Zambia’s cooperating partners are confident that the government is on the right path to economic recovery.
The sentiments were echoed by various cooperating partners during a recent meeting between the government and Zambia’s foreign friends.
Related to the meeting, Chairperson of the Cooperating Partners Group and Head of the British Department for International Cooperation in Zambia, Bruce Lawson-McDowall, said Zambia has the potential to attract further international investment, develop her economy rapidly and share
proceeds of growth more equally among Zambians.
This is according to a statement issued Ministry of Finance Public Relations Officer Chileshe Kandeta.
“We need to work together to diversify the economy and, as Cooperating
Partners, we stand ready to support continued focus on broad-based and long term growth which will lead to job creation,” said Mr. Lawson-McDowall.
He said to address the immediate fiscal and long term debt challenges, Cooperating Partners were committed to stand alongside Government to address the challenges through a credible economic recovery program embedded in the Seventh National Development Plan [7NDP].
“It will also be important to increase transparency of the budget process and involve a wide-range of stakeholders in the development of the economic recovery program,” he said, adding that, “Cooperating Partners were already providing assistance to; generate evidence of what works; increase the efficiency and effectiveness of government expenditure in addressing poverty; and increase budget credibility.”
The Cooperating Partners urged the Government to ensure that implementation of the 7NDP focusses on setting the right regulatory environment and developing policies that are predictable, consistent and supportive of poverty reduction, private sector growth, and job creation.
Zambia’s Cooperating Partners are currently working with government counterparts in 15 sector groups.
And Finance Minister Felix Mutati will this week be leading a government delegation to the 2016 IMF/World Bank Annual Meetings in Washington DC, United States of America.
“The relationship between Zambia and the International Monetary Fund [IMF] is strong and we look forward to working with you to strengthen this partnership further,” said IMF Director for the African Department Abebe Aemro Selassie in a congratulatory letter delivered to Mr. Mutati by IMF Resident Representative Alfredo Baldini.
“I wish to assure you that we at the IMF are fully committed to assisting you in formulating and implementing policies to stabilize the macroeconomic situation and achieve sustained and inclusive growth for the benefit of all,” reads the letter in part.
The Ministry of Finance has embarked on extensive engagement with internal and external stakeholders to ensure that wide consultation is attained in formulating economic recovery policies which will be announced alongside the 2017 Budget.
As part of the economic recovery program consultation process, Mr. Mutati has in the preceding week also met the Multi-Sectoral Private Sector Group, Cooperating Partners, The Bankers Association of Zambia, The Chamber of Mines, Debt Action Non-State Actors, the Industrial Development Corporation, the Bank of Zambia, and the Zambia Revenue Authority and others.
And World Bank Country Manager for Zambia Ms. Ina Ruthenberg has said Zambia has a portfolio of sixteen active projects with a net commitment of US$ 802 million.
The projects are in agriculture, water, energy and extractive industries, social protection and labour, health, population and nutrition, environment and natural resources, and governance.
Of the sixteen projects, seven are national with a net commitment of US$ 502 million of which only US$ 99 million has been disbursed.
Another seven are regional projects with a net commitment of US$247 million and a further two are trust funded projects with a total value of US$53 million.
During a courtesy call on the Minister, Ms. Ruthenberg expressed concern with Zambia’s the low funds uptake from 2012 to date, “below the African average of 20% of the undisbursed balance annually,” adding that, “Zambia needed to disburse US$ 74.1 million annually to reach the African average
in 2017.
And commenting on the engagement with the development partners, Finance Minister Felix Mutati has said there is need for collaboration in developing a home-grown economic recovery program for Zambia.
“We need to change our mindset and simplify bureaucratic practices in order to quicken our pace of donor resource absorption for important economic activities like irrigation development,’ Mr. Mutati has said.
The Minister has also appealed to the World Bank to streamline regulations governing access to committed resources to ensure that development programs are not inordinately delayed.
I have a good feeling about my country Zambia. I’m looking forward to being a part of this lovely regional hub 😀
There is better persons who could do the job and wirh pedigree and experience be it in Zambia or abroad than mutati who, was appointed not by lungu but by Banda of course.
He is another man with an imbedded chip to enrich himself by 2021.
These people should like Trump be able to explain what they own, tax they pay, their expenses and how they acquired the assets they have.
You know it won’t happen and they won’t, how on earth do you come
Here and telk me you have confidence in mutati again? SOB
Thanks
BB2014
“The Ministry of Finance has embarked on extensive engagement with internal and external stakeholders to ensure that wide consultation is attained in formulating economic recovery policies which will be announced alongside the 2017 Budget.”
