HH FAILING TO CONTROL BUSINESS PARTNERS
…we might end up closing the year at $4.5bn in illicit financial flows – Kalaba
By Fanny Kalonda(The mast)
NOBODY is interested in dealing with the fundamentals, they are all interested in just politics, says Citizens First president Harry Kalaba.
He charges that illicit financial flows as tracked by the FIC have always been going up since the UPND came to power from about $2.4 billion last year and this year “we had $3 billion… We might end up closing the year at $4.5 billion. All this is being done under the leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema and his inner circle of friends and business partners that he has failed to control.”
Last week, the US Embassy in Lusaka via Facebook issued a statement regarding Ambassador Michael Gonzales’ meeting with Financial Intelligence Centre director general Clement Kapalu.
“The Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) plays a critical role in tracking illicit financial flows to help the Zambian government boost revenue collection. During an October 23 meeting with FIC Director General Kapalu, Ambassador Gonzales was surprised to learn that the FIC had identified roughly $3 billion in illicit financial flows so far this year. The FIC’s massive contribution to fighting corruption and money laundering is critical to capturing tax revenues from illicit transactions to benefit the Zambian people,” stated the Embassy. “That the FIC makes such impact despite having a minimal staff, 25 vacant positions, and the lowest budget of any counterpart institution in the region is truly impressive. Just think what a fully funded and capacitated FIC could achieve! Ambassador Gonzales said he hoped the FIC would continue to operate independently as provided by global standards.”
Reacting to the statement, Kalaba said Zambians must ask themselves “how come FIC figures have always been going up, since UPND took over power”.
He said leaders must take a lesson from former US leader Donald Trump whose wealth dropped when he became president.
“He [President Hakainde Hichilema] is telling us that he’s an economist, how come he can’t tell his friends that look the money you my friends that you keep moving out of the country is putting so much pressure on the kwacha and we won’t be able to reduce the cost of fuel and the social commodities. Could it be that the President doesn’t care about the Zambian people?” he wondered. “If President Hakainde Hichilema and his administration could just try to bring the kwacha to K15 to a dollar, and we’re not even asking him about this by 12:00 hours. Let him just try to greatly reduce the cost of fuel. As leaders let’s take a lesson from Donald Trump when he became president his wealth dropped and not becoming richer and richer. It’s about the service to the country and the people. That is how it should be but now we see nobody is interested in dealing with the fundamentals. They are all interested in just politics, politics and politics.”
Kalaba wondered how the government could bring down the exchange rate if the people in government were at the forefront of illicit financial flows.
“Patriotism is required in leadership for the benefit of any country and people. How can a government bring down the exchange rate if the people in government are at the forefront of illicit financial flows?” asked Kalaba.
“Zambians must ask themselves how come all of a sudden since the UPND government took over power the FIC figures have always been going up. Just last year it was about $2.4 billion and this year we had $3 billion. We might end up closing the year at $4.5 billion. All this is being done under the leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema and his inner circle of friends and business partners that he has failed to control.”