Friday, March 29, 2024

Mwanakatwe should explain the failure to enact important fiscal legal reforms

Share

ZIPAR Executive Director Dr Pamela Kabaso (middle) making a submissionsto the Parliamentary Committees on management and operations of the IDC.
ZIPAR Executive Director Dr Pamela Kabaso (middle) making a submissions to the Parliamentary Committees on management and operations of the IDC.

The Zambia Institute of Policy Analysis and Research (ZIPAR) Executive Director Pamela Kabaso says Finance Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe should explain why important key fiscal legal reforms such as the budgeting and planning bill have not enacted.

Dr. Kabaso says the budgeting and planning bill, review of the loans and guarantees act and the public procurement act are key in managing the country’s debt and fiscal consolidation.

Speaking at the ZIPAR 2019 budget media engagement, Dr. Kabaso has also noted that the gravity of the recent withdraw of donor aid by some cooperating partners has the potential to affect every Zambian if not handled very well.

Meanwhile Dr. Kabaso has praised journalists in the country for executing their oversight role on governance matters diligently, urging them to continue being proactive.

And ZIPAR Research Fellow Ceaser Cheelo has appealed to donor countries to help Zambians get an explanation on the US$42 million spent on the procurement of fire tenders by government.

Mr. Cheelo says the intervention of the donor community might solicit quicker action from government just like the withdraw of funding from the social cash transfer by aid agencies did.

He has bemoaned the lack of a clear statement regarding the procurement of the fire engines.

Meanwhile Mr Cheelo has observed that it has become difficult for Zambia to service the external debt due to the high exchange rate.

30 COMMENTS

  1. Nonsense

    She doesn’t have to.

    We are happy with her dedication, and pure fit as a Heath Minister

    I hate such requests

    She is loved and so is President Lungu

    Thanks

    BB2014,2016

    • Margaret is better than that diva Kabaso.
      So I agree to leave Margaret have some room to shine. It’s her time, we want her end up successful as Nawakwi.

    • The issue is simple reduce the buying and usage of luxury SUVs which only end up after 3 years as the private property of senior govt officers who total up to 1000 and above. This is an abnormally high amount the govt is spending on liabilities. Why this is not raised as a serious issue is why we remain a backward thinking nation. Excited govt officers driving the latest SUVs yet come the rainy season they can’t even buy dustbins and clear drainages. Don’t these guys feel any shame at all???? Money spent on luxury SUVs is much more than these 42 fire tenders which at least have a use.

    • The truth is Margaret Mwnanakatwe finds herself in a very tight corner. She is an accountant not an economist so will have very little understanding of what she will be reading in parliament on Friday. What surprises me is the failure by Edgar Lungu to identify talent. Dr.Caleb Fundanga would have been a better person in that portfolio ( but probably doesn’t drink as much as Margret so he would not be as useful to Edgar)

  2. ZIPAR has now become political. It will be important for ZIPAR to retain to its core mandate than the politicking we are seeing in the recent times. This institution seats within the framework of Ministry of Finance and why has it failed to engage the Minister. Some one should check these overzealous characters.

    • Simply my reasoning Paul. Why should a sensible so called Researcher encouraging donor outrage. Very insensible and pure lack of judgement.

    • To add to 3,3.1,3.2, WHY SHOULD DONORS PRESSURIZE GOVERNMENT WHEN WE HAVE OPPOSITION POLITICAL PARTIES (even in Parliament) and we have an active CIVIL SOCIETY?? When we say the opposition is only there with the sole agenda to get in power, rather than give better governance, we mean just that and HERE IS THEIR FAILURE TO HOLD PF MINISTER OF FINANCE TO ACCOUNT ON KEY LEGAL ISSUES THAT CAN IMPROVE OUR MANAGEMENT OF RESOURCES!! A Research Institute is now getting entangled in political agenda of opposition politics instead of just informing the masses on effects of government’s failure to act appropriately and leaving stakeholders to judge appropriate actions to take!!

  3. Why do we debate real issues or try to show knowledge when things are bad? Are your telling me that whole PF cabinet does not understand the fiscal policy and monetary value? If you are offered that job as finance minister, are you going to do it or not?. Everyone looks smart but when given that position they fail to perform and are rebuked by others. Do they follow someone’s instructions even if they know that it will be a disaster? Do politics really affect someone’s thinking? Is a graduate or a learnt person lowered to a ‘yes sir’ when she/ he joins politics?

  4. The tone from ZIPAR is rather aggressive and is not based on research. Hope this will not trigger administrative challenge.

    • It is indeed worrying. Its essence of providing researched opinions and advise to government has been lost along the way. This approach is rather worrying.

