By Sean Tembo,
1. As Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP), we have taken time to review the Economic Recovery Plan (ERP) that was presented by President Edgar Lungu last week Thursday. We wish to applaud the President and his Government for accepting that the Zambian economy is currently on a downward spiral and also for taking active steps to try and turnaround the economy onto a path of recovery, through an Economic Recovery Plan.
2. We are however disappointed to note that President Lungu’s Economic Recovery Plan lacks any substance and is therefore incapable of neither turning around the economy nor instilling confidence among economic players that the Zambian economy can be turned around by President Lungu and his Government.
3. From our perspective, there are four critical issues that have caused the plunge of our economy into a downward spiral. Number one; over-borrowing thereby causing debt distress. Number two; gross leakages for both tax and non-tax revenues thereby resulting in a small percentage of public revenues actually reaching the treasury. Number three; lack of accountability in public expenditure resulting in inflated costs for projects. Number four; unstable and unaffordable supply of electricity resulting in reduced production capacity in the economy.
4. Therefore, to the extent that President Lungu and his Government came up with an Economic Recovery Plan, our expectation was that such a plan will address all or some of the four major causes of our economic downturn today. However, the President’s Economic Recovery Plan was dismally inadequate as it failed to address the key causes of the downturn in our economy.
5. As Patriots for Economic Progress, our expectation was that the President will reach out to all economic think tanks in developing his Economic Turnaround Plan, regardless of the political affiliation of such think-tanks. That is because an economic turnaround plan is for the benefit of the entire nation and therefore, its formulation should not be based on partisan affiliation. However, the President decided to use the same inept Ministers and senior Government officials that are the key causes of Zambia’s economic malaise today, to find solutions for the economy’s turnaround. This is the main reason why the President’s Economic Recovery Plan is shallow and empty.
6. As Patriots for Economic Progress, our view is that the ability to turnaround our ailing economy is a major consideration among voters in next year’s presidential election. On the part of President Lungu, the Zambian people have seen for themselves, based on his shallow and empty Economic Recovery Plan, that him and his team are incapable of turning around our economic fortunes, and should therefore not be considered as an option in next years’ elections. President Lungu was given ample chance by the Zambian people to preside over the affairs of this nation. His shallow and empty Economic Recovery Plan is ample evidence that he has failed and has no plan or vision for this nation, whether now or in the future. There is absolutely no reason whatsoever why the Zambian people should cling onto a President that neither has a plan nor vision for the nation.
7. It is on the basis of the above that we wish to make a sincere plea to Zambians to consider retiring President Lungu next year, in the national interest. We appreciate the various contributions that he has made to this nation ever since he was elected into office in 2015, but he is not the right person to take this nation to the next level. We need to turn a fresh page. The Zambian people should therefore ensure that they do the needful on 12th August 2021.
The Author is the President of the Opposition Patriots for Economic Progress (PeP), an emerging political party in Zambia based on Patriotism, Accountability, Competence and Courage.
It is hard to compare who is has heavier balls between Sinkamba and Sean Tembo. As of this week Sean wins for spending time reading that 74 pages useless PF plan, and ch!kala Sinkamba should be arrested for bribing a Minister of Home Affairs. Then arrest the minister himself who accepted the bribe.
I read the Economic recovery plan, it is like acholic recovery plan of Chris Mvunga, so useless.
Edgar knows that this is his last Xmas as President. Almost everything he’s trying to do is to try and mend his beleaguered stature. Unfortunately it’s too late. He can’t think properly. He must prepare for a multitude of appointments with the Courts more than even Chiluba did, and unfortunately many will go with him. The PF is a club of thieves
With 8 Months b4 the 2021 General Elections in Zambia is the so called Economic Recovery Plan a Plan or a PF Manifesto for the said Elections? Just asking?
Zambia needs to hire a turnaround expert for economic recovery not the same fella who brought this mess.Even in EPL any club performing poorly sacks its manager and hires fresh expertise.
Sense bwana not aba ma sarogates like chilufya
Sean’s commentaries have been very objective of late. And on this one he has done a good job of raising concerns about the Economic Recovery Plan – particularly on the absence of stakeholder engagements (I have no evidence for this). But here Sean, like all Zambian critics, fails to say what would be a better Recovery Plan. He should have spent time on telling us what a better Plan should look like, and not just how bad the Plan unveiled is. I am more worried, like Sean, about the capacity of the President’s team to implement the Plan.
