Zambians urged to work hard, diversify economy
By Pelekelo Liswaniso
WE SALUTE the international donors who have so far given Zambia US$174.1 million out of the US$312.88 million pledged for this year.
The government is obviously elated at this gesture because these funds will support the national budget to meet various development projects in the country.
The disbursements come in the wake of President Banda’s assurances that Government is committed to lift the living standards of the people and would work tirelessly to achieve this goal.
He has said his government is in a hurry to meet the aspirations of the people and that with hard work and cooperation, the desired development will be achieved.
Apart from these assurances, the government has put in place far-reaching measures to control inflation, curb corruption and has created an enabling environment for investment in the economy.
We therefore see the disbursement of the funds by the donors, which represents over 55 per cent of the projected budget support for 2009 as an indication of the confidence the international community has in the leadership of Mr Banda.
The decision by the donor community, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund is a clear indication that the government can be trusted as it has demonstrated the desired leadership to serve the people of Zambia.
However, as much as we are grateful for the support from the donors, Zambians should continue working hard especially through economic diversification to enable the country have reliable and multiple foreign exchange generating sectors.
After almost 45 years of independence, the nation should by now be able to have several other economic sectors to fall back on especially since the mixed fortunes of the mining industry cannot always be counted on.
We therefore call on the nation to work harder and diversify the economy so that the country can generate financial resources from other sectors and reduce dependence on copper and lessen on foreign aid.
Apart from receiving grants from donors, the country should be able to tap the abundant local resources and create the much-needed wealth.
In that way, the country will be able to sustain itself economically while the generous assistance the country continues to receive will complement what the country has.
On the other hand, we wish to appeal to those charged with the implementation of donor-funded projects to ensure the money is used as intended.
WE SALUTE the international donors who have so far given Zambia US$174.1 million out of the US$312.88 million pledged for this year.
The government is obviously elated at this gesture because these funds will support the national budget to meet various development projects in the country.
The disbursements come in the wake of President Banda’s assurances that Government is committed to lift the living standards of the people and would work tirelessly to achieve this goal.
He has said his government is in a hurry to meet the aspirations of the people and that with hard work and cooperation, the desired development will be achieved.
Apart from these assurances, the government has put in place far-reaching measures to control inflation, curb corruption and has created an enabling environment for investment in the economy.
We therefore see the disbursement of the funds by the donors, which represents over 55 per cent of the projected budget support for 2009 as an indication of the confidence the international community has in the leadership of Mr Banda.
The decision by the donor community, including the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund is a clear indication that the government can be trusted as it has demonstrated the desired leadership to serve the people of Zambia.
However, as much as we are grateful for the support from the donors, Zambians should continue working hard especially through economic diversification to enable the country have reliable and multiple foreign exchange generating sectors.
After almost 45 years of independence, the nation should by now be able to have several other economic sectors to fall back on especially since the mixed fortunes of the mining industry cannot always be counted on.
We therefore call on the nation to work harder and diversify the economy so that the country can generate financial resources from other sectors and reduce dependence on copper and lessen on foreign aid.
Apart from receiving grants from donors, the country should be able to tap the abundant local resources and create the much-needed wealth.
In that way, the country will be able to sustain itself economically while the generous assistance the country continues to receive will complement what the country has.
On the other hand, we wish to appeal to those charged with the implementation of donor-funded projects to ensure the money is used as intended.
posted by aydpels @ 4:55 AM
1 Comments:
At 10:33 AM,
Chikotwe said…
Donations, Donations...Donations!!! the answer lies in hard work, commitment, passion, intergrity so on and so forth.How do develope when time is spent either begging or stealing from employer depending on which end of the scale one is on.
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