure there? In thought development should have been to open up more regions of the country with economic potential….

    • Bring in more votes…..they don’t want it to look like they are completely writing CB off. Have to keep the handful of voters happy.

  27. From day one,ECL,you should have rolled out a plan to tackle the country”s challenges.
    Now you need to move at high speed nd it starts with yourself:
    Cut down on your wife’s travels,no economic value is realized.
    Trim your cabinet,it is bloated.get rid of non perfoming ministers and other govt officials. Fight corruption and you should have held on to the appointment of Dora until she was cleared.Admittely she is hard working and seems more mature ,but she has serious court cases. Ban importation of all that be done here.get tough on work permits,only jobs that no Zambian cn do.
    You are a like able president and if you show your commitment towards improving the economy,you will bounce back .,you appear to be too weak ,shake your cabinet and send right messages.Working culture in…

  28. Mr President congrats you have my vote. The Energy sector is the life blood of any economy. Cost reflective tariffs is the way to go.

  29. FINALLY HAD A CHANCE TO LISTEN TO THE PRESS ONFERENCE IN FULL. THE CALIBER OF QUESTIONS FRM OUR REPORTER LEFT MUCH TO BE DESIRED. ITS NO WONDER LUNGU AND THE PF HAVE NOT HELD A PREE CONFERENCE UNTIL NOW. IF THATS THE LEVEL OF REASONING WE HAVE TO OFFER WE ARE WORKING N SERIOUS PROBLEMS.

  30. Very good move for Zambia. I agree with many that President Lungu inherited these problems left by Sata. People are so quick to judge him on selfish motives. Lets give him a chance, at the moment this is a good move. Now get some strong ministers in your cabinet and drop the ones with no brains.

    • …and Sata inherited problems left by RB, while RB inherited problems left by Mwanawasa, Mwanawasa inherited problems left by Chiluba and the story goes on……

  31. When we cautioned them, they said we were bitter and tribal( am not even close to Tonga). It is out of Love for the country of Zambia that we speak out when we see the politicians mess with the economical well being of the Nation.
    True patriotism is not that of shouting party slogans in the hope of earning favor or defending a tribes mate.
    “A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government”- Thomas Pain.
    Realizing they have lived beyond their means is a great start. I hope Lungu really has balls to do the right thing and steer the country back to prosperity.
    And for you Zambian voters, it’s time to get wiser and put a demand on your politicians. You deserve better than the current crap you go through and do not be apologetic when they won’t perform

  32. You will sindambi until your bodies are acidic. Chakolwa, litahwa in state house. The citizens of country have a knack of electing uselessness.

  33. The measures being proposed are only affecting poor citizens and not the political elite. If the president was very serious about reducing costs, he would have started thinking of
    1. Abolishing District Commissioners Office and let Town Clerks and Council Secretary run the districts
    2. Abolishing the deputy Minister Position and leave only the PS and Ministers
    3. Reducing the cabinet
    4. Reducing the Salaries for MP’s
    5. Close off non essential Missions abroad or better still combine some such as Mozambique/Malawi,
    Tanzania/Uganda/Kenya,etc
    6. Appoint non politically aligned board members to parastatals
    7. Abandon the New GVT Church and let people go to the existing cathedrals

  34. You will sindambi until your bodies are acidic. Chakolwa, litahwa in state house. The citizens of this country have a knack of electing uselessness.

  35. How distressing to have to travel the same road again, once when most of us were in our late 20’s and now in our 50’s. These guys should have allowed us at least the privilege to enjoy the Mwanawas/Magande prudent economic benefits until such time that we pass on in a few years time to the other side. But alas, the same ‘monkey’ policies of the 70’s through the 90’s came back with the selfsame characters. The folly of being a Zedian is to praise worship these fellows using tribal numbers even when it’s clear prudent economic/financial management was never one of their endowment when God created man! How hapless in mind can a ‘people’ be? Only in this seemingly condemned nation where mocking of the Lord God is daily thing do we see this one step forward and then ten backwards!

    • Cry my beloved country….. it is sad indeed. Our country being plundered yet people sing praises to plunderers because of tribal affiliation. My heart bleeds . . . . for Zambia.

  36. Yesterday you said that Edgar turned down the IMF, today Edgar has denied that and told you that he is still engaged with IMF until March next year. Now before you swallow your own vomit, today you have started another story ati Edgar bends to IMF conditions. Look, UPND, Edgar has qualified technocrats like Denny Kalyalya at his disposal and does not need IMF to decide what measures to take to resolve the economic challenges. The fact that some of those emasures Edgar has taken are what IMF would recommend should be no surprise to anyone who has done rudimentary economics, you do not to be the so called economic manager to see the challenges . Even in your homes, when money is not enough you take austerity measures don’t you?