    • A research institute should have personnel with solid research credentials. That is no longer the case with ZIPAR. Since Dr Imakando left, the quality of advise from ZIPAR is no better than the articles on LT.

      Kwacha depreciation making it harder for GRZ to pay its debt?!! Really!! Kwacha value moves within a predictable band to self-correct economic situations. So long that happens GRZ will get its revenue from dollars and kwacha as always and will smartly service the debt with dollar revenue. ZAMBEEF, ZESCO etc service a debt that way too. This Cheelo is a lemon and should have contract terminated.

  5. let us eat everything in Zambia…… we are very incompetent….. Let President Li become the president of chambia ..oh sorry sambia … oh no… lambia…. what is the my problem i mean zimbia or sorry again zambia…..
    Viva chambia
    viva lambia
    a luta continua……. i want to be colonised by china…. I want to speak mandarin not this Bemba or Nyanga …..
    Viva Presido Li….. Viva chambia

  6. Why must we ask donors to get an explanation from govt on how they bought the 42 wheel barrows, the tender bidding process is done behind closed doors and the adverts in the papers are just formality, the real bids are done at state house while sipping on Jonny walker bought with donor money and your money as tax payers.

  7. True, we need to involve the donors in these scams otherwise nothing will happen to the culprits. It had to take donors to withdraw their funding for the visionless one to act. 42MILLION DOLLARS is a lot of money to buy those wheelbarrows. Donors need start putting a lot of pressure even on the budget support so that the money is used for the intended purpose and not end up in Eswatini and cadres pockets.

  8. Dr. Kabaso is asking about key fiscal legal reforms such as the budgeting and planning bill have not enacted and all you can comment here is whether she is opposition, tone of her request, looks etc….isn’t this the checks and balances you always talk about? If you don’t have anything to post just cross the road and leave this article.

    • ZIPAR is part of MoF and they get classified information which they use in Research. Dont be blinded she knows why and making a public statement like that is being political.

  9. Problem in Zambia,professionals voices are not respected.People would rather respect deceitful voice of politicians than professionals.Whatever a politician says is gospel truth to the masses.Even when a politician says everyone will be eating an egg per day,he will be taken seriously.No wonder,people who cheat a lot,are the ones who are in decision making.
    The only language that people understand is lies.2021 will come.People will continue voting for liars and hoodwinks.The voice of the educated is not respected.

    • Zambians are a very gullible and docile people ….when the same technocrats advised them here on LT about unsustainable borrowing they ignored and called them bitter…today the same people are saying why are professionals not providing solutions.

    • Tell Zambians that there was no misappropriation of Donor funds and after a week tell them that actually the funds never even left ZANACO account ..after a minister is fired they will believe it!!

  10. Policy precedes legislation. The political narrative needs to gather momentum before rushing to enact legal reforms. It is necessary to acknowledge that existing laws do not enforce themselves. There is need for change of mindset, attitude and lifestyle. Why over-speed? Why tax evasion? Why corruption? Why delays? Why gender bias? Why child marriages? These and many issues need community intervention, even before law reforms are considered.

  11. Dr Kabaso is asking pertinent questions that Permanent Secretaries should be asking their Ministers to help direct the work of the Ministry. Of course the PS’s can’t do this because they are political and not allowed to be civil servants. There is also a huge difference between an accountant and an economist. But do you think the cadres closest to the president, Amos Chanda, Sunday Chanda, Davis Mwila, Freedom Sikazwe, Kaizer Zulu (list is endless), oh…Bowman Lusambo, would understand how important it is for the future of our country for the donor countries to help up expose the wrong doings? No they wouldn’t. Why? They too know as long as the President is in power, regardless of his wrongdoing, they will continue to reap where they have not sown. Just the way the world has laughed…

  12. …at Trump at the UN, Zambia will have it’s day too. Funny how Minister of Religious (whatever the name), Minister of Information have shut their gobs after the Social Cash Transfer scandal. Dora do the decent thing and apologise to the editor of Africa Confidential. all your days of reckoning are coming, especially you, the Minister of religion for mocking, if not you, your descendants!

  13. We need answers to these questions honourable minister. And while you are at it can you do something about the dollar rate. Now we are owing 30%more for the eurobond payment than we were a month ago.

  14. She will put some bills on the table soon There is a planning fiscal planning framework and performance monitoring already

    There is already a fiscal consolidated Outlook in circulation and as presented spanning many periods Its a table and Consolidated Fiscal Summary building on from years back to 2030 and how Gov will raise fund and manage its obligations to grow the economy sustainable The current budget is also a tipping point

    The planning framework is there and forecasts on actual

Comments are closed.

Read more

Local News

Discover more from Lusaka Times-Zambia's Leading Online News Site - LusakaTimes.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading