By Daily Star Reporter
Continuing to talk about the broken promises has become as futile as the UPND in Government continuing to talk about the PF and their failures, Chishala Kateka has said.
The New Heritage Party (NHP) president told Daily Star in a statement that time has come for Zambians to look at possible solutions, “the things that will take us forward as a country.”
Kateka said certain issues, especially of an economic nature, have a more immediate impact on the daily lives of Zambians.
And the opposition leader said recently projected GDP growth rates by the New Dawn Administration are reactive rather than proactive projections.
“Recently projected GDP growth rates of [3.5% – 2022, 3.6%-2023, 3.9% – 2024] by our Government are, in our view, reactive rather than proactive projections. These rates cannot and will not cure the country’s endemic problems such as poverty, unemployment, unstable FX rate, low export earnings. Without an adequately high growth rate, the aspirations for job and wealth creation will remain a pipe dream,” she said.
“The key question Government should have asked itself is ‘What should we do to achieve a GDP growth rate of not less than 6-8% consistently year on year?’ This growth rate is, in our estimate, the growth rates we as a country need to achieve in order restore the economic productivity lost and restore the per capita GDP after adding 4million + people since 2013. With a target growth rate, a formulation of strategies and policies around where we want the country to be should then have been crafted.”
Meanwhile, Kateka said failure to address the cost of living of Zambians will cost UPND Government “very” dearly.
“The BOZ’s (and by default – Government) monetary policy approach of focusing on inflation while ignoring the real economic variables that affect citizens on the ground is the real elephant in the room. Failure to address the cost of living of Zambians will cost this Government very dearly. As we have said, with no significant and aggressive real GDP growth, there can be no real employment or wealth creation,” she said.