  37. The difference between being in government and being in UPND is that the former has a broad view of the economy while UPND has apipeline view. The other difference is that on economic matters the UPND only has HH to think for them while government has the benefit of Denny Kalyalya, Berlin Msiska and other technocrats, as well as IMF and other experts to advise them. And HH has proven to be the most useless economist, judging from his understanding of local issues, unless you tell me that what he says is only for campaigns to state house.

    • When the global fuel prices were tumbling and the ZKW was high, HH advised PF to sell the fuel at cost reflective prices to help spure on growth, but as usual PF were pocketing the difference. Now the kwacha is on its knees all we hear from the kaponyas is ” cost reflective tariffs”
      No country would employ those technocrats you mention if they mention Zambia on their CV, the worst performing currency. It took advice from the IMF for them to see that GRZ is spending too much and producing nothing. Ati technocrats…..

    • @Patrick, some people are obviously beneficiaries if you know what I mean so whatever logic you put across doesn’t help. You could as well be talking to a brick walk.

  38. Yah, awe mwandi, sometimes it is better to just watch and wait for the results of the 2016 elections……it feels like the country is on a merry-go-round that leaves your mind spinning when you land in the world of reality.

  39. Has the gravy train ground to a halt? We shall see. But at what expense? Higher fuel prices and electricity tariffs? The already poor and vulnerable will face the brunt of the ‘go lucky’ spending that has gone by. Unnecessary travel with high allowances, unnecessary deputy ministers and district commissioners with all their perks, the so-called ‘unprecedented development’ projects which were a conduit to steal and were never going to benefit most people. Spending money recklessly as a ‘means to staying in power,’ especially when you are not producing to replace or grow. When you act late, you fuel what has already been simmering. Best action is to move aside for those who have abilities. It is astounding that Zambians in general are slow to realize that PF were undesirables from…

  40. All of this was predictable and predicted. Saddling the government with debt, instead of collecting the Windfall Tax when copper prices were high, and hedging against a decline in prices.

    Instead, one Finance Minister stated “you can always borrow”. And so they did. Now the country is loaded up with billions of dollars in Eurobond debt. The effect on the Kwacha has been a 93% depreciation (from 1/1 to 14/1 to the US dollar). The IMF always is looking for currency devaluation, because reduces labour costs, and eliminates local competition for the transnational corporations. Because no matter what they say, they are not interested in real capitalism and competition. In the words of John D. Rockefeller sr.: “Competition is a sin.”

    Someone should go to jail for this level of…

  41. @terrible LUNGU HAS SHOWN A PROPENSITY TO BE STUBBORN. HOWEVER IN THIS CASE HE HAS YIELDED TO REASON. UPND OR NOT ALL LEVEL HEADED PEOPLE NO THAT APPROACHING THE IMF FOR ASSISTANCE IS NOT DONE LIGHTLY BY ANY GOVERNMENT. IT IS A DIFFICULT POSITION FOR LUNGU TO INSTILL AUSTERITY MEASURES GOING INTO AN ELECTION YEAR. HOWEVER AS WE HAVE STATED EARLIER IF LUNGU HAD APPROACHED THE PRESIDENCY PRUDENTLY QND WITH AUSTERITY FROM THE BEGINNING OUR CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD BE SO DIRE. WE WARNED LUNGU FROM DAY ONE ABOUT WASTE, WE WARNED LUNGU ABOUT UNNECESSARY TRAVEL. NOW WE HAVE BEEN WARNING HIM ABOUT THIS USELESS BLOATED CABINET HE STILL WONT LISTEN. ZAMBIA DOES NOT NEED MORETHAN 15 MINISTERS. NO WAY NEVER!

  42. Thank god the IMF will be comming to put checks and balances on the missmangment, reckless spending and stealing of our resources by PF. Zambians can thank god they have a custodian of our resources in IMF against the opportunistic parasites called PF. How can a government agree to rob it’s own pipo by charging them some of the most expensive prices for roads in the world??

  43. Does it take IMF for EL to know that unnecessary international travels are a cost to the country. If he is sensible his concious should bother him telling him that in hindsight he shouldn’t have chatterd a plan with his blotted entourage of hungry per diem pests.

  44. Did we not tell you? We have been telling you to tighten the purse strings for 4 years but to no avail. ..what a shame. ..and you wonder why we don’t develop!

  45. I can still remember KK giving his speech after he rejected the IMF. He chose a path titled “ECONOMIC CRUSADE”. You had to give the man due for coining some remarkable phrases. Anyway, in the end he had to go back on his knees to the IMF once riots and looting broke out on the Copperbelt.