Bane Chris Mvunga for all reasons does not formulate economic policies of this country. His role role monetary one. I don’t know how the President went off the 7th National Development Plan. The best would have been to realign the plan already in place having been derailed by Covid 19 and other unexpected circumstances. One wonders what has gone wrong with our very educated technocrats? Should we assume they are just paper tigers who can’t replicate all that knowledge into practice to the benefit all Zambians. By the way do you expect a man from Lundazi, Zambezi or Shangombo to understand such programms? NIKISI. I have signed off.
For the first time, I agree with Sean on this one. What we needed was an economic indaba were think tanks and stakeholders who could have provided a protracted road map to save our economy that is falling in the abyss of doom. Lungu has no vision period, no matter how hard he tries, nothing positive will come out of it. This ERP is hogwash smeared with feacal matter devoid on any economic sense. Imagine you are broke and full of debt then you go to the bank with this trash and you expect the bank to give you a loan? Intelligent people know when to quit before they put their reputation on the line and tarnish it irretrievably. A leader who has failed to recognize the contribution of other interested parties because of political optimism will finally get his retribution.
That’s your opinion which you can shove up your backside
Unlike in the 1970s, this country has skilled people now. This document was hurriedly prepared put together. As a result, it just doesn’t go far enough. They know it but can only admit it privately.
Sean has brought out the weaker side of the ERP, so aTembo what would have been the solutions/alternatives? You and H to the power 2 are in the same whatsapp group, always criticizing without elucidating how it ought to be!
@ Adviser and Gellout!
Have you guys not read the article? He clearly offers four options that would make the economic plan viable, the gist of his article is that we should have included those four as the main ones, I won’t mention them, go back to the article and find them.
Additionally, I find it pretentious that when Sean raises an issue with HH he is a pf surrogate but when he raises issues with EL he is brave.
Appreciate the man for speaking his mind. HH may be the better alternative, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be questioned.
@New People, there is no Kaizer Zulu on this page, that person is pretending to be him.
A lazy overweight Zambian who is being a leech to the UK government and relies on social support to survive.
You would do well to ignore him, don’t like or dislike his comments, and certainly don’t comment anything.
So according to Sean Tembo, the ERF lacks substance, and the only way to add substance to it is by retiring the sitting president? What kind of reasoning is that? Why does’nt he give us a list of practical solutions on how to add substance to the Recovery plan instead?
Here’s simple advice on hw to read an economic plan or programme: we’re not starting from ground zero like South Sudan. We’re starting from somewhere. There’s another document which was prepared and ended in 2019. U should hv that one as u read the Economic Recovery Programme.
With PF nothing is tangible as sean tembo has observed because of ubomba mwibala syndrome…the time has run out why did lungu and his administration abandon the mwanawasa road map ? It was greed and lack of vision. The PF should not treat Sean tembo as an enemy but as a partner in development ! If PF had listened to HH this country could have not been were we are now but of chimbwi no plan this is the result.
Please ,publish all the comments do not only choose that favor you ba editor.
Tembo should avoid economic commentary …..
His statement is like a police officer at a morgue where a dead body is transferred to , stating
1: the deceased is brought to the morgue because he is deceased
2: police are investigating because the person was found deceased.
3: the police are searching for next of kin because the deceased can not identify himself…..
Chiza chirwa you cannot stop people from reading what they want. We live in a free society in Zambia. At least you are showing us how things could be under the leadership of your fellow tribesmen in upnd. It does not surprise me that your president has been standing since decades ago. A bunch of tribal dictators. Tamwakatekepo. Even telling people that I am not who I am will not help you win election. Now eff off
On this one i whole heartedly agree with you Mr confused Tembo.
China Chirwa – You read Sean’s article but did not understand it. You also read my comment but again did not understand it. Sean states what he calls four critical issues important to turn around the economy, but he does not address the “how” part.
The four issues brought out by Sean Tembo are addressed in the ERP I read. Unless there are alternative versions, here is what I gleaned from the ERP I read:
1. Debt. Please refer to Table 9 & 10 of the ERP on debt sustainability measures
2. Gross leakages for both tax and non-tax revenues: these are addressed in Table 5 and Table 6 on domestic resource mobilisation measures
3. Lack of accountability in public expenditure: Table 7 and Table 8 of the ERP address expenditure rationalisation measures, including the operationalisation of Public Investment Management Board to approve projects only after feasibility studies are conducted.
4. Supply of electricity: Table 23 on energy sector measures cover these aspects.