Chikwanda's budget a triumph of realism over rhetoric - Mutesa

Chikwanda's budget a triumph of realism over rhetoric - Mutesa
By Fridah Nkonde
Tue 16 Oct. 2012, 14:00 CAT

THE first national budget formulated under the PF administration is a triumph of realism over rhetoric, says Zambians for Empowerment and Development president Dr Fred Mutesa.

In an interview yesterday, Dr Mutesa said Zambia had a discernible outline of a coherent policy framework which previously has been hard to see.

"For this, commendation to finance minister Alexander Chikwanda. During the next budget implementation cycle, there are several things to which government must pay close attention: fiscal discipline, unauthorised expenditure, collaboration with affected stakeholders, and targeting non-traditional exports," he said.

Dr Mutesa said as the many reports by the Auditor General would attest, financial irregularities had been a major weakness in budget performance.

He said there was need to strengthen monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, with appropriate punitive measures put in place to deter would-be erring officers and spending agencies.

He said the Executive needed to desist from coming up with new policy decisions that would not fall within the ambit of what the National Assembly had authorised.

"For the smooth implementation of the budget objectives, cooperation with all affected stakeholders must be strengthened. In this regard, the private sector, trade unions, development partners and community representatives must be taken on board and listened to," he said.

He said maize, electricity, cotton, flowers, burley tobacco and gemstones had been identified as possessing great potential to increase export revenue.

"Measures should therefore be put in place to ensure continued expansion of these sub-sectors. In particular, there is need to establish strong synergies between non-traditional exports and the national strategy for industrialisation and job creation," he said.

Dr Mutesa said implementation and monitoring budget performance was a collective responsibility and that the PF and its government needed to facilitate space for all citizens to engage in the noble duty by quickly enacting legislation on access to information and respecting the rights and freedoms of the people enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic.