Africa-Press – Zambia. A consortium of Political parties and Civil Society organization has commended President Edgar Lungu for the debt swap meant to relief civil servants in debt from various financial institutions.
Zambian DNA Spokesperson Spuki Mulemwa said the debt swap will ease financial pressure of public service workers and ultimately benefit the private sector by increasing the availability of financial resources to Small Medium Enterprises (SMEs).
He said the debt swap is another measure by the state to cushion the adverse effects of COVID-19 on the public service workers, SMEs and the Zambian Economy. Mr Mulemwa told ZANIS in an interview that deductions from civil servants have adversely affected their productivity and service delivery.
“Since the breakout of the COVID-19, government has implemented such measures of easing liquidity in the economy, which includes among others, paying off retirees and provision of COVID-19 stimulus packages,” said Mr Mulemwa. The consortium has also saluted President Lungu for being consistent in implementing pro-poor policies since they took over government in 2011.
“It’s worth noting that the PF Government under the able leadership of President Lungu is the first ever in the Zambian history to have demonstrated a tacit commitment to improve civil servants and the general citizenry’s welfare by introducing the inaugural civil servants debt swap in an effort to rescue civil servants from the shackles of debt-trap that gobbles a large chunk of their income,” he said. Mr Mulemwa further suggested an extension of the debt swap to be extended to the private sector workers.
