Friday, March 29, 2024

Lungu to only go on trips that are economically beneficial to Zambia-Kalaba

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President Edgar Lungu with Mr Harry Kalaba foreign affairs minister at NEPAD Summit
President Edgar Lungu with Mr Harry Kalaba foreign affairs minister at NEPAD Summit

PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has upheld his promise to only undertake international trips that are economically beneficial to Zambia, Foreign Affairs Minister Harry Kalaba has said.

He said here yesterday that the President’s meetings with the heads of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) tomorrow were a demonstration of his determination to see Zambia’s diversification programme to its logical conclusion.

Mr Kalaba said Mr Lungu’s administration was eager to shift Zambia’s economy away from over-dependence on copper mining.

He said the President’s meetings with FAO director-general, José Graziano da Silva and his IFAD counterpart, Kanayo Nwanze were crucial to Zambia’s fortification of the agriculture sector and mitigation of the effects of climate change.

Mr Kalaba said this when he addressed Zambian journalists at the Westin Excelsior Hotel, ahead of the President’s arrival in Italy today.

He said apart from his visit to the Vatican tomorrow, Mr Lungu would be here to draw from the expertise of the Rome-based organisations in order to cement the agriculture sector and, thereby, fight hunger and poverty among the Zambian people.

IFAD is the leading multilateral investor in the livelihoods of poor rural producers in developing countries worldwide, including Zambia.

Its work is directed by the needs and concerns of poor smallholder farmers, agricultural labourers, pastoralists, foresters, fishers and small entrepreneurs in rural areas.

IFAD’s highly specialised mission is to enable poor rural people to overcome poverty, as its overarching goal is to help them improve their lives by building farm and non-farm enterprises that are viable, sustainable and integrated into national and global markets and value chains.

By raising productivity, the programmes IFAD funds make it possible for smallholders to move beyond subsistence farming and grow surplus produce for the market.

The three main goals for FAO are eradication of hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition, as well as sustainable management and utilisation of natural resources, including land, water, air, climate and genetic resources.

Mr Kalaba said the President had kept his promise to only undertake trips that would attract investments to Zambia.

“The President is serious about seeking investments into the energy, agriculture and all the sectors as Zambia needs to overcome its economic challenges. Climate change has not spared us and so we need alternative sources of energy.

“This is an important trip and the President is serious about cutting down on costs; that is why I am the only minister who has accompanied him here,” Mr Kalaba said.

President Lungu is expected to land at Fiumicino Airport in Rome at 12:40 hours, local time and will be in Italy up to Saturday, when he leaves for other business engagements in Paris, France.

37 COMMENTS

    • The Pope will talk to God to make sure Lungus day of prayer will work.

      This is the PF plan for fixing inflation and the collapse of the Kwacha.

      And they can drink some good church wine together.

    • I can’t wait for Lungu to make one final “economically beneficial trip to Zambia” on 11th August 2016!

    • In other words Kalaba is confirming what we already know that most trips Edgar Lungu have had no economic value to the country but only to himself..a chance to buy designer suits, etc. Going to the Vatican is one campaign gimmick to show Edgar is a Christian. But action speak louder than words. Allow opposition to feely mingle with eletrrorate; let public media be professional

    • LT, just because the message is from PF doesnt mean that you have to publish. We are tired or reading irrelevant topics. How is the Kwacha doing, is inflation reducing, do we have enough hospitals in the country, how is the government investing in Agriculture and Education, is it profitable to invest in Zambia, what are we doing to attract tourists to come to Zambia, is ECZ preparing well for elections, what is the crime rate in Zed, do we have any update on rigging allegations by Timor Consulting, what is the level of freedom of speech, is Gender-Based-Violence against women and children declining, what are we doing to keep the mines profitable, etc., etc.?

      Is this site all about politics and nothing else. This is where the Post beats you. Your articles are way too shallow, its like…

    • But Mr Harry Kalaba, THIS IS THE PROBLEM!

