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Saasa calls for action to reduce donor dependency

Saasa calls for action to reduce donor dependency
By Mwala Kalaluka
Tue 26 June 2012, 13:25 CAT

ECONOMIST Professor Oliver Saasa says President Michael Sata's statement that Zambia was tired of begging is a loud and clear message that the country should have a conscious effort to reduce donor dependency.

Commenting on President Sata's statement at the just-ended United Nations Summit on sustainable development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, that Zambia was tired of moving with a begging bowl, Prof Saasa said in an interview that he had been a donor support expert over the last two decades and therefore was conversant with the issue.

He said the above statement was more of a challenge to the government and the Zambians than to the donors, because Zambians have continued to depend on donor support despite being endowed with God-given resources.

"It makes a lot of sense when it is considered in that context," Prof Saasa said. "We haven't, as a country, taken advantage of these resources instead we have continued with the calabash begging."

He said President Sata's statement was a challenge to Zambians to take advantage of their natural resources, as this would eventually translate into reduction of donor dependency.

"We must have a conscious effort to reduce donor dependency," Prof Saasa said. "Free money is never free. It comes with conditions. Have you seen? The hand that receives is always below that which gives."

He described President Sata's admission that Zambia was fatigued by donor dependency, as rare, especially that it was made at an international forum.

"Let us start translating what the President is saying through clear policies of how we are going to do it," he said. "For me, that challenge from the President was very important but it is now our lieutenants in government to start translating. The challenge is on the government itself. The challenge really rests squarely on our shoulders."

Prof Saasa said the private sector also needs to be enabled to play its role in translating President Sata's challenge but that this could not be done in an environment like the current one where Zambians are almost like second-class citizens when it comes to incentives for investors.

"We should not always think that when we talk about investment, we think about foreign investment. I think that is where we go wrong," he said.

Prof Saasa said access to finances was difficult for most local investors, who are also excluded from the incentive regime.

He said the people have now heard of the PF's policies, dreams and aspirations but what they wanted to see was a little bit more conscious effort from the government.

Prof Saasa said President Sata's donor support concern was a loud and clear message that all Zambians were fed up with what was happening.

Addressing the Rio Summit on climate change, President Sata said Zambia does not need money but technology from the donors.

President Sata said Zambia was tired of moving with a "begging bowl" from one developed country to another as the country had the capacity to become self-reliant and lift its millions of unemployed youths out of poverty if its vast natural resources were exploited to the benefit of Zambians.

"Zambia is an extremely large country with relatively smaller population," he told a United Nations Development Programme-organised discussion on exploring economic development beyond GDP measurements.

"Some of you, 13 million population of Zambia is what you have in your cities and towns. It is most unfortunate and God will not forgive us that out of a small population of 13 million, you can still find unemployed people. The reason is that we are not utilising our natural resources which we have more than other countries."

President Sata said he admired and was grateful to Brazil which was leading in utilising its natural resources to improve lives of its ordinary people. I don't want the syndrome of 'take this'; the reason Africa has not developed is that we have always relied on begging from the super bowl. Time has come for us to develop ourselves and let others come to beg from ourselves because we have more resources than the people we are begging from."

President Sata said only technological advancement to ensure sustainable development would lift Africa out of its current economic and developmental doldrums.

"You donors keep your money but we need your technology. All we need from you is good technology," said President Sata amidst applause from the audience.

Labels: DONORS, OLIVER SAASA

posted by MrK @ 3:33 PM