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2011 budget is an empty promissory note - Mpombo

2011 budget is an empty promissory note - Mpombo
By Chibaula Silwamba
Mon 11 Oct. 2010, 04:00 CAT

THE 2011 budget is an empty promissory note, MMD Kafulafuta member of parliament George Mpombo said yesterday.

Commenting on the K20.5 trillion 2011 national budget presented by finance minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane under the theme: 'A people's budget, from a people's government' in the National Assembly last Friday, Mpombo said President Rupiah Banda’s government had put up a very indifferent performance in the fight against corruption and imprudent management of resources; hence losing the confidence of foreign donors that consequently reduced aid to Zambia.

“It’s an empty promissory note because the donors have cut budget support. This situation will have a very negative impact on economic growth. Unless you have resources, the budget amounts to political rhetoric,” said Mpombo, a one-time defence minister in President Banda’s cabinet before resigning in mid-2009, citing lack of leadership, mismanagement of public resources and corruption in the current government.

“Donors have seen that Zambia is gripped by a destructive culture of wastage and political profligacy as evidenced by Mr Rupiah Banda’s constant useless international travels. We must also know that the decision by the donors is an open secret that they find there is no prudent usage of funds by this government. The other example is committing the meagre resources of the country on poor projects like mobile hospitals,” Mpombo said.

Mpombo said President Banda’s administration had failed to prioritise the needs of Zambians as evidenced by its purchase of mobile hospitals from China on loan.
He said what was alarming in the budget was the non-committal of the donors to fund the health sector.

Mpombo observed that at the moment, the health sector had severe shortages of drugs, equipment and manpower.

“The biggest losers in this case are ordinary Zambians who cannot travel to Cape Town in South Africa for a knee surgery. But also, they government officials should not hoodwink people about so-called new hospitals,” Mpombo said.

“You can’t just hoodwink people that we are building hospitals and yet these hospitals are white elephants – there is no staff, there are no medicines and equipment. It’s wrong to try to mislead the Zambian people that government is doing something and yet what they are trying to do is just mere politicking.”

He said the government was still frivolous about its responsibilities of governance.

“This government is very arrogant; it doesn’t listen to the people of Zambia. When people are complaining about these useless overseas trips, that is when Mr Banda dares the people and travels without shame. You cannot do things like that,” Mpombo said.

Mpombo said there was a gaping hole in the integrity of the government; hence the donors’ cutting of aid.

“Clearly, it is a vivid manifestation of the donors’ concerns on the lukewarm efforts by the government to promote good governance, the fight against corruption has been compromised and yet this is a big benchmark and magnet to attract investment and support in the country. But the government has put up a very lackadaisical performance as far as the fight against corruption is concerned,” said Mpombo.

“Instead of strengthening the fight against corruption, government is diluting the fight against corruption by the intention to remove the abuse of office clause from the revised Anti Corruption Commission bill. It’s very clear this government has hidden intentions as far as the fight against corruption is concerned.”

According to Dr Musokotwane’s budget speech, donors have cut their support by about half, from 14.5 per cent in 2010 to 7.7 per cent in the 2011 national budget.

Labels: 2011 BUDGET, GEORGE MPOMBO, SITUMBEKO MUSOKOTWANE

posted by MrK @ 4:23 PM