      The dull drunkard DOES NOT EVEN KNOW WHAT IS “ECONOMICALLY BENEFICIAL” FOR ZAMBIA!

      PF is busy doing “massive infrastructure” building roads with corrupt contracts and what Zambia REALLY NEEDS is Zesco electricity and reliable water supplies!

      10 Billion US dollars SPENT ON THE WRONG THINGS OR STOLEN! Don’t tell us he is doing things that are economically beneficial. That is just another PF LIE. He does not even know what is economically beneficial otherwise he would not have chartered a plane for US$ 300.000 to go and give a speech that you could have made!

    • “Senior Engineer RTD”, thanks for revealing your true colors – you are a typical sheep, always led by others, following without thinking!! So you protested outside French embassy, & you never thought there would be consequences? As an ENGINEER you should know thw laws of PHYSICS better than anyone else – “TO EVERY ACTION, THERE IS AN EQUAL & OPPOSITE REACTION!!!”
      It seems as far as you were concerned – if you knew UNZA would be closed, you would have stayed in the ruins pounding!! You seem not to appreciate the protest against Apartheid!
      You also seem to forget that the kids you are talking about are NOT that same ones who would have learnt from previous episodes – So it is very good for them to experience militancy- for a cause that is right at the heart of their welfare – Chakolwa…

    • Can we talk about Orange Allaince please- the fastest growing party in Africa.

      It is presdeint is called Mr. Miles Sampa. A graduate from havard

      Thanks
      BB2014

    • LUNGU’S TRIPS ARE ALL EXTRAVAGANT AND A SERIOUS INDISCIPLINE ON THE PART OF THE PRESIDENT. LUNGU SHOULD TOTALLY HALT ANY FORM OF TRAVEL OUTSIDE THE COUNTRY, AND EVEN WITHIN THE COUNTRY. LUNGU HAS FINISHED OUR MONEY. OUR CHILDREN AND OUR LECTURERS AT THE UNIVERSITIES ARE NOT PAID THEIR DUES BECAUSE LUNGU HAS DIVERTED THIS MONEY TO ONLY SATISFY HIMSELF AND HIS MINIONS AROUND HIM, AND DISRUPT LEARNING THRU THESE UNCALLED FOR PREMATURE CLOSURES. CAN WE THEREFORE SAY WE HAVE GOVERNMENT AT WORK? NO THANK YOU. WHAT WE ONLY HAVE ARE LOOTERS AND CRIMINALS MASQUERADING AS OUR LEADERS. LUNGU SHOULD ACCOUNT FOR ALL THESE ATROCITIES COMMITTED BY HIS OVERZEALOUS AND ILLITERATE POLICE. WE ARE LIVING IN A FREE WORLD, AND HUMANS SHOULD BE RESPECTED. STUDENTS AT UNIVERSITIES ARE OUR LIVE WIRE AS A NATION…

  1. Mr. Kalaba, it’s too late! How do you explain Lungu’s 20 foreign trips in One year against Sata’s 6 trips in 3 years! How does it benefit Zambia for Lungu to Charter a plane with Mampi & JK and 250 party cadres costing $300,000!!
    Bwana, it is too little too late! August 11 is at hand! We will have our say about this “Chipantechipante” administration!

    • What you are insinuating at is that- Mr Michael Sata was a great Presdeint arguably a benchmark and the best there ever was?

      If so you have got it- Tour are right.

      Please also vote someone who is likley to replicate that energy in Miles Sampa.

      Thanks

      Bb2014

    • Sata was a useless takataka President. He set the benchmark so low that he could only be succeeded by Lungu. And now Scarface Kalaba is telling us lies about Lungu’s foreign trips.How is a trip to the Vatican economically beneficial to Zambians? Is it a spiritual or business visit?

