By Chinoyi Chipulu
Council of Churches in Zambia (CCZ) general secretary Father Emmanuel Chikoya says the 2025 national budget falls short in crucial areas that determine the country’s stance on economic recovery and resilience.
Speaking yesterday when Civil Society Organisations held a press briefing, Fr Chikoya said that the decrease in allocation at the the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development from K807.3 million in 2024 to K679.6 million in 2025 was concerning.
He said the budgetary allocation to the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Development should be increased to a minimum of 2 percent of the total budget to reflect the sector’s share of national revenue.
“This decrease is concerning given developments in the mining sector especially in the light of the global energy transition, anticipated policy, legal reforms and the potential environmental impacts of increased mining activities. With the escalating mining accidents, the allocation to mining safety is of great concern,” he said.
Fr Chikoya said the budget was unclear on how government would support the implemention of critical mineral strategy and position the mining sector as pivotal to the country’s industrialization agenda.
He said the reductions in funding for vital sectors, particularly those addressing climate change and agriculture, gave a negative picture of Zambia’s progress.
“I am recommending reallocating a portion of the FISP budget to meet the national food balance sheet deficit, which is 2.1 million metric tons of maize grain,” he said.
Fr Chikoya also recommended that renewable energy projects be pursued parallel with efforts to electrify rural areas and modernise traditional energy infrastructure.
“Renewable projects must reach marginalised groups and contribute directly to poverty reduction, rather than solely focusing on commercial or industrial applications,” he said.
Fr Chikoya proposed a phased approach where immediate energy needs like electrification and petroleum were prioritised in the short term, while renewable energy investments scaled up gradually over the next few years.
And Fr Chikoya commended the government saying that recruiting 2,000 teachers was a step in the right direction but may not be enough to resolve the teacher-to-pupil ratio problem on a larger scale.
Meanwhile, Centre for Environment Justice (CEJ) executive director Maggie Mwape said while the 2025 budget allocation for environmental protection had a modest overall increase, sectoral cuts in key areas, such as the green economy, raised concerns about Zambia’s progress towards sustainability goals.
She recommended that future budget allocations factor in inflation to ensure sectors such as environmental protection could maintain operational capacity.
Mwape called for reallocating resources to sectors with high potential for climate resilience and sustainable growth, particularly green economy initiatives.
She also advocated for strengthening administrative efficiency and exploring public-private partnerships to bridge funding gaps and enhance program effectiveness.
Earlier, national coordinator of Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Nsama Chikwanka urged the government to ensure that the benefits of Zambia’s mineral resources were shared equitably among its citizens.
Finance and national planning minister Situmbeko Musokotwane announced the 2025 national budget on Friday last week.
