Africa-Press – Zambia. Stakeholders in Lusaka have expressed high expectations on the restoration of macro-economic stability ahead of President Hakainde Hichilema’s Parliamentary address as he opens the first session of the 13th National Assembly today.
Zambia Association of Manufacturers (ZAM) president Ezekiel Sekele charges that his organization is looking forward to seeing stability in the macro environment.
“The cost of doing business is too high in the country, what we are looking for going into the 2022 national budget is the head of state to address this issue,” he says.
He cites regulatory fees for Small and Medium Enterprises SMEs as being high saying this is hindering their capacity to significantly lead the growth of the country.
Mr Sekele adds pronouncements on policy inconsistency and legal reform’s management in the manufacturing and other sectors should be addressed to restore macro- economic stability and growth.
Meanwhile, Economist Kelvin Chisanga expects policies that will recognize key sectors for growth and poverty alleviation such as agriculture, mining, health, education among others.
Mr Chisanga explains that he expects the President to bring a message of hope which speaks to pertinent issues on how the government plans to steer economic recovery. He stresses that the Head of State should clearly indicate his plan of action on debt repayments and public expenditure.
Mr Chisanga stresses the need to restore confidence in the business environment by doing away with ambiguity adding that President Hichilema should also promote domestic economic activity while ensuring fiscal policies align with national priorities around economic recovery.
