Africa-Press – Zambia. Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) President Edith Nawakwi has alleged that the newly appointed Minister of Finance is illegally occupying the office.
Reacting to the appointment and swearing-in of the new Finance Minister, Ms. Nawakwi said that Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane has not yet been sworn in as Member of Parliament hence rendering his appointment null and void.
Ms. Nawakwi said that it is unfortunate that President Hakainde Hichilema wants to govern the country by not following the law. The former finance minister has also questioned why President Hichilema alarmed the nation that the country’s coffers were empty when in fact they were not.
“The country has 4 to 5 months import cover besides that, the country is cashing in every minute at every border plus money from toll gates, where is that money”, she questioned.
Ms. Nawakwi has also advised President Hichilema to appoint a Minister of Agriculture who will execute the promises the UPND made during campaigns of reducing the cost of farming inputs.
“Am asking our President Hakainde Hichilema to ensure that the person he will appoint as Minister of Agriculture must reduce the cost of fertilizer to K250 as promised in the campaigns especially that the 2021-2022 farming is around the corner”, she said.
Meanwhile, opposition Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP) President Sean Tembo has charged that Zambia currently does not need an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout package.
Speaking when he featured on Tuesday’s edition of let the people talk program this morning, Mr. Tembo said that at his inauguration on 24th August 2021, President Hakainde Hichilema found $ 1.7 billion in foreign reserves and IMF had given Zambia Special Drawing Rights of $1.3 billion, bringing the total foreign reserves that Zambia has to over $ 3 billion.
Mr. Tembo argued that there is no reason as of now to put the country on an IMF package unless government fails to run the economy which he says is not the case currently because Zambia has a new government that has not yet started performing to say it has failed and warrant an IMF bailout.
Mr. Tembo said that as of now the country can go on the open market and get another bond at a better rate with conditions not as restrictive as IMF, since the country has a new government. Mr. Tembo is also said that Zambia does not need an IMF bailout package now because the conditions attached to the IMF program are retrogressive.
However, the PEP president also said that he has faith in the UPND government because of its credibility in as far as managing the economy is concerned and has advised the government to only consider a bailout package from the IMF when they fail to run the economy.
