By Isaac Zulu
Southern Province minister Cornelius Mweetwa has said that Zambians have to endure the pain arising from the removal subsidies for now, which he said is one of the austerity measures the UPND administration has put in place to rebuild the economy.
Featuring on Radio Phoenix programme dubbed “Let the People Talk,” on Tuesday, Mweetwa said that the UPND government inherited a crippling economy with unsustainable debt and economic growth of negative two.
He said that the Patriot Front administration engaged in excessive borrowing to appease the people without taking into consideration that the country has an obligation to pay the debt.
Mweetwa said that, as things stand, the electoral promises that the UPND made while in opposition have to be fulfilled within the prevailing economic situation.
“The high inflation rate has contributed to the high cost of living. Secondly, the high cost of living is informed by the high cost of production, arising from the high cost of fuel. Remember that as a country we import fuel,” explained Mweetwa. “And the nation may wish to know that we (the UPND administration) inherited a crippling economy with unsustainable debt. In 2021 our economy growth rate was negative two. The previous government was excessively borrowing billions of dollars to appease the people without taking into consideration the fact that the country has to pay that debt. We were defaulting, thereby leaving a burden on innocent citizens. We are not the ones that created this economic malaise we are in today. The electoral promises we made now have to be fulfilled within the prevailing economic situation. We have to endure the pain arising from the removal of subsidies for now. We had to put in place those austerity measures in the short term.”
He said that there is no government the world over which can turn round a crippling economic situation instantly, saying rebuilding an economy is not an event, but a process.
“A bunch of people brought the country’s economy on its knees…it was in tatters. There is no government in the world that can turn round the crippling economic situation that we inherited,” Mweetwa said. “Rebuilding an economy is not an event. It is a process. So far the UPND administration has embarked on a debt restructuring programme in a prudent management manner. This noose which is on our economic neck will be loosened.”
Mweetwa said that in order to demonstrate financial prudence, President Hakainde Hichilema has “unprecedentedly gone for 15 months without a salary.”
“Apart from that, none of us his ministers has been bought a new luxurious vehicle. The President has insisted that we lead by example,” Mweetwa said.
And Mweetwa attributed the increase in mealie meal prices to the high cost of production and the high demand of white maize from neighbouring countries.
“There has been high demand for white maize in the region. And some people were creating some distortions that there’s a shortage of maize. Government has since intervened by offloading maize to millers. So mealie meal prices should go down,” Mweetwa explained.
He also said that the UPND administration has honoured its electoral commitment of uniting the country.
“People are now being appointed to serve in government positions from all regions of the country without discrimination. This is one of the electoral commitments that the UPND made while in opposition,” said Mweetwa, who is also UPND spokesperson.
