Bright Chizonde Senior Researcher-CTPD
The Centre for Trade Policy and Development (CTPD) is concerned with the increased vulnerability of Zambia’s fiscal position to shocks such as unforeseen by-elections and natural disasters.
Prudent public financial management requires that the Government provides for contingencies and thus negative fiscal shocks should not result in a failure to meet important obligations.
It is, therefore, worrying that the Government is failing to pay grants and salaries to civil servants and quasi-government institutions due to dealing with natural disasters or security situations. There is need for a long-term plan, which includes reducing debt contraction because this will help improve government’s fiscal position.
It has come to the attention of the general public that some TEVET and Science Statutory bodies, as well higher institutions of learning such as UNZA and CBU, have not received funding for almost 2 months due to the fact that resources have had to be mobilized to address the unfortunate and unforeseen circumstances such as hunger, floods and criminal activities of gassing. We have also that due to the compromised fiscal position, on account of high debt servicing, Government no longer has funds for emergencies.
CTPD is, therefore, urging the government to urgently implement corrective measures in order to create space for such unforeseen eventualities. A country cannot be operated like a poor household, where household members are told that there will be reduced food allocation due to the fact that rentals have unforeseeably increased.
The delay in paying grants and salaries to quasi-government and government institutions also reflects the government’s continued undervaluing of the education sector. The education sector has seen a reduction in budget shares in both the 2019 and 2020 national budgets. As government continues to borrow, debt servicing has created increased fiscal pressures which have led to an involuntary resource reallocation. This delay in payments is an indication of just how compromised the fiscal position is and also identifies the education sector as an area of reduced priority.
In light of this, CTPD reiterates its call on the Government to reduce its appetite for borrowing, restructure the existing debt stock in order to reduce the cost of debt servicing and to restore its priority for education.
Some of us appealed not only to those in power but to everyone to discuss the high expenditure govt has been bearing due to unnecessary things such as a bloated VIP payroll, expensive govt vehicles, an expensive parliament, govt institutions not performing due to inefficiency but it appears these calls went on deaf ears. Now we are seeing what us happening, our Copper is the only thing keeping us afloat, with the turmoil in China due to the Covid Virus we don’t know how this will impact the price of Copper and the economy as a whole. We have completely messed up our so many chances God gave us of becoming a middle income nation due to the greed of everyone because everyone wants to drive a latest Hilux and go shopping at the mall, there is no sense of community service and working for…
Ctn…there is no sense of community service and working for the grassroots not only with those in top govt positions but even most of the opposition for example those opposition MPs have never oppossed receiving abnormal allowances and unnecessary carloans to buy the latest Luxury SUVs, the fear I have is this cycle will continue no matter who is in power because our mindset is where the problem lies. We need a change in mindset. We cannot industrialise by trying to modernize before industrialisation, having latest vehicles in a country filled with potholes is not development, it’s superficial development.
Very unfortunate situation that current leaders cannot see. I doubt anyone to fix this. New blood is needed. No cadres just professionals to help Zambia. We have them all but there not forth coming as some bandits will just beat you up and try and creat cases against you to lock you up so they continue looting . Sad
More money in your pockets
What does one expect from Cadres & Kaponya’z running the nation?
If you sow cabbages DONCHI EVER expect to reap Cucumbers.
Abena C0ffindozer Lus@mb0 showed their n’gwang’wazi traits when they manhandled Kachingwe, an older man than himself, & today you address such a thug as “Honourable”??
ONLY IN ZAMBIA, WHERE CITIZENS ARE GASSED & CULPRITS OF THE SAME GASSING SHIELDED & VISITED IN “CHUX” BY HIGH RANKING GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS!
Lastly, #P.F.KUYABEBELE!!
Fyakuifwaila mwema Zambians!
You love suffering!
Was ECL the best you could give yourselves to lead you?
Are there no Zambians more capable than ECL? You refused Nawakwi because she is a woman. You refused HH because he is Tonga. You refused Brig. Gen. Godfrey Miyanda God knows why. What then do you look for in a leader? Do you need to LOVE a Candidate for you to vote for them? Don’t you vote for someone because of Competence? And this Competence is foremost, Competence to manage The Economy! It’s still confusing why ECL thinks he deserves to be re-elected in 2021 when Failure is written all over his face? Failure to grow the economy, Failure to pay workers on time, Failure to keep the 72 tribes United, Failure to fight corruption, Failure to uphold the Constitution and ensure that…
Failure to uphold the Constitution and ensure that the Rule of Law reigns supreme! Failure to respect Court orders and judgements, erosion of public confidence in institutions of governance due to political meddling, Failure to stop political violence as inglorious Commander in Chief. Whether eligible to stand in 2021 or not is not a wise argument. What is wise to ask is about his competence and performance the 8 years he has served. Those who argue about terms in office, isn’t 8 out of 10 years of chaos and failure enough? When should we endorse failure and extend it by another 5 years? Imagine 13 years of Doom and Gloom!
Dununa matako is in a pickle. But ECL’s attitude is one of crisis, wht crisis? His inner circle gets its pay on time no matter wht. After that they drive to church in expensive 4×4s every sunday. So no problem.That’s all that matters to them. If things try to get nasty, call the mation to prayer and whoever doesn’t join them is a satanist.