By Isaac Zulu
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Stanley Kakubo says part of the K22 billion supplementary budget will go towards the dismantling of retirement packages for TAZARA retirees.
Speaking when he addressed members of the clergy in Kapiri Mposhi on Thursday, Kakubo said that the UPND administration is concerned about the welfare of TAZARA retirees.
He explained that it is for this reason that the current government has found it prudent to channel part of the supplementary budget that is currently before Parliament for approval to go towards paying TAZARA retirees.
He disclosed that the Secretary to the Treasury has made some assurances that TAZARA retirees will be paid their dues.
“Decisive leadership is what we have in President Hakainde Hichilema. During economic times like these, you need a fearless leader who can make bold decisions. Today I have the good news for you. Part of the K22 billion supplementary budget will go towards paying TAZARA retirees,” said Kakubo. “And very soon you will be hearing significant pronouncements with regard to the debt restructuring programme. The inflation rate is going down because economic fundamentals are being controlled.”
Kakubo also said that some foreign investors from Dubai intend to set up a fertiliser storage facility in Kapiri Mposhi district, saying the rationale is to make “Kapiri Mposhi district the distribution hub in Zambia.”
And Kakubo has revealed that the Patriot Front government never paid the contractor, Asphalt Roads Zambia, for the rehabilitation of township roads in Kapiri Mposhi district.
He explained that the UPND administration is looking at the possibility of embarking on the construction of township roads in the area.
“But we won’t borrow for road construction. We have already started working on feeder roads because they are of economic value when it comes to transportation of farm produce and farming inputs,” he said.
The Kapiri Mposhi lawmaker also charged that the Patriot Front government used to inflate the prices for the construction of roads in the country.
Meanwhile, Kakubo has said that the Church plays a significant role in the governance of the nation.
“When President Hakainde Hichilema was incarcerated, it was the Church that intervened. In the run up to the 2021 general elections, the Church played a big role in ensuring that peace and unity prevail in the country. Clearly, the Church plays a significant role in the governance of the country,” said Kakubo.
He said that the UPND administration values the Church, adding that “this government will continue supporting and working with the Church.”
