The Ministry of Finance says the 2017 National Budget will not be presented this Friday contrary to some media statements.
In a statement, Ministry Spokesman Chileshe Kandeta said the budget will be announced after consultations with stakeholders, Ministries, Provinces, spending agencies and Cabinet are exhausted.
Mr Kandeta said media statements quoting the Ministry as having stated the date for budget presentation are misleading.
“According to Part XVI, Public Finance and Budget, Article 202 clause (3) of the Constitution, “In a year where a general election is held, the Minister responsible for finance shall cause to be prepared and laid before the National Assembly, within ninety days of the swearing in of the President, estimates of revenue and expenditure for the Republic for the next financial year,” he said.
“In this regard, there is a maximum of ninety [90] days following the swearing of the President on Tuesday 13th September, 2016, in which to present the budget to the National Assembly. This is sufficient time for Cabinet to give guidance on policy and program priorities for the 2017 National Budget, and for the Medium Term Expenditure Framework [2017-2019].”
Mr Kandeta said so far, the Ministry is on course with preparations for the 2017 National Budget and the 2017-2019 Medium Term Expenditure Framework [MTEF].
He said the Ministry is confident that all preparatory processes will be completed smoothly.
“The Ministry of Finance is in the process of engaging with internal and external stakeholders to ensure that broad consultation is attained in formulating economic recovery and stabilisation policies which will be announced in 2017 budget address. Further, to facilitate revenue related consultations, the Ministry, several months ago, issued an invitation for stakeholders, interest groups and ordinary members of the public to submit proposals for Tax and Non-Tax Revenue Policy review. The response has been good and the submissions are being studied in order for us to arrive at optimal measures which will be proposed to Cabinet for consideration,” Mr Kandeta said.
“In our open invitation to the public, individual stakeholders especially organisations representing interest groups were encouraged to ensure that internal consultations were conducted so that submissions which they finally presented to the Ministry had the full support and ownership the majority of their membership. Many stakeholders have complied with this requirement.
We are glad with the outcome of our invitation as it is consistent with government’s policy of ensuring that planning and implementation of financial and economic policies and programs is widely consultative. In respect of the public sector, a budget call circular will soon be issued and budget hearings conducted in the process of finalising the estimates of expenditure.”
More time to factor in IMF inputs I guess
Just admit that you cannot balance the books. With IMF calling the shots and the Eurobonds depleted, there is no massive infrastructure developments any more. Wriggle room is zero. And Kandeta, you will soon be talking politely, however stiffly, to the credit rating agencies you were rubbishing last year.
We are not kids just accept that PF has no money and IMF has refused to bail them out.They are still borrowing.We know Mutati was cheated now that he knows Zambia is ain a recesion he wants to resign to serve his face.Twala mimona bafikala you thought running a government ku bomfya a kofi olo fibaka.Mwanya ba PF.Stealing votes is easy but looking after people is no joke.HH tiye nabo paka ba zalila.
Just say you can not go ahead with the presentation because IMF has not yet approved it. The budget will only be presented after IMF approves it in other words our budget will be doctored by IMF and for your own information last week Mutati and Mulusa went to the USA to present the budget to IMF who were not satisfied with some of the adjustments especially on subsidies, Electricity tariffs and wage freeze. Aba bambi balimucibe pa Zed bola naikosa lolololo
THERE GOES THE SMOOTH CRIMINAL CHAKOLWA LUNGU. THIS GUY WILL NEVER BE SERIOUS ON ISSUES OF GOVERNANCE. ONLY WINING AND DINING IS IN LUNGU’S DNA. CRY MY BELOVED COUNTRY. ZAMBIA IS UNDER SIEGE. WE NEED TO EMANCIPATE OURSELVES FROM THIS DICTATORSHIP OF LUNGU. THIS GUY IS HIGHLY OPPRESSIVE, IMAGINE FOR HIM TO DAILY UNLEASH POLICE ON THE ZAMBIAN PEOPLE TO BRUTALIZE US. CHAGWA MUST FALL!
They need to work out how they can loot the coffers before preparing the budget or all the money has already been looted so there is no money to work out a budget
These mangwams have just learnt that the $1.2bn they want to steal from the IMF will be spread over 3 years in instalments, with preconditions and performance monitoring by the IMF before the release of the next tranche. This is not “free money” of the Eurobond-type to be stolen at will.
How can you budget when you dont have your own funds…really laughable!!
Budget is in New-York at IMF being chopped, cut, sliced, trimmed till it’s as skinny as LUNGU himself.
Even he himself LUNGU told u I have no vision. The Bible says in Proverbs 29:18 says “where there’s no VISION, people PERISH”.
We told u but u didnt want to listen, styopetly dancing to Duny0ny0 Reverse. Your tears of joy will soon turn to tears of anguish.
Government just wants time to do the right thing. Up and Down. Always negative
PF and Lungu have never done the right thing for Zambia. It is them first, even if Zambians will be in debt for the next 500 years. PF are a bunch of callous opportunists.
Pfools, what are you saying?
That is because nothing positive can come out of a PF budget. Five of these PF budgets have depleted the coffers, sending Zambia with a begging bowl to the IMF.
They spent the forex reserves MMD had built up, spent the funds for local bonds, foreign bonds. They went to the pension funds and spent their money, even chewing the funds they had given to Zambia Railways. They only wanted to siphone the system through their corrupt roads project. They gave a wage increase that is not sustainable. They fly to New York at a high cost. Now they ask Zambians to sacrifice.
Dununa Reverse!
so many people could have been paid but they used the money for campaign, where the frank bwalyas bought some suits.
REALLY LAUGHABLE. BOTTOM LINE HOW CAN ONE BUDGET WITHOUT MONEY.
@ Kubweka: good question and the answer is: there will not be any budget for 2017. There will, however, be weekly & monthly projections only. Someone will cry one day; at this pace! I foresee a situation where salaries that were awarded to civil servants may be reduced or a good number of civil servants may be retrenched. What about that increment given to chiefs? Has it been implemented?
Hahahaha Everyone else knows what is happening, except the PF and its cadres.
If there is no budget address tomorrow, at the very least, we expect Lungu to come to Parliament to dance Dununa Reverse for us all in lieu. Zambians deserve a spectacle of a numbskull President making a PF00L of himself in public.
You’re all missing the point. Government is dispelling rumors that it intended to “sneak ” in the budget without the usual input from all stakeholders. As for whether there’s money or not is a matter of usual Zambian Kachepa.
Which stakeholders will agree to higher taxes and higher prices on electricity, fuel and agricultural inputs? That type of budget can be derived by Mutati on his own in his holy office without talking to anybody.
Buck Teeth HH, your mind is so set that only negatives are coming out of you. So how do you convince Mutati not to increase taxes etc without first meeting him? So how are you going to condemn him even before you’ve tried him. It’s like you hide a cup and then “find ” it so that you look like a hero.
Here you are stake holders, a chance to present your analysed contributions. Do not come and say we were not given a chance to contribute. Most of us would rather comment after the issue is sealed but is this healthy?
Budget has to be approved elsewhere.. these stakeholders include IMF ,World bank and other donors.We have no money to finance the budget.