If the economic policies have not been formulated, how on earth is Changwa creating 1 million jobs.?
….everything is being done transparently and we are ALL free to follow. Whether ‘Mushota’ likes it or not, we have a country that:
(i) is evidently rapidly developing and
(ii) is ours.
Thanks (y)
Before the 11 August 2016 election I made it clear. I said, ‘if I win I will accept the result, if I lose I will not accept the result’.
When the elections were conducted I made it very clear that the elections flawed, fraudulent and not free and fair. Therefore I did not accept that Lungu won.
But I offered the process a chances to correct things a make the election flawless, non-fraudulent and free and fair.
I said let us do a recount so that if I win then then I can be declared winner. And the same election that was flawed can become flawless, non-fraudulent and free and fair by virtue of me winning.
But my offer was rejected leaving Lungu to remain the declared winner, which meant that the process remained flawed.
I can’t understand why the institutions could not…
@HH Lover…: This is the problem you have in UPND, you people speak like you live on another planet. Presidents, the world over, only articulate BROADER POLICY DIRECTIONS of the Country. Details and the minutiae of those policies are left to their surrogates who, in our Zambia setup, are Cabinet Ministers—and that is what Minister of Finance is doing here; gathering facts and details to PUT THE MEAT, so to speak, to the BONES (the BROAD POLICY FRAMEWORK) the President announced a few days ago. This is how it is done everywhere in the world. I mean, you surely don’t expect the President to be doing this himself, do you?
In the past, you are the same people who criticised Govt for NOT CONSULTING WIDELY before formulating and Implementing economic policies. And now they do it, you…
continue:
… still want to b!tch about it. So what exactly do want Govt to do!?
1. Do western governments support African dictatorships and election riggers?
NO.
2. Are these diplomats the same ones that HH met and feted at his house?
YES.
3. Did the western monitors declare elections free and fair and that Lungu was the winner.
YES.
4. Did HH present his case within 14 days?
No, even though he could have done so within the first three days if he had evidence.
5. So what is HH crying about?
Kaya, maybe he is crying that this was the last chance for him to become the real president.
Jeez mate, even when a topic is not about rigging and HH, somehow you manage to bring the man into the discussion. Don’t you just love him, even though you preten not to. You must be dreaming about him in your sleep. Is this the question of the ‘guilty ones are always afraid’?
Back to the topic… first the statement was issued by these propaganda machines of this thieving govt, who could trust what they say? 2nd international protocol demands that an international diplomat always say nice and rosy things. We need to see it to believe it. Zambia would have been a haven for prosperity if we had genuine politicians who care about working for the people. Not these genetically engineered bunch of thieves who only care about enriching themselves. Simply forget about it as it ain’t gonna…
PF’s victory is hollow. That’s why they desperately want UPND to submit to their “loss”.
The working government
The corrupt, clueless, illegitimate and fake government.
Potential ,implementation… are two different things.We are exposed to too many falsehoods. The same IMF will impose a restructuring but painful process once we borrow their money.
We are are always turning to the imperialists. We are still economically colonized as we can’t seem to make it on our own without the ‘dead aid’ donors.
So, one hand, you find PF members admonishing the donors, and on the other hand they know they can’t do without them. Anyway, we hope for the best in your endeavors Mr. Felix.
Before the 11 August 2016 election I made it clear. I said, ‘if I win I will accept the result, if I lose I will not accept the result’.
When the elections were conducted I made it very clear that the elections were flawed, fraudulent and not free and fair. Therefore I did not accept that Lungu won.
But I offered the process a chance to correct things a make the election flawless, non-fraudulent and free and fair.
I said let us do a recount so that if I win then then I can be declared winner. And the same election that was flawed can become flawless, non-fraudulent and free and fair by virtue of me winning.
But my offer was rejected leaving Lungu to remain the declared winner, which meant that the process remained flawed.
ALL LEARNED ZAMBIANS KNOW THAT ZAMBIA HAS GREAT POTENTIAL TO DEVELOP ITS ECONOMY VERY VERY VERY RAPIDLY AND EVERY ZAMBIAN CAN ENJOY A PIECE OF THE NATIONAL CAKE. OUR PROBLEM AS A COUNTRY IS PERPERTUALLY PUTTING WRONG PEOPLE TO MANAGE OUR ECONOMY. UNDER EDGAER LUNGU’S REIGN ZAMBIA IS GOING NOWHERE. THE GUY HAS NO VISION.
It’s sounds all very encouraging! But really, ‘Zambia’s Cooperating Partners,’ who and what’s in it for these folks? Please don’t sell the country to colonialism again! We thank them all the same.
Development partners confident of economic recovery for Lungu and all the thieving politicians.