2019 budget should explain austerity measures, says ZACA
THE 2019 national budget should inform the nation if the austerity measures put in place to put the economy on sound economic path are yielding results, says ZACA executive secretary Juba Sakala. Mr Sakala said apart from that the budget should also inform Zambians what fiscal measures had been employed by government to deter abuse of public funds. He said the expectations from the 2019 budget were high from the consumer point of view, especially on how to manage both external and internal debts. Mr Sakala said, the plan should also give confidence to both consumers and investors He said the minister of finance Margaret Mwanakatwe sh9ould inject hope in consumers and workers on the state of the parastatal companies, which were reported to be on the the brink of being taken over by foreigners based on allegations in the public domain. “We ask if the Minister of Finance can provide incentives for small scale businesses in terms of access to loans and ensure all the money collected from toll plazas and parastatals are put to good use,” he said. Mr Sakala said that would help the nation know what plans had been put together for the growth of the economy. He said the Zambians should know how far diversification of the economy from mining to agriculture, tourism, and aquaculture had so far contributed to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Mr Sakala further said government should explain what other plans were there to strengthen all the sectors of the economy so that they became sustainable and created more jobs.