KEY TAKEAWAYS: KAMBITA PRAISES UPND’S ECONOMIC RECOVERY AND DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS
ECONOMIC RECOVERY & DEBT RESTRUCTURING
• President Hakainde Hichilema’s leadership described as “remarkable” in stabilizing the economy and restructuring debt.
• Enactment of the Public Debt Management Act created fiscal space, freeing resources for social sectors.
• Budget credibility restored, with spending aligned to approved allocations and clear policy direction to boost production and investment.
PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS (PPPS)
• Government promoting PPPs to drive infrastructure growth.
• Key projects include the Lusaka–Ndola Dual Carriageway and the Mutanda–Kasempa Road, expected to be commissioned soon.
SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT & CDF IMPACT
*The Constituency Development Fund (CDF) highlighted as a “game changer.”
*Achievements in Zambezi East include:
*15 classroom blocks with desks, 8 health centres, and recruitment of 600+ teachers.
*K1.7m invested per classroom block and K1.2m per health post.
*17,000 benefiting from social cash transfers, plus 14,000 additional drought-period beneficiaries.
*1,200 residents gained skills, 1,359 pupils in boarding schools, 153 loans issued, and 239 clubs granted support.
LOCAL INFRASTRUCTURE & EQUIPMENT
• Acquisition of critical equipment: water bowser, excavator, and grader for township road rehabilitation.
• Construction of two market shelters to support local commerce.
• Assurance given for a new district hospital, replacing the one built in 1939, and plans for a university and teaching hospital.
GOVERNANCE & ACCOUNTABILITY
• Emphasis on media engagement in budget sessions to understand policy direction.
• Clarification that FIC report figures are cumulative across administrations, not just UPND.
• Criticism of past misuse of Eurobond funds in the railway sector, stressing the need for accountability.
OVERALL MESSAGE
• UPND government credited with swift debt restructuring, enhanced service delivery, and meaningful investments in education, health, and infrastructure.
• Kambita underscores progress while urging continued transparency and accountability.
© UPND Media Team