I LIKE WHAT UPNDARE SAYING …but you need to deliver, we wanna be there to help you – Graham
By Edwin Mbulo in Livingstone
WE like what you are saying but you need to deliver on your promises and we wanna be there to help, US Senator Lindsey Graham has told the President Hakainde Hichilema government.
Senator Graham told the UPND “you have a chance, don’t let this moment pass.”
The South California Republican Senator in an interview at Kabuyu Primary School north of Livingstone after witnessing a school feeding programme and inspecting a UNDP, FAO and WFP agriculture bulking centre on Monday said the US Congress will work on getting more American private sector to invest in Zambia.
“My Ambassador (to Zambia Michael Gonzales) believes the new government is the best partner we could have in the region potentially. That the new government offers a lot of promises on (fighting) corruption, performance systems. So what I hope we could do is get more American investments here from the private sector. There is a lot of money to be made in this part of the world,” he said. “But the challenge for this government is to deliver on the promises…this is a moment. From our Ambassador’s point of view, he is very excited for the next years in terms of partnerships with our countries. To this new government, I like what you are saying but you need to deliver and we wanna be there to help you.”
Graham noted that Zambia has a lot of agricultural and developmental needs.
“Getting the American private sector will help,” he said.
Graham said more investment into the agriculture and education sectors is needed.
He said the fight against corruption was one of the best indicators that Zambia was being graded on.
Delaware Democrat Senator Chris Andrew Coons said additional US investment will have positive impacts across Zambia.
“When we return to Washington we will be talking about what are the priorities of Zambia and how we work in partnership to deliver more positive impacts in future,” Coons said.
He said he was impressed with Zambia’s land, water and human resource abundance.
Coons said there is also need to target the best investment areas such as agriculture so as to unlock the great potential of Zambia to create jobs and to produce healthy foods.
Later at the Royal Livingstone Hotel during a meeting with foriegn affairs minister Stanley Kakubo, who was accompanied by his tourism counterpart Rodney Sikumba, Graham said Zambia and the US have a great moment to change the future of Zambia.
He told Kakubo and Sikumba that employing more teachers to reduce the teacher-pupil ratio is the best investment Zambia can make for posterity.
“Your new government is off to a good start. Word is out to the world especially in Washington [that] there is a new group (UPND) committed into reform, moving Zambia forward. This time will not last forever. We must act on the rethoric, we must actually do the reforms,” said Graham. “I have real love for your country and parts of this world. The potential here is unlimited in so many ways. The power of your people is just being tapped. You have a chance, do not let this moment pass.”
And Coons, who chairs the Senate Appropriations Committee, said he was hopeful that Zambia through the newly created Financial Corporation would be able to find high standard and transparent investment resources from the American private sector.
“You are leading the way in terms of the model in terms of private-led sector development. We hope to be a good partner in this,” said Coons.
Kakubo told the US congressional delegation that Zambia wants to do more and tabulated some successes on the CDF and public workers recruitments.
“We really appreciate the support we have gotten from the US bilaterally and through multilateral institutions. We are greatful for that,” said Kakubo.
The delegation also consisted of New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez (Foriegn Relations Committee), New Mexico Senator Martin Heinrich, Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen, Mark Kelly (Arizona) and US permanent representative UN Agencies (Rome) Cindy McCain.
