UPND Leader Hakainde Hichilema says the Zambian Government needs to move fast on Economics of Covid-19.
Mr Hichilema says the first round of World Bank Covid response has gone without Zambia submitting an expression of interest which should not be the case.
He said while the country is concentrating on the health side of the disease, the kwacha continues to plummet.
Mr Hichilema noted with regret that between Wednesday and Thursday this week, the kwacha has devalued with over one kwacha against the US Dollar.
He said this is not a good sign and has urged the government to approach the multilateral and bilateral lenders now before it’s too late.
On Thursday, Mr Hichilema commended the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund who have written to the multi lateral and bilateral creditors to consider a debt service freeze from International Development Association countries in view of the Corona virus pandemic.
The UPND Leader said Zambia is highly indebted and expressed hope the Government will utilize this relief window to approach their debtors for debt service freeze.
Hit the iron when it is hot. Let’s not be lackluster in our approach in dealing with the coming and prevailing impact covid-19 has brought on the whole world.
Lungu’s gov’t moved slowly on last year’s deadly cholera epidemic and on this coronavirus epidemic they’ve moved slow too.
Mr Hichilema countries around the world including big economies are in dire positions.Its not adequate for indebted countries to relieve economic upheavals in the midst of SARS COVID 19.Almost everything is on stand still in the world
This is why this man or rather childish boy will never be president. Not even councillor in his local village. Everyone knows the economy is in dire state. The same world bank is practically on hold with priorities aimed at saving lives. Yet here comes mr know it all talking his silly economics. If you could engage us directly then maybe some of your ideas could be used. However, you will always run to the media because your motives are not genuine. It’s all about you and your political ambitions. You will never be president. Shame on you
I concur with HH. The GRZ should also look at the economic side of the Covid-19 before it is too late
Truth hates or rather correctly spelled truth hurts, we have a fully functioning team of economic specialists at ministry of finance and bank of Zambia. If mr hh wants to be the next governor of BOZ let him use the right ways to get thr job rather than crying ti the media every day every economy in the world will be hit. Remember we are a landlocked country. Our concern now is to save lives first!we know in hh world Monet is more important than life.
You are very dull to be ignoring the economic side of things and concentrating only on saying lives ……how do you save lives without an economic backup ?
Unless you have no clue , you will concentrate on the economy of the country in equal measure…..
Most important question that the article does NOT HAVE is the HOW????
Lets have conversation on the Hows, where the Economy should GO, we all agree. It is on the HOW where most commentators and contributors are weak. So far, nothing has come through
All responsible African countries have had to choose. the lesser evil of lockdown because they know the consequences of a full blown COVID-19 epidermic will be apocalyptic. Even the poorest Zambians can do with a 14 day lockdown, they would not managed. with COVID mortality. For once Lungu please learn from Kenyatta, Ramaphosa, Kagame, etc. We still have a narrow window of opportunity that is closing each day. Ban public transport now!!
@ Kaizar did you read “the first round of World Bank Covid response has gone without Zambia submitting an expression of interest which should not be the case.” in HH’s statement? Do you even know what he is referring to? He is saying that this “fully functioning team of economic specialists at Ministry of Finance and Bank of Zambia.” you are referring to missed an opportunity for support and if they are not diligent we may miss the next. At least try and understand what the person is saying even if your job is to attack someone’s person every time he says something.
BUT,ZOONA SOME PEOPLE NATURALLY ARE SO DULL AND DUNDERHEADS. THAT IS WHY THIS COUNTRY IS A FAILED REPUBLIC CZ OF FOOLS LIKE KZ. THAT IS Y CAT POWER INSULTED HIM.
Chamu today you and your silly hhask us to seek support and yet prior to this you have always criticized us for borrowing any form of support. Please do us a favour and leave economic management to the people rightfully employed to manage it. There is a reason hh,yourself and I aren’t in those positions. It’s because we are not specialists in that area. We have confidence in our financial experts. Thanks for the criticism though. It seems hh only found out about this world bank support after the first round and now he wants to tell us about it. And yet we have people like denny kalyalya who was director for world bank Africa initiative who already kniew about it. Laughable
HH practices politics like TB Joshua. They comment on every obvious thing and when what seems like their prediction comes true they claim to have told the government. It is common knowledge that if there is restriction of people working, moving there is going to be an effect on the economy. Someone who has only experience in stealing, governing cattle and running a tribal cult is not in a position to advise government.
kkkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!!!!!!!!pwaaaaaaaaaakeeest!
The question is why should HH run to the media when he can render advice directly with the government. Why always put everything on media. ? Politising everything is bad leadership. Zambians will take it differently. A human being is a difficult creature and need to be careful at all times
The govt must cancel 2021 elections so that we focus on fighting Corona Virus now and the recovery plans there after. We will requires lots of money to do this and therefore lets not waste it on elections.
@kci, your comment is in bad taste.
Kci you are on point
Since bo HH is like you have solutions, why are not rendering those solutions than just yapping.HH just talk but cant offer solutions.His friend from the opposition as donated k20,000 towards combating COVID-19 and this money will help the people he wants to come and ”rule”.What a disgrace Bo HH and if you have nothing to offer just stay put.
If you cannot see the how in the message then you never will sir. In my old school days, you belonged to group 5. Enough said
Kakaizer zezulu, expertise in running down the economy, and you are proud of it
@Kaizar, I believe the criticism that is valid is against indiscriminate borrowing from high cost sources with no repayment plan and then not utilising said resources efficiently in a productive way. The World Bank does provide other support that is not necessarily loans. Yes, we do have experts but I don’t think it is wrong to question them when they have not taken certain actions. Neither should it matter whether one heard about something before or after the experts did. Our experts or anyone else who has answers for that matter can then provide the responses without being disrespectful, personal or abusive. This is part of the checks and balances that everyone cries about. It shouldn’t be seen as an affront for someone to question a course of action taken or not taken by our…
Convention dictates that opposition parties bounce ideas to government directly and not otherwise. Work with government musankwa Hakainde. Do not play to the gallery.
Kakaizer Zezulu your hatred of HH will drive you to commit suicide. Such hatred has never been seen or known in Zambia except being exhibited by individuals who are not original Zambians – Zezulu fits this category.
Munadekhane, why kill myself over a loser who will never win an election? Only winners bother me and I try to compete with the best to bring out the best in me.
Thoughts and prayers for boris Johnson who has tested positive for Corona virus. His excellency will soon send out a communique to his counter part. Bane let us learn to social distance. To the contrary this virus does not discriminate.
KZ aka N3z the *********** Why do people waste their time on this joker.
Since I posted my thoughts yesterday about Foote and my displeasure about gay people being the victim of discrimination in africa, I have received lots of attacks and threats from homophobes. Please let me be frank with you all. Yes I am gay and proud and some of my family even in zambia accept me for who I am. It is sad that I am made to feel this way. This is not a choice but is as natural as your attraction to the opposite gender. You do not need to agree with me but please respect my choices as i do yours.
so LT are now moderating me
have heard some people say if a lockdown is implemented for 14 days, people will starve to death, because zambians depend on hand to mouth businesses, IT seems people are ready to sacrifice their lives for a bowl of porridge anytime in this country, in this country we believe so much in miracle money, health, wealth etc , do the proponents of this theory even know how long a human body can go without food for it to starve to death? Sometimes its better to work like a slave and live like king later on.
H² tries very hard to sound and act intelligent. I told you so politics of the dirty mind. Government is way ahead of him though. We have him well read. This guy is a chancer. Like property grabbers at funeral houses. Naturely people who want to benefit from bad situations are desperate and dangerous; they make me sick to the core.
H² benefited from Zambia’s economic situation in the run up to the sale of our mines.
This is the problem that we have some of us bloggers.In every thing we see politics instead of giving advice to every one.Remember,this is not epidemic it’s ‘PANDEMIC” meaning it’s world wide issues and each country is dance the tune of the same COVID-19 but here in Zambia we are busy naming each other.
The Trible boy wanted to sound clever on Prime TV the other day, but there are others know it all or know it even better. You feel pity for the boy when he is talking, not inspiring doesn’t even sound like a leader.
What happened to his mask?? you see this is what happens when they wear masks for a show …so today he is not afraid of coronavirus..what a clown
its difficult for these guys now. even if you give them the idia they will not understand..i compare them to a teacher who tells his dull class that he is going to lock them in class till they get the answers to the questions they got wrong answers nothing wlli happen they dont understand.. they dont know ohoo.
As usual thinking of money not people.
The gutless stupidity and brazen ignorance Kainyo Zulu is raving off is wholly vile! We know from the report of the last consultative meeting with the World Bank that Ng’andu is useless and they observed he said very little and seemed out of his breath with economic matters. I mean, the fool isn’t an economist, he is a New Kasama proxy! Zambian beware, Kainyo Zulu & his Chagwa will get you all killed!
Had this been said by a Nyanja or Bemba/Bisa politician, especially that ugly alpha female red butt baboon, there would only be praise from you monkeys. But since it’s HH who said it, all your Chipata and Muchinga tribal bigotry is unleashed towards him. Your tribal stupidity is killing this country, this country is for all of us, not just monkeys, chimpanzees and baboon and Gorillas from Ituri!
KZ is just a pathetic propagandist – ‘comical Al’, more like. He has been hired to specifically disrupt all sensible criticism of this regime
and some people have fallen for it. We should for once be serious and root out this dangerous phenomenon. Sentiments of this fake KZ
and a number of his bootlickers here are the same kind that have caused immense suffering, wars and death in history. Divisive and drank
with ill-gotten opulent wealth and power. Now determined to keep the status quo by drumming up further diatribes that will tear this country
apart unless right thinking Zambians get rid of the lot, now! Before 2021, may I suggest.
This is a problem of business men because all they think about is money even in the midst of life and death. HH is just concerned of what will happen to his businesses not the health of Zambian citizens. The economy may bounce back but life lost will not even after covid 19 is over.