DR MUSOKOTWANE INVITES ZAMBIANS TO HARD WORK
26 March 2024
By Aswell K. Mwalimu
THE reached $ 3.5 billion debt restructuring deal will not bring down the pricy commodities instantlly, but shall definitely give Zambia a huge relief; allowing for more investment in the manufacturing, agriculture, mining and tourism sectors.
And to a greater extent, debt restructuring will also bring about social progress, increased income and development in rural parts of Zambia.
During the Hot Breakfast radio show, Minister of Finance and National Planning, Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane said Zambia cannot become wealthy and self-sustaining through written off debt alone.
Remember, Zambians had walked this hard road under the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) completion point back in 2004/5.
Dr Musokotwane encouraged Zambians to support the reached $ 3.5 billion debt restructuring deal for the huge benefits it brings to our country.
And for a change; we, the people must reciprocate with sincere and productive hard work!
But, why has hard work become the new anthem by our leaders?
The debt restructuring is a product of hard work and consequently demands hard work from all Zambians.
Clearly, the gibberish by lazy armchair critics has been defeated by competency, professionalism and willpower.
The debt service is now based on what the Zambian Government can afford to pay and not the python-like-debt that gripped the economy and people of Zambia for years.
“In the 70s, Zambia’s copper production was 750, 000 tons for a population of about 4 million people, and life was good. However, the current 20 million people cannot live a better life on the copper production scale of the 1970s,” said Dr Musokotwane.
The Finance and National Planning Minister is very optimistic that the debt restructuring deal will make the projected 3 million tons of copper production possible!
Without debt restructuring, Zambians would have been hungrier, the cost of living would have been worse and the consequence of the energy crisis including food relief would have been more severe.
“To all Zambians, good living and wealth doesn’t come from people writing off your debt, but by your hard work,” Dr Musokotwane said.
From my end, there is no substitute to hard work!
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