Africa-Press – Zambia. President Hakainde Hichilema has put on high alert all line ministries and ministers to ensure strategies are in place to rapidly respond to any challenges that Zambia may face arising from the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Presidential Spokesperson Anthony Bwalya has said that the President and the whole administration are observing with keen interest the possible ripple effects the tension in Ukraine could have on key global commodity prices such as oil and fertilizer because commodities play a significant role in positioning the Zambian economy.
Mr. Bwalya said that the country’s ability to import cheap oil remains critical in ensuring general economic costs associated with the use of various forms of fuel are kept at an affordable minimum for citizens.
Mr. Bwalya noted that pump prices of fuel might go up due to the Ukraine conflict and that government will continue to take active steps aimed at lowering the cost of living as already seen by the over 2-hundred percent positive performance of the Kwacha against the U.S. Dollar over the past 6 months, with inflation down from 24 percent to 14 over the same period.
Below is the full statement The President and the whole administration are observing with keen interest the possible ripple effects the tensions in Ukraine could have on key global commodity prices such as oil and fertilizer , because both play such a significant role in the positioning of the Zambian economy.
It is important to note, that our ability to import cheap oil into the country remains utterly critical in ensuring that general economic costs associated with the use of various forms of fuel are kept at an affordable minimum for our citizens.
It must further be noted, that a disruption to the global fertilizer supply chain has the potential to adversely affect agriculture production for the 2022/23 farming season if suppliers do not have sufficient buffer stocks to meet the demands of the forthcoming farming season.
The President has, therefore, put on high alert all line ministries and ministers to ensure that strategies are in place to rapidly anticipate and appropriately respond to these challenges, should they arise, and mitigate them accordingly.
The administration will continue to take active steps aimed at lowering the cost of living as already seen by the over 200% positive performance of the Kwacha against the Dollar over the past 6 months, with inflation down from 24% to 14% over the same period; while basic salaries are up by 12% and another 13% improvement in the tax exempt amount for lower income earners. Issued: Anthony Bwalya Presidential Spokesperson 28 February 2022
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