GOVT CONFIDENT IN ECONOMIC GROWTH DESPITE IMF DOWNGRADE
By Nelson Zulu
Government says it remains optimistic about achieving economic growth beyond the initial target this year, despite the International Monetary Fund –IMF- downgrading the country’s growth forecast from 6.6% to 5.4%.
Secretary to the Treasury Felix Nkulukusa has told Phoenix News that the official growth baseline will be confirmed at the end of the first quarter through a bulletin from the Zambia Statistics Agency –ZAMSTAT-.
Mr. Nkulukusa states that preliminary estimates already indicate stronger activity in key sectors, but the formal ZAMSTAT release will allow government and development partners to reconcile models and agree on a common base.
He has acknowledged that recent IMF growth projections are supported by 2025 data and may not affect technical discussions with the fund over a successor programme.
Mr. Nkulukusa is confident that the future programme focused on economic growth will reflect Zambia’s policy priorities and be driven by domestic objectives.
PHOENIX NEWS