Water Aid Country Director Pamela Chisanga has described the 2018 national budget as the most uninspiring in Zambia’s history.
In her post budget analyzing, Ms Chisanga said a budget without budget accountability is a huge scam.
She said, “Having gone through the budget, I was tempted to share my analysis of the budget but I decided it was really pointless. I was invited to a post budget discussion yesterday that I did not attend because I realised that these post budget discussions do not really achieve much.”
“A budget without budget accountability is a huge scam. This is where we seem to have lost it. It is common knowledge that each year, all resources allocated to basic social sectors have not been disbursed in many years and this this is now somewhat standard practice,” she said.
Ms Chisanga stated that the for the water and sanitation sector, disbursements have been around 40% while utilisation is another challenge.
“I visited a school last week that has not received any government grant for the last 3 years. The grant is only about K600 and even in years when they have received, they have not had more than 3 disbursements in a year!”
“What happens to the rest of the resources? Is the money diverted to ‘critical’ areas such as 42 fire engines for $42m?”
She has also questioned government’s promise of distributing free sanitary pads to girls in public schools.
“What has happened to the sanitary towels that were promised to our young girls in schools? Other countries emulated our brilliant initiative and they have implemented while we remain with the flowery budget presentation,” she stated.
“As we have all these budget discussions, breakfast meetings and so forth, the best we can do is take govt to task and hold them accountable for the 2017 budget execution,” Ma Chisanga said.
“Overall, I find the 2018 budget the most uninspiring in our nations history.”
Well spoken mama Pamela. This government has taken us for f00ls indeed. They allocate monies to certain sectors of the economy which they very well know that those sectors will never receive the money. it is just there on paper that the money was allocated and as Zambians we just continue watching these id1ots without making them accountable for the promises they make.
Most Africans we stand up to offer contribution when everything has been “done and deal..ed”. I do remember very well in the middle of this year cabinet office asking the public and other independent organizations for any contributions to the 2018 budget. So then, where was madam Pamela? Wasn’t such contribution going to make significant impact to the budget? All you want is glory and glory and glory for being an armchair critic which we seem to specialize in Zambia now… something termed as reactionary as opposed to pro Action…
With due respect madam Pamela it is your comment which is uninspiring. You visit one school which probabably is headed by a member of an opposition party and you start drawing wrong conclusions. Visit the whole country and see the massive develoments taking place. Like chishimba kambwili once said before he lost his job as minister, Zambia is a country under construction. I have always admired that man CK buy his rantings of late leave much to be admired. S phiri
Li hule….
Year in year out we are becoming accustomed to the Budget which doesn’t favor the Zambia’s working class. The Zambian class who are contributing to the economy of the nation are exposed to harsh conditions such as no meaningful salaries, vast taxes of different nature which milks their little salaries in the end.
Our government need to balance up when it comes to emoluments of Zambian people, despite the food basket skyrocketing the salaries have remained static.
People are surviving on debts as if they don’t work, the lending institutions have taken advantage of the poor salaries of Zambian workers and established institutions which charge absurd rates for the money borrowed by these poor people who have no alternative apart from borrowing to survive and take their children to…
Thats very true….
….working…
You know why we are never taken serious with our criticisms? We are too lazy to dig deeper in information research. This lady’s argument is very correct however it lacks the required details to show the extent of budget UN-accountability by the GRZ. She should have showed us figures in various sectors that have not received its allocation for 2017. That school she alluded to, she should have gone further and discussed with someone at that very school to hear why such a situation has been happening. We have heard reports of funding being suspended to some institutions because of mismanagement or non retiring with the ministry. It is therefore not enough to pick a school without much details. The only way you ca fight this government is with figures in hand!
SORRY NO BUDGET PROVISION FOR PROSTITUTES LIKE YOU OR IS IT SEX WORKERS.
People that are critical always bring confusion in the nation and lack knowledge.Most of them that are critical don’t have spiritual insight of what God has in stole for this country.
Zambia is a Christian nation we believe in unity,peace and harmony.United we stand and divided we fall.We have never had war in Zambia so let’s not allow negative critics destroy this nation.They’re there to bring confusion in the nation.We are a peaceful country and let us remain as we have always been and as we are known around the world to be peace makers and friendly people.God bless you All.
Very good point for any well meaning Zambian.
Especially females who are running organizations;and why is it many of them are not married? Last weekend we had Laura miti and tomorrow obvious we have ant marriage woman,wait and see
This is the most uninspiring analysis of the budget – literally no analysis at all, just the desire to be heard.
Its not that the budget is uninspiring but more that it lacks disbursement details of the undisbursed sums hence that is the issue….2021zedforward
PF FAILS to pay school K600 – What are they up to now?
Fire tenders – $42 million they said? MMMmmmmm I think that the current Zambian government is Fantastically corrupt
Hey wena, go back to 2012!! Ask Chishimba Kambwili and Winter.
I just read a very sad story from a Mr Phiri – Eastern. Not a Tonga man by the way. Hate for Tongas is sick but then it is not ONLY Tongas who are facing hardship:
Dear Mr President: An Open Letter To HE Pres. Edgar Chagwa Lungu
Bwembya Mutale | October 2, 2017
Open Letter to The President of the Republic of Zambia
State House
Lusaka
RE: A SAD STORY OF A RETURNING ZAMBIAN WHO INVESTED IN THE COUNTRY AND LOST EVERYTHING-THE CASE OF A WRONG INVESTMENT IN THE TIMBER SECTOR
Your Excellency Sir, I know that you do not know me and most likely you have never heard about me before. I am a returning Zambian who heeded the call by the former Presidents to return and invest in Zambia. Every time we had a Zambian President visit China and meet the Zambian community there, they all echoed…
There is great need for capacity building on Social Accountability for everyone. Rights holders holding duty bearers accountable for services, opportunities and opportunities to better their lives. Leave no one behind! People do not know their rights so they are now aware when their rights are violated ie: deprivation of services and many more.
Madam Pamela, if what is written by Lusaka Times is what you said, if feel you do not fit to be Director of that NGO. I may be mistaken your comments would be meant to excite your pay masters so that you have another salarry. That said…when you critic in public be conscious that people will analyse your statements. I was trying to follow your argument but could not find substance in your comments…you have a right to take to task those in government who are misappropriating public funds. As NGO you are well placed to do such. If you go to the street, what are you going to achieve? The best you can do as NGO is to raise such important matters with approriate bodies like Auditor General, this office works