President Hakainde Hichilema addressed delegates at the second Public Private Dialogue Forum (PPDF) during the Private Sector Day held at Ciela Resort in Chongwe. The President emphasized the importance of collaboration between the public and private sectors for the economic development of Zambia and outlined key highlights and initiatives.
President Hichilema commended the PPDF as the primary avenue for public and private dialogue, fostering an efficient economy. He urged all sectors to support local businesses, particularly those in manufacturing, emphasizing that this is crucial for job creation and retention within Zambia. The President encouraged the exchange of ideas between established and emerging businesses, emphasizing that the knowledge of longstanding enterprises is invaluable to newer ventures.
Addressing the issue of the exchange rate, President Hichilema stressed the importance of Zambia becoming a net exporter. He shared that producing for both local consumption and export markets is essential for achieving a stable exchange rate. The President called on Zambians to contribute to this vision by producing for both local and international markets.
In a significant announcement, President Hichilema shared details of the country’s debt restructuring efforts. Before restructuring, Zambia was projected to pay US$7.5 billion over ten years. Following restructuring, this amount has been revised to US$750 million over the same period. The President also highlighted the commitment of the French President, Emmanuel Macron, to co-chair Zambian debt restructuring alongside China.
The President outlined several initiatives aimed at revitalizing various sectors of the economy. He expressed the government’s commitment to redirecting funds from wasteful expenditure to the Agriculture Credit Window, which will be managed by the private sector. Adequate financing will be created for agriculture and other sectors to stimulate growth.
President Hichilema encouraged collaboration between old and new businesses, both local and foreign. He highlighted the need for professionals from the private sector to be involved in government transactions and projects, emphasizing that foreign specialists should not be feared but engaged to contribute to the country’s development.
The President emphasized the importance of PPDF in addressing challenges and creating a conducive business environment. He assured that the government is finding lasting solutions to issues such as theft without damaging businesses post the removal of roadblocks. President Hichilema also touched upon the significance of PPDF in promoting domestic transactions, reducing foreign exchange pressure, and eliminating illegal imports that distort the Zambian economy.
The President concluded his address by directing efforts towards producing for export and implementing measures to boost foreign exchange earnings. He assured that the government will practice positive discrimination by buying local products, including Compound D fertilizer, as long as quality and pricing are satisfactory. The President also emphasized the need for all pharmaceutical procurement to be done locally henceforth.
While there may be opportunities for collaboration between tax-collecting government agencies and private companies, it is essential to approach such partnerships with caution. Safeguards must be put in place to ensure that the integrity, fairness, and transparency of the tax system are not compromised. Any collaboration should be guided by a clear framework that prioritizes the public interest, protects taxpayer rights, and upholds the fundamental principles of good governance.
UPND administration timeout.
while there may be opportunities for collaboration between tax-collecting government agencies and private companies, it is essential to approach such partnerships with caution. Safeguards must be put in place to ensure that the integrity, fairness, and transparency of the tax system are not compromised. Any collaboration should be guided by a clear framework that prioritizes the public interest, protects taxpayer rights, and upholds the fundamental principles of good governance.
Collaboration between tax-collecting government agencies and private companies has the potential to raise serious ethical and practical concerns. One of the primary reasons for caution is the risk of conflicts of interest and compromised objectivity. When private companies become closely intertwined with the tax collection process, there is a risk that their commercial interests could unduly influence the enforcement and administration of tax laws.
Great observation. Some “intelligent” individual won’t understand this…. deliberately of course.
I don’t understand any of this sh!t. I only understand settlements of cases out of Zambian courts.
A Gathering of a Bunch of Criminals bankrupting our country….dining on expensive wine whilst ordinary Zambians can’t afford a bag of melie meal
I have no kind words for Politicians
And slowly even UPND die hards like Spaka and TIKKI are giving up on HH…Tarino Orange was the first UPND praise singer to abandon HH
There are several reasons why tax-collecting government agencies should be cautious when collaborating closely with private companies. While some level of collaboration can be beneficial, there are potential downsides that should be carefully considered.
The involvement of private companies in tax collection could lead to data privacy and security concerns. Taxpayer information is highly sensitive, and entrusting private entities with access to such data raises questions about how it will be safeguarded and whether it could be misused for commercial purposes.
That was a painfully long winded speech that offered no tangible solutions to our current problems. It was also dumbfounding for the man in charge to complain so much and issue vague public instructions to his team – is that the way to get things done ? Good Luck Zambia.
Joe Blogs
Do not wait for GRZ to bring free things on your table, it’s your job to engage into entrepreneurship and it’s the job of the GRZ to tax you as simple as that.
If you want to be lazing around, then you will suffer more and you will even have a long life so that you suffer more until you learn to stop depending on others.
In the holy Bible we are told to work hard for 6 days a week and rest on the 7th day, the same bible says lazy person like you should not eat.
Vamahala vinata baba
Was this man born dum8 and s2p!d, was he dropped on his head when he was young or has he just spent all his crooked life working on it?
The last sentence about procuring pharmaceuticals locally has shocked me. How is that going to work? Brace yourselves more extreme medicine shortages…I won’t even start talking about the foreign exchange rate.
This truly is the most useless president in Africa.
Yawn Yawn with 3 more years to go
@Tikki
Kikikikiki Is Musokotwane making you yawn…..imagining 3 more years of Musokotwane is indeed scary…
Lets just admit that things are tough…if China is struggling…USA is struggling what more Zambia but the Problem is HH’s lies and demagoguery
All this useless blah blah
wharever is thought now wont be the same in 2025 onwards
If the economy is still lagging we will do what all African Grz’s do before elections
Low mealie prices fuel prices down zmw to $ down so game over
now do you get it ???