Stakeholders Describe 2025 National Budget As Misplaced
Written by Mafken FM Newsroom on 1 October 2024
By Staff Reporter
Opposition Patriots for Economic Progress PeP has described the 2025 National Budget as a misplaced budget incapable of inspiring the much needed economic growth.
Party Leader Sean Tembo notes that the budget has misplaced priorities such as the placing of continuing trend of giving tax relief to foreign companies in the mining sector and the heavy reliance on debt as a means of financing the budget.
Mr. Tembo has also described as misplaced the allocation of about K19 billion to defence and security in the 2025 national budget, while only allocating less than a billion Kwacha to the procurement of medical equipment.
The opposition leader tells Mafken News that this appears to be misdirected priorities because Zambia is not a country at war, and the biggest threat to the national security is actually hunger and poverty.
He therefore concludes that in order to address this looming national security threat, Government is supposed to focus on growing the economy and improving the living standards of the people, instead of spending billions of Kwacha buying guns and ammunition.
And opposition Socialist party leader Fred M’membe says it is evil for the UPND Government to place more burdens on Zambians who are already going through various economic challenges.
Dr. M’membe has described the just presented 2025 National Budget as one that does not lift the burden off the Zambian people but instead it exerts more stress on the people.
He says it is difficult to see how such a budget can work to the advantage of the people further saying the increment in the Constituency development Fund CDF is misplaced, because CDF is just a conduit for political patronage and stealing.
He was speaking right after appearing for mention at the Lusaka magistrate court in relation to an offense where he is facing one count of seditious practices. Trial is expected to commence in November.
