Stakeholders Hopeful 2025 National Budget Will Prioritise Key Sectors
Written by Mafken FM Newsroom on 25 September 2024
By Staff Reporter & Comfort Nthala
The Medical For Quality Healthcare Zambia-MQHZ has called on Government to allocate 15 percent of the National budget to the health sector.
Organisation Executive Director Dr. Quince Mwabu says as Zambia prepares to present the 2025 national budget, it must bear in mind that the nation’s future depends on a healthy population.
Dr. Mwabu tells Mafken News that to achieve this, prioritising key areas that will significantly impact health care outcomes becomes paramount.
He has also observed the need to develop the healthcare workforce through training and recruitment with a major focus on rural areas which he says is vital to addressing the human resource gap.
And the National Action for Quality Education in Zambia (NAQEZ) has called on government to prioritize resolving key issues in the education sector ahead of the 2025 national budget.
NAQEZ Executive Director, Dr. Aaron Chansa, highlighted concerns over the failure to upgrade teacher salaries for those with higher qualifications and confirm long-serving acting teachers in senior roles, both commitments made in the 2023 budget.
Dr. Chansa tells Mafken News that there is need for investment in solar energy for schools and urged government to allocate adequate funds for stalled projects, including the construction of King Lewanika University and hostels at the University of Zambia.
He has emphasized that less than 19% allocation for education in the 2025 budget would be a missed opportunity to strengthen the sector.
