By Angela Moonga
The government has identified 12 areas for stakeholder input in preparation of the 2027 national budget.
In a press statement issued to the media by the office of Secretary to Treasury, the government is seeking input in areas such as mining taxation and revenue taxation, Value Added Tax (VAT), property taxation reforms.
Other areas where stakeholder submissions are being requested include: rationalisation of tax exemptions and incentives; taxation of emerging sectors such as the digital economy and environmental activities; customs modernisation and anti-smuggling measures; informal sector integration strategies; expansion of taxpayer registration systems; digitisation and smart invoicing systems; measures to improve expenditure efficiency and reduce wasteful spending; and, strengthening transparency, accountability, and inter-agency coordination across government institutions.
The Ministry of Finance argued that the government was inviting submissions in preparation for the 2027 national budget and Medium-Term Budget Framework covering the 2027–2029 period.
”The deadline for submissions is Tuesday, 30th June, 2026.The call for submissions is being made in accordance with Section 33 of the Planning and Budgeting Act No. 1 of 2020, which provides for stakeholder participation in the formulation of the National Budget and medium-term fiscal planning frameworks,” the statement read in part. “This consultative step forms part of the Government’s broader efforts to strengthen fiscal sustainability, improve domestic resource mobilisation, enhance expenditure efficiency, and align economic policy reforms with Zambia’s long-term development agenda under the national development plan framework.”
The government argued that the exercise was also aligned with the government’s ongoing development of the Medium-Term Revenue Strategy (MTRS), a multi-ye reform programme aimed at strengthening revenue collection systems, improving tax administration, broadening the tax base, and reducing excessive reliance on debt financing.
”The MTRS represents a shift from fragmented short-term fiscal adjustments towards a more coherent, sequenced, and Government-led reform framework integrating tax policy, revenue administration, institutional coordination, and public financial management reforms.We further emphasize that strengthening domestic revenue mobilisation remains critical to sustaining macroeconomic stability, financing public services, supporting infrastructure development, and creating fiscal space for economic transformation and job creation,” the statement read in part. “Stakeholders from the private sector, academia, civil society, professional bodies, cooperating partners, research institutions, and members of the public are encouraged to submit proposals using the prescribed structured format outlining the policy challenge, proposed reform measure, expected impact, and implementation considerations. Submissions should be addressed to:The Permanent Secretary (Budget & Economic Affairs).”
