UPND Spokesperson Charles Kakoma said that this was not a wise decision to on one hand try to save the little resources for operations and on the other hand send five ministers who will be entitled to allowances,lodging, airfares and upkeep in that country in addition to people who will accompany them.
Mr Kakoma said that Zambia has a fully fledged embassy in China which can be delegated to deal with the matter and advised the Government to send only the Finance Minister for the undertaking to be assisted by the embassy staff.
Mr Kakoma further said that the UPND feels the PF government is not serious about the measures they announced through Finance Minister Margret Mwanakatwe to cut government expenditure.
Meanwhile, Center for Trade Policy and Development (CTPD) Executive Director, Isaac Mwaipopo has said that while the decision to send a delegation of Ministers to China to discuss the restructuring program of Zambia’s debt is welcome, the delegation is too much.
Mr Mwaipopo reminded the government of the need to be mindful of the numbers of Ministers and other Government officials making international trips on government expense.
Mr Mwaipopo said that two Ministers from Finance and Foreign Affairs with a few technocrats could be sent on the mission to China.
Mr Mwaipopo said that the decision to send the delegation to discuss the debt restructuring program is welcome considering that 30 percent of Zambia’s external debt is owed to China.
Mr Mwaipopo said that this serves as an acknowledgement on the part of the government of the growing debt problem.
UPND is Tribal Horganisation and Terrorist Horganisation. Its leaders and cadres are in “Attack mode” – Mapatizya Formula, all the time, everytime! They are not prepared to listen to logic or reason but their minds are made with filth of hate and tribalism, therefore, any subject that comes up they go Hagainst it! Yesterday, I wrote that I worked with some Indian Doctors, they jumped on the statement without full understanding stating that “I worked as a toilet cleaner!” I actually used to clean cow dung on HH’s farm. Everytime I never did so the dung went to his brain and all his visitors who are a majority of his supporters! Don’t be surprised when you see signs of Childish in all of them.
There is a lot of wastage in this government 5 minsters? Isn’t it the prime responsibility of the ministry of finance?
Last week the minister of mines arrived a day late for the mines meeting in London the speech had to be read for him by the high commissioner.
If he knew that he wouldn’t make it way travel?
Expenditure control is important we don’t have it in zambia
To be honest, Kakoma has a point..
Thanks
BB2014,2016
What this means is that Lungu’s ministers have nothing to do at their respective Ministries. When one Minister travel, a colleague from a different ministry acts in that position. Now what happens when 5 ministers travel at the same time. Lungu, I repeat, is not fit for purpose.
Sharon, unfortunately you’re the one who displays incredible childishness. Maybe even worse than Mushota. I’m not a UPND member, nor do I even support HH. I think he needs to let others challenge him for UPND leadership. I try to look at issues OBJECTIVELY, which you fail to do. You’re actually the one who supports PF no matter what. Any kind of criticism towards your dear leader, Lungu, riles you up into defense mode. To you, Lungu and PF can never do wrong. That’s what’s childish . Secondly, not all people on this forum who criticize Lungu and PF are UPND members. You have to bear that in mind. There are many other political parties in Zambia. And some people here don’t belong to any party. Even in America there are people who are neither Republicans nor Democrats. They’re…
(Continued)… independents. Wasteful spending is condemned in any democratic country, and where the government can save some money, they have to do so. Don’t you agree with that?
It’s not about number, it’s about caliber. Imagine days of:
Katele
Nawakwi
Silwamba
Mungomba
Messrs Kakoma and Mwaipopo got points to ponder worthy of taking heed though in some cases to think of the embassies involvement the question of caliber comes to the fore considering that staffing in Zambian missions is full of party cadres with no relevant quality!
@ Nostradamus oh it’s hurting evoking the nostalgia! These people knew how to get a job done!
No one is asking what this debt is and the rate of interest. Where are the loan contracts? All we hear is debt owed to China. Who knows what the small print is about these loans? Who bound Zambia?
UPND is redundant and should be disbanded to pave way to a new strongest opposition to PF. They have stopped making sense and quite frankly they are better off defunct and in extinction! Farewell comrades you fought the battle well but it was not to be, maybe in the next life!
We all saw the picture of the GRZ vehicle Kaizer Zulu crashed in a couple of days ago. The question is, is Zulu a cabinet minister to drive so expensive a vehicle? There has been nothing like that until Lungu came into government. And they come to you and tell they care about the poor.
@1.10, If you are a worker I’m sure you must know about conditions of service. Zulu operates at a very high level at State House and you expect him to drive a Vitz in his official capacity. Everything associated with the Presidency must reflect the dignity of that office. Don’t be petty. If you were in Zulu’s shoes would you rather ride to State House on a bicycle to show how concerned you are with the poor.
We have seen presidential aides before the PF came into govt. They were driving lower range 4x4s and they always behaved themselves. They did not go around intimidating people or police officers. Thank you for defining the morality of the PF. You have just confirmed that you never think of the moral implications of the decisions they take. The Catholic Church is the next widely spread institution after govt. Its clergy and nuns drive lower range 4x4s and they still cover the whole country.
running a government is not the same as running small, SIDO organisations like failed political parties. 5 line affected ministries are best placed to explain the effects and repercussions of said debt negotiations.
ubukopo mu chalo chesu nifulu
Which one minster of finance can’t do?
