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(LUSAKATIMES) Shikapwasha urges Zambians to support 2009 budget

Shikapwasha urges Zambians to support 2009 budget
January 31, 2009

Government has called on the people of Zambia to support the 2009 national budget in order to enhance economic development in the country.

Chief Government spokesperson, Ronnie Shikapwasha said there was need for the people of Zambia to fully support this year’s national budget, which he said has placed much emphasis on the economic recovery of the nation. Lieutenant General Shikapwasha was speaking in an interview with ZANIS in Lusaka today.

He said as Members of Parliament and the public begin to debate the budget, there was need for them to support it because it has reflected a number of programmes that would promote economic development in the country.

He further said that the 2009 national budget had addressed a number of development programmes which he said will help to harness economic development in Zambia when implemented well.

General Shikapwasha, who is also Information and Broadcasting Services Minister, cited the mining, agriculture, tourism, health, education and construction sectors respectively as some of the key sectors that needed the full support of Zambian people in order to enhance economic development in the country.

The minister further said people should be happy that the 2009 national budget was focusing on diversification.

He noted that diversifying the country’s economy would help address some challenges associated with the global economic crunch.

He said the budget was reflecting the country’s economic recovery as it was massively supporting education, health, agriculture and tourism sectors.

And General Shikapwasha has brushed aside calls by some opposition political parties that government should institute an independent body that will audit the National Constitution Conference (NCC).

He said there was no need for some opposition political parties to start calling for an independent audit body to audit NCC because the commission had not misapplied resources that were allocated for the exercise.

He however said Zambians and the opposition political parties were free to call on the office of the Auditor General to audit the National Constitutional Conference.

The Chief Government spokesperson said the Auditor General’s office was the right government organ to audit government institutions and departments.

He has since called on the opposition and the Zambian people to support NCC to enable it execute its mandate within the stipulated time.

ZANIS/TK/KSH/ENDS

Labels: 2009 BUDGET, NCC, SHIKAPWASHA

posted by MrK @ 8:21 PM