    • Kalaba was actually saying that Lungus trips in the past were were of no economic value to Zambia. kalaba should be fired for insulting the head of state

  2. ….that’s why students are all over rioting because they are aware of the extravagance of the administration…like a parent who fails to pay school fees in time but the children are fully aware of extra marital affairs of their father and his drinking habits…..
    …we don’t need to be told about ECL trips, he can go to the moon for all we care….that’s ECL’s prerogative….not even the parliament can regulate that…just ensure that there is enough in the govt coffers for other serious issues….

  3. what is given luvinda doing if at all the president is doing by himself? such meetings we have ministers to attend why are we paying them then? this gov. is full or confused chaps. the other day lubinda said we have enough maize in stock following day the vp also said we are going to import. so who should we believe?
    the president is out leaving problems at our two learning universities leading to closure. a normal leader would have cancelled this trip and attend to the problem. the trip to vatican is all about gossip because of the strong letter which our bishops wrote and nothing economical.

    • LUNGU has gone to buy his farewell designer suits from Italy and from Paris in front for the last time. So he doesn t like Lubinda s choice he might buy him 19 footsack suits. LOL

  4. Don’t believe these PF liers. These characters are failures and the entire Govt is a mess and collapsed. Meanwhile chagwa wastes more money by taking another useless trip to Europe whose business only him knows. That money could cleared all the students allowances.

  5. It seems the success of this trip lies only in the President carrying one minister than implementing what will be discussed.

    Instead of borrowing good farming methods they will, as always, focus on borrowing Dollars for misappropriation.

  6. It would be beneficial for the directors of IFAD & FAO to come to Zambia. Kadansa is just going for shopping running away from the problems at unza & cbu. Even the 10 minutes meeting with the Pope has been rendered useless by the happenings back home. Kadansa would do well to learn from #whatwouldmagufulido.

    • If this a business trip, what can Zambia export to the Vatican to help our disfigured kwacha, what business trip naimwe, you can’t see that begging bow in his hands.

    • We can export all the violent cadres to the Vatican so that they are reformed and turned into slaves and sent back to work on our sugar plantations for free they can put their panga skills to gainful use

    • Yes go ahead and travel waistin money while students riot.
      You don’t need to go to Rome to meet those organisations, they have enough money to come to Zambia by appointment, unless lungu and kalaba went to get brochers to show the illitrate kaponya supporters back home. And what is in France???

    • Job description? BEGGING AFTER 21 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE? WITH ALL THE COPPER LEAD AND OTHER MINERALS IN OUR COUNTRY? NO NO NO BY NOW WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RICH NATION IF WE DID NOT HAVE PLUNDERS GOVERNING US.

  7. Surely how does the whole president go to meet Heads of Organisations? When the Minister of Agriculture can do that at see cost? Of what economic importance is visiting the Vatican to us

  8. Harry Kalaba, Minister of Foreign Trips and Extra Marital Affairs, just look at his big ring! You sir and your boss will be held to account very soon. Signing of the amended constitution at Disaster Stadium cost over K24million, money which could have been used to sort out issues at CBU and UNZA. Edgar “No Vision” Lungu’s leadership.

  9. Honestly does EL have to be the one who travels even if trips will benefit Zambia? Where are the ministers of the concerned Ministry. In this case of the meeting with IFAD, where is the Minist of Agriculture? EL micromanages the government. Is he conversant with Agric. What should’ve done is in such cases EL meets with the Minister and they brain storm. Then the Minister travels.
    So Vatican trip is beneficial to Zambia?

  10. Ba Chagwa has a warped mind and all he thinks and dreams of is how much money he can make out of these trips instead of worrying about the economic distress Zambians are in country wide. He doesn’t care for anyone but himself and possibly for his family and his cabinet as to what they can plunder. By the time August 11, comes they will leave skeletons of Zambia so bare and gruesome. God help us by delivering this country from the satanic poison of these pf mafias.

  11. Harry Kalaba must just shut his mouth. I know he is talking the way he is to keep his job. How can he say the trip to Rome is economically viable when Edgar Chakolwa Lungu has carried party cadres such as Mumbi Hule Phiri? Is she being financed by the party or the government? This is nonsense. Kalaba must not think that Zambians are foolish.

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