A TOTAL of nine cooperating partners have confirmed their commitment to give Zambia more than K1trillion in Poverty Reduction Budget Support (PRBS) towards the 2010 national Budget after noting the Government’s progress in addressing most of their concerns.
The Government and the cooperating partners are also this week expected to sign an agreement on the resumption of funding to the health sector, which was suspended about six months ago, following the Ministry of Health financial scandal.
The cooperating partners announced their firm commitment of K1.032 billion after a high-level policy dialogue with the Government, which was co-chaired by Finance and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane in Lusaka yesterday.
Dr Musokotwane and outgoing Cooperating Partners Poverty Reduction Budget Support group chairperson, Derek Fee confirmed the donors’ commitment during a joint briefing at the end of the meeting.
The amount is also over and above the $169.8 million, which was committed by the cooperating partners towards this year’s national Budget.
Dr Musokotwane said the meeting was a follow-up to the main one held in September this year and was aimed at resolving outstanding issues particularly on the progress on public financial management, governance and health sector issues.
Dr Fee who co-chaired the meeting said the Government’s continued commitment to the fight against corruption and strong response to audit findings through concrete remedial measures was the best guarantee for donor support.
Dr Fee who is European Commission (EC) head of delegation to Zambia said that the announced support was a contribution to the overall national development plan and reform agenda with ultimate aim of reducing poverty in rural and urban areas.
Apart from EC, other cooperating partners are African Development Bank, Finland, Germany, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the World Bank.
The donor community recognised the overall progress made by the Government in several areas of the roadmap and considered it sufficiently satisfactory to confirm the budget support commitment.
Notable progress was recorded on the strengthening of the public financial system, and the revision of the budget cycle. Other areas hailed were the launch of Anti-Corruption Policy and the increase in funding towards the Auditor General’s office for this year.
For the health sector, the cooperating partners acknowledged the progress attained in implementing the remedial measures agreed on in the action plan, which would pave the way for the release of donor funding.
The Government and the cooperating partners are, as the result, scheduled to sign an agreement for the resumption of funding to the ministry of Health and related areas.
[Times of Zambia]
Bu775h!t, when are we going to see a headline that will read like this “Zambia to fund its own budget for 2010 from its own local resources”
That’s quite a lot of money – the EC would do well to create a body to monitor the expenditure. Otherwise at the end of 2010, a few unscrupulous individuals will be ten times richer while the rest of the nation still wallows in poverty.
Nine Chale I agree with you without having read the article yet. I hope the UK is not one of them. Let me read. I will be cross with Tom and Paula if they have agreed to fund these plonkers. Let me read now.
The might as well reduce my p.a.y.e.
All the money will be chopped in workshops.
Poverty Reduction Budget Support my FOOOOT!
Why don’t people listen?!! When will people learn?!!
Ah well! May be I should seek an audience with Gordon to have my tax refunded. Bootlicker calls it despeakable! lol!
Ati co-operating partners!!! what partners, just call them donors!!! every month kulomba ubunga kuli bana neighbour
There ain´t nothing for free from a whiteman..theres a catch to this
Shameful. We should be ashamed of ourselves. Why cant we get all that kind of money from our copper.
Zambia must learn that there’s no dignity in begging. We have so much copper, land, fresh water and other natural resources. Why are we still beggers? Cant we learn to be ashamed of living on donations?
Donor dependance syndrome at its best
Would be interesting to know what the opposition positions are on this issue of donor funding. People need to realise that donor countries usually get out more than they give. This money will also ensure that jobs are created in the countries from which the money comes from.
So this lot cancel Zambia’s copper tax just to come begging for tax money here??
very soon we shall hear that Zambia owes the international community so much. It is a myth to say that there are cooperating partners. We are borrowing from them. The GRZ NEEDS to categorically identify where this type of money goes.
Trillion! Thats alot of money. I won’t say much I just hope they will use the funds wisely.
just sell zambia to taiwan!!!