Opposition United Party for National Development (UPND) has implored government to come up with a national budget that is growth oriented and pro-poor to reduce poverty the majority Zambians are going through. UPND says the attainment of the HIPC completion point should benefit more Zambians and relieve them from the pangs of poverty by having access to decent service delivery in health, education, tourism and transport among key sectors. UPND Chairman for Information and Publicity Charles Kakoma says Zambia’s attainment of the single digit inflation does not mean much to the local people, as they do not benefit directly. Mr. kakoma said this in a press statement released to ZANIS in Lusaka today ahead of the national budget scheduled to be presented tomorrow, Friday 9,2007. UPND has urged government to reduce domestic bowering currently at one percent of GDP and settle the K416 billion it owes to the pensioners and pay the outstanding colossal billions it owes local suppliers. The UPND has also called on government to reduce PAYE, which stands at 30 percent and relieve the workers in the country. Mr Kakoma added that government should this year re-negotiate mineral royalties from 0.6 percent to at least three percent. The party further demands that Value Added Tax (VAT) move from the current 17.5 to 15 percent if the nation is to record positive grow in key economic sectors such as tourism, manufacturing and agriculture. ZANIS
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We want a budget with a Human face
I fully support the concerns or expectations raised by UPND of having a budget which is development centred and ofcourse relieving the majority of the suffering Zambians who are yoked to high taxes.
Like many Zambians, i want to see a budget which will reduce poverty . Though, it might be too late we expect tax reductions on many areas of the economy, particularly the PAYE, and an increase in mineral taxes, bearing in mind the current high copper prices on the global market. We want to see alot of funds allocated to education, health and other infrastructure which will in turn developthe country. Mother Zambia we reached the HIPC completion point and most of the debt has been cancelled, hence the need to benefit from this.
In future, i expect opposition political parties to be producing mock budgets showing us how they would do it if they were in government. This is an open secret in most of the countries where democracy has matured and politicians have national interests at hearty. I personally do not want to see politicians always criticising/condemning each other without offering solutions for the public to digest, whether their policies for the country make sense or not.
Fellow Zambians, let us wake up from slumber and make these politicians accountable to us. Be it in government or in opposition.
We therefore deserve a budget that has a human face, offering a better living for an average Zambian across the board. We have tightened our belts beyond a point where we cannot tighten any farther or else we are committing suicide. Its time the politician now made us smile, and help us loosen the the tight belts of poverty in all our Zambian kitchens.
Viva Zambia with budget with a Zambian budget.
Mutale – DR Congo, Kolwezi