Africa-Press – Zambia. Siting in the National Assembly was heartbreaking to see how President Hakainde Hichilema has lost the power to govern to IMF. He has even forgotten what he once promised the people of Zambia. He delivered an empty speech devoid of ambition and emperical direction on serious Economic fundamentals because he no longer has power to control anything:
1. $28BILLION National DEBT: President HH Confirmed that we still do not have a Debt restructuring program in place and the creditors are yet to be engaged on specifics worse did not even give a time frame when this will be done and yet debt restructuring was the initial reason they gave for going to IMF. He also avoided mentioning specific sectors of the Economy where the IMF LOAN will be spent on.
2. No Agricultural reforms direction, since the farming inputs remain undelivered to farmers, feeder roads remain undone when the rains fall next month it is a lamentable farming season ahead.
3. No update on progress or strategy on resolving Mining quagmire on Mopani and KCM mines which have led to revenue and production and JOB LOSSES , POVERTY on the copperbelt.
4. No emperical road map on revival of Manufacturing Industry following the deliberate sinking and sabotage of Indeni Oil Refinery and now the turning of Nitrogen Chemicals of Zambia NCZ into a white elephant after it was denied opportunity to supply fertilizer but gave the contract TO HIS CORRUPTION CONVICTED CRIMINAL FRIENDS to importers at inflated prices.
5. No single mention on the reforms on FIGHT against CORRUPTION. No commitment to pragmatic transparency initiatives.
6. No mention on the implications of IMF LOAN conditionalities on the economic and social livelihood of Zambians following the coming fuel and energy cost increases.
7. Stated that Government will not be involved directly in the Petroleum supply chain. The black market importers and rich friends will supply directly and exploit the Zambian consumers . No subsidised country to country oil deals will be in effect to cushion international markets turbulence hence local Zambian consumer will bear all the costs.
8. No hint on reforming the policy on the failed increased K25. 7 million CDF inaugural year where majority people have failed to access said development funds. Most rural Constituencies in North Western has accessed less that K1 million out of K25.7 million allocation.
9. No recourse on the disastrous 2022 Health care delivery. No new plans on how to improve and stop the medicine shortages which characterised this UPND inaugural year.
10. Legal Reforms. No policy direction on Statutory reforms on the Constitution and the contentious Public Order Act.
11. No emphasis on the Rule of Law following the recent skermishes where the state has made several questionable arrests and intimidation towards the opposition. Dishonest Praises:
1. Ealier last year, President Hakainde Hichilema misled the world with falsehoods that he found empty coffers. Today he u-turned and claimed that he found National Reserves import cover worth 1.9 months and that they have borrowed to increase it to 3.7 months import cover .
2. How does one claim that more tourists have come to Zambia because of UPND than last year when in fact last year was the pandemic raveged with travel restrictions?
3. Claimed the UPND has increased electricity generation but failed to acknowledge the honest fact that Power plants created by the previous regime is the real reason. Unfortunately, no plans were laid on how to connect the local people to affordable power but quickly said we will export. Wherever we want to go our feet shall take us there.
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