ZAMBIA’S NEXT FIVE YEARS MUST DELIVER SHARED PROSPERITY
Former Kanchibiya Member of Parliament Sunday Chilufya Chanda says President Hakainde Hichilema’s re-election presents an opportunity to move Zambia from economic recovery to broad-based prosperity.
Mr Chanda said the President’s second mandate should focus on ensuring ordinary Zambians benefit from the economic gains achieved during the New Dawn administration’s first five years.
He said the first term was largely focused on stabilising the economy through debt restructuring, restoring investor confidence, attracting investment and expanding access to free education.
“The first term was about putting Zambia back on its feet. The second must be about making Zambia run faster and ensuring that ordinary Zambians feel the benefits,” Mr Chanda said.
He said economic recovery should translate into better-paying jobs, affordable food, reliable electricity, profitable markets for farmers and improved access to capital for small businesses.
Mr Chanda identified copper as one of Zambia’s biggest economic opportunities, but urged Government to prioritise mineral processing and ensure greater value was retained locally.
“Our ambition should not simply be to become a bigger copper producer. Our ambition must be to become a more prosperous mining country,” he said.
He also called for agriculture to become a major pillar of the economy through investment in irrigation, storage, rural roads, affordable financing and agro-processing.
Mr Chanda said Zambia should reduce its dependence on exporting raw agricultural products by developing industries that process soya beans, sunflower, cassava, livestock and dairy products.
On youth development, he said free education should be complemented by technical training, apprenticeships, digital skills and entrepreneurship opportunities.
“The next challenge is to connect education to opportunity,” he said.
Mr Chanda further described reliable electricity as critical to industrialisation, saying investment in solar, hydro, transmission and storage should be accelerated.
He said development must also reach rural communities, with decentralisation and the Constituency Development Fund used to build productive local economies.
“By 2031, the question should be simple: Is Zambia stronger and are Zambians better off?” Mr Chanda said.
He urged Government, the opposition, private sector, farmers, workers and young people to contribute towards building a more prosperous Zambia.
“The election may be over. The real work begins now,” he said.
We love you Sunday Chanda, we know some people rigged. We will follow through and have a BY-ELECTIONS in that constituency.
God loves Zambia and he wants it to be UNITED COUNTRY.