    The good thing with ECL is that he has done the honourable thing by backing down and accepting the IMF terms without waiting too long and by then things would have gone out of hand, (such as in KK’s situation).

    I also commend ECL and team for the new approach of calling a spade a spade, and thereby extinguishing unecessary gossip and speculation. Dora has told us Kariba will take 3 years to fill up. ECL has told us job losses at the mines are inevitable. Healing starts only once you…

  46. Do not listen to UPND detractors. When it was reported that Zambia has rejected IMF, they complained. Now someone claims (though not true) that they have accepted IMF, they again complain. Do they know what they want? They dwell on rumours whole ECL is working. That is why ECL shall again get our votes next year.

    • We need the IMF to come and act as custodians of our resources against this reckless PF..how can a government collaborate in over inflating road project prices and individuals pocketing the difference? Resulting in burdening the citizens in dept for many years?

  47. President Edgar Lungu is very smart and wise far much better than tribal HH!!he keeps on doing right things while those dreamers in tribal party yaps!!ECL IS A LISTENING AND VERY HONEST LEADER!!HIS SPLENDID CHARACTER IS WHAT IS MAKING OPPOSITION LEADERS LIKE HH CONFUSED AS WHILE THEY YAP,ECL IS BUSY OFFERING SOLUTIONS TO THE VOTERS!!WATCH ECL’S PACE AND BY JUNE 2016 HIS STAY IN STATE HOUSE WILL SURELY BE SECURED VIA HIS HARD WORK!!INDEED LAWYERS MAKE VERY GOOD PRESIDENTS!!”NI LOLOLOLO PF GO GO GO!!

  48. You fail =its bail out Zambia Airways,fail again =its bail out GRZ and the next failure is to rule ourselves prudently and we’ll be asking muzungu to come back bail us out from our failing African rule.

  49. The president said he wants to transform Zambia into an agri based economy. This coming from an administration that has consistently reduced budget allocation to this sector on a yearly basis, even the latest budget attests to this fact. Now today a couple of months later every thing changes, this is a total luck of foresight on their part. Previous administrations had already recognised this and were taking strides to this effect, they were not stupid. Then can the all knowing, ‘sela tubombeko’ PF and thats how the cookie crumbled.

  50. Listening to him during his maiden press conference almost made me cry, what is wrong with us Zambians that we would elect such a fully blown imbecile for head of state? The i.diot is wholly clueless, he and his PF absolutely do not deserve another chance to drive our nation backwards.

  51. This fully blown i.d.iot and its goon of rabid lumpens absolutely do not deserve another chance to drive our nation backwards.

  52. I love the comments by the Senior citizen. The tribal party members must order some oxygen cylinders in advance, otherwise they will experience serious strokes come October 2016 when Lungu will be declared the Zambia president again. These people they live in the world of fantasy and illusions, they wake up day in day out hallucinating and wanking with a 100% conviction that they be will be in power whilst the numbers on the table does support their illusions.

  53. This is confirmation that Lungu is indeed brain dead and the worst thing that ever happened to Zambis after Sata. The steps he is taking should have done on the day he dubiously became President. If at all he had knowledge and just a fraction understanding of governance, he should have realised that Sata went on a populism spending spree with money we don’t have as a nation. He could have halted all unplanned initiatives disguised as development. Even HH called for these measures he has now adopted. What do you expect from a person who became President by default? By your dollar now because next week it will go back to K14 after the dollar offloaded following the hollow speech runs out. Ati Infintu ni Lungu, *****s, wake up!!

  54. These are the last kick of a dying horse. The damage has already been done. He has no capacity or stomach to reverse this downward trend or even implement the measures he has announced. It is too late and all he is doing is last minute cramming and the measures are too cosmetic. The unit costs are firmly sitting on the exchange rate.

  55. There are ups and downs in economic development – we are just witnessing our share as a country. Let hakaivotela Humwine account for the prvitisation monies. They maybe there will be chance somewhere in 2056

  56. Patrick you called? I am here what balking, President Lungu has agreed to austerity measures that I have always championed. The IMF just spoke my language. He should still not get money from them after March. If you are talking about PF cadres that were arguing with you, they shall not appear, but am always here to state. Viva Zambia.

    Viva President Nawakwi.

  57. Wait elections are in October 2016, and am here talking about them. More important things to do than have my heart bleeding for Nawakwi until then. You guys continue this politicking, shall return to it in July hahaha.

    Viva president Nawakwi.

  58. ” President Lungu bends to IMF conditions, announces austerity measures ”

    Which shows you who is really in charge of the government, and it isn’t the voters.

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