Caritas Zambia urges government to spend wisely

Caritas Zambia, a department of the Zambia Episcopal Conference (ZEC), has charged that the continued absence of fiscal discipline in the economic management of the country’s finances, by the Zambian government, is not serving the interests of ordinary Zambians.

In a statement to QFM, a privately-owned local radio station in Lusaka, Caritas Zambia’s programme officer for Economic and Social Accountability, Tommy Singongi said that in the midst of the country’s fiscal challenges including a budget deficit and growing external and domestic debt levels, Caritas Zambia had hoped that the Zambian government would exercise prudence in its economic and natural resources management.

Singongi told the radio station that the wasteful use of public resources as exemplified by the recent presidential trip to New York by Zambian President Edgar Lungu, which is said to have cost US$ 300, 000 in charter charges of a private jet was a shame for any well-meaning government and an insult to the marginalised poor.

Singongi said the expensive trip to New York could not be justified when the average citizen in Zambia is not benefitting from efficient and adequate service delivery of clean water, energy, education and health among others. He illustrated his concerns by saying, this year, a primary school classroom block was built at Sinantandabale Primary School in Sinazongwe district (South Province) at the cost of Zambian Kwacha 133, 000. According to the Caritas official, this means that at the cost of one presidential charter and trip to New York, the country could have built 30 such school blocks in any given district of Zambia where some underprivileged children are still learning under trees due to lack of infrastructure.

Caritas Zambia has called on the Zambian government to clarify the manner in which it spent public funds on the controversial trip to New York and commit to efficient and prudent public resource management for the benefit of all citizens.

(Source: QFM in Lusaka)