Isukulu lisuma sana!
So you sent Kampyongo Bowman mwila chitotela ifikopo fyeka fyeka! To yap the same thiing ala twachula twafweni?
Icho!!!! as a DILDO. chabasoka!! tell them ze bigge!!!!
Yaba, why would I even employ any one of them if they can’t fulfil there roles. So they are just wasting valuable resources and space like the fellow in plot one. No wonder we should painfully look into AI, robots can bring us up to speed with other developed nation within a year or year – no laziness, corruption, ubufi, nepotism, tribalism …
When they come back they will be building blocks of mansion without borrowing from any bank. THEY WILL BE REMEMBERED AS THE PARTY THAT SOLD THE NATION TO THE BEST BIDDER IF NOT WORST.
Dildo so why do you let bakapoya to run govt? Use your common sense please, SIDO is written all over your deeds.
Ministers are working hard. They give reports frequently and every minister has to see to it that his ministry is running with developmental projects being monitored frequently. How do you think the government has made it to take development to all parts of Zambia than at any period of Zambia in a shortest period of time? Underestimate the President at your own peril! Hazaluza Hagain! He is unelectable. I mean Childish.
You were indeed cleaning the toilets of Indian doctors …….dont you know that even a grade 7 can take development with $17 billion at disposal…
These are austerity measures otherwise we would have sent the whole cabinet including provincial ministers.
Childish!
UPND is *organised Crime! See how they come and put thumbs *-up for one *-another! Even on No-nzelu! That is how they do too when they get one of theirs in top management!
Looks like the toliets for indian docters you were cleaning left a lasting impression on you…..
Ba Jona only knows how to run a bottle store /Shebeen in Chawama, which only had a daily budget of K120.00ngwee!!
To ask such a guy to understand vast national resources & how to effectively manage such budgets is like asking a Cat to swim, or a Dog to fly, simply put will never happen.
Any wonder Pombe’s lack of financial discipline led to him embezzling a widows cash, so he can keep his badly managed bottle store afloat, & retain some change for drinking chibuku, whilst pursuing his favourite pastime, sunsharing, & kwasa-kwasaring to Kalindula & soukous.
Ba Lungu is clueless. You cannot get someone who failed to sort out his own life ending up to live in Chawama with a pit latrine and bathing mu kabbafwa (Throwing water up with his hands and it falls on him as a shower) who is an attorney. This man is a failed man as an adult. He lived on kaloba and stealing and he continues even in the highest office in Zambia. Busy amakampeni while the country sinks even deeper into debt. Lungu has no solution to anything apart from ubungo. Bumukukulu. Zambians, yes you hate yourselves, but try to test some normal life. You are being mortgaged and you are losing value as human beings as you continue putting ifiwelewele in offices. They have no solution and will always go begging as foreigners walk out of that country with bags and bags of wealth. What a…
HH the thief of privatization funds of our mines and inside dealer has no clue that he is UNELECTABLE and is dull! You ha right!
Zambia’s debt is in categories: 1. Direct loans between the govts, 2. Direct project financing arrangements with Chinese companies, 3. Loans through third parties with GRZ as guarantor, 4. Debts by default, these fell due but Boma hasn’t paid, etc. By negotiating to convert these 3rd party loans it will save 18% in interests. It’s not as easy as asking Mr Lee that I don’t have money so I will pay you in September. Therefore UPND and Kakoma are being petty
There is no difference between sending MPs to Kenya to learn about corruption eradication and sending ministers to China for debt talks.
There is too much wastage of national resources in this nation.Most of the resources are wasted on trivialities and puerile issues.We do not put our resources where it matters most.
Debt management can also be done in our highest institution of learning like universities and colleges.We have lectures who have excelled in management of debt and economical issues.We do not need Chinese to lecture us on prudent management of resources.Chinese will not be conversant of the economical landscape and scope of our nation.
Considering that the loans could be over $3 billion, it is justifiable to send a high powered delegation to China. May be the opposition party will be sincere and adhere to its own belief of relying on diplomats to conduct political negotiations. But that is yet to be seen. If all wishes could come true, then the underdevelopment would not exist in the first place.
Kasonde, are you sure you are educated or just use Dr for fun? Do you think they will come with suitcases of money? Do you realize that they are going for debt restructuring of the present debt as they find themselves in a hard place to pay as IMF keep kicking them. Some times you must read and comprehend. Ulesebanya amasambililo.
Austerity measures only apply to commoners like me.So you people when this regime spoke about austerity measures you believed them? They think by only sending two ministers their pleas for help won’t be heard
Very true.
A video/telefon conference would do. No need for anyone to travel in this case
Sending minister just because they are ministers is fooooolish. People must be able to understand restructuring benefits in a calculated manner by understanding rates and time benefits. There’s no minister in PF who does that. Don’t be fooooled by their bachelors from UNZA. Those degrees are now hopelessly useless. Look at that boy called Prince. Hopeless. They need people who understand the smarts of the young Chinese technocrats. Not ba Mutati or ba Siliya or ba Kampyongo. Ni loss again.