Maravi

Shakafuswa calls for patience

Shakafuswa calls for patience
By Mutuna Chanda
Tuesday February 26, 2008 [03:00]

FINANCE deputy minister Jonas Shakafuswa has asked for patience in turning around the fortunes of the rural poor in Zambia. Commenting on University of Zambia Professor of economics Venkatesh Seshamani’s warning that Zambia could turn into a highly iniquitous nation unless concerted efforts were made to improve the plight of the people in rural areas, Shakafuswa said Zambia would change.

“There has been a lot of investment in minerals production and most of this is happening in rural areas,” Shakafuswa said. “In North Western Province there are mines that are coming up and not only there but in Mpongwe, so the concentration has gone in the rural areas.”

He said the development of mines in rural parts of the country would result in increased demand for goods and services.

“It used to be the case that rural areas were not paid so much attention to, but that now is changing. In Shang’ombo we are talking about diamonds that could be mined and in North Western Province where Lumwana is, there is a high percentage of uranium so Zambia will change,” he said.

On Professor Seshamani’s observation that the allocation to the agriculture sector had recorded 33.7 per cent real change in this year’s budget, Shakafuswa said the government had spent a lot of money on agriculture but there had been no corresponding return.

“Last year we gave the Food Reserve Agency about K250 billion to buy maize from peasant farmers but what happened in the Eastern Province some of the maize that we were buying was coming from Mozambique and Malawi,” said Shakafuswa.

Labels: RURAL AREAS, SHAKAFUSWA, VENKATESH SESHAMANI

posted by MrK @ 4:36 AM