Finance and National Planning Minister SITUMEBEKO MUSOKOTWANE says the International Monetary Fund -IMF- supports Government’s decision to employ over 41-thousand civil servants this year.
Dr. MUSOKOTWANE also says the money for recruitment is available.
The minister says the country needs trained personnel to develop.
Dr. MUSOKOTWANE said this in the National Assembly .
This was in response to a question raised by Chama North Member of Parliament YOTAM MTAYACHALO who wanted to know whether the IMF is agreeable with the decision to employ 41 thousand citizens.
This was shortly after the Minister gave his ministerial statement on the progress made on debt restructuring with the IMF.
He said the path the country has taken is the only credible route to arrest the debt situation to help deliver relief.
Dr. MUSOKOTWANE said the Government is in constant touch with the IMF.
He explained that the IMF programme will enable the country access long term concessional funding which will include interest rates at zero percent and grace period of five and half years and 10 years to pay back.
The Minister also noted that Zambia’s creditors will be treated fairly under the auspices of the common framework for debt treatment beyond the debt service suspension initiative.