There’s no need for us to prolong our current euphoric excitement over the the preliminary debt restructuring milestone but rather focus on what we want to achieve with the restructuring process.
By Hon. Ponde C. Mecha.
Lusaka, June 28 – President Hichilema has just scored a first in putting a soothing smile on the faces of many Zambians by his team’s achievement of the debt restructuring deal. He deserves immense commendations for the effort deposited in the process thus far.
Zambians who have been keenly following the process cannot envy Hon. Dr. Musokotwane, the Minister responsible for Finance and Economic Affairs for the sleepless nights he has been spending in supervising a successful debt sustainability analysis process that has triggered this positive outcome. He specially deserves our accolades.
Also Read: Hichilema seals a $6.3 billion debt restructuring deal.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, we must all remember that debt restructuring will merely and just momentarily help us postpone our current debt burden to some date in the future so that we sort out our current socio-economic ills and sustain and/or restore the dignity and welfare of our people as well as keep the wheels of our economy running efficiently.
The problem that the current debt burden has generated for Zambians is not yet fixed as our economy is still in the intensive care unit awaiting surgery. Therefore, there’s no need for us to prolong our current mood of intense excitement (euphoria) over the achievement of the preliminary milestone but rather focus on the bigger picture of what we want to achieve with the debt restructuring process.
The process of debt restructuring is still underway and every stakeholder should ensure that we prepare the ground for successful implementation of the government socio-economic programmes that will overally give way to poverty reduction and establish the basis for posterity to redeem our postponed indebtedness.
This calls for putting immediate pragmatic measures and strategies in place that will ensure prudent management of resources that the debt restructuring will make available to us.
Hon Sejani, Local government Commission Chairperson has already led the way by demonstrating how President Hichilema’s vision of success for a sustainable debt restructuring deal should be anchored on prudent management of human resource in his local governance system.
Sejani is spot on, “Shape up or ship out”. Local government personnel have no choice but to either improve their behaviour/attitude/practices or else be required to exit. This is the kind of leadership we desire in all service commissions and I only hope all sleeping commissions are learning lessons from Hon. Sejani’s leadership.
This is why the choice of commissioners in service commissions must not be compromised by Ministers responsible and it’s not too late to start replacing none performing commissioners who cannot read and interpret President Hichilema’s vision.
This also applies to all government institutions and parastatals. They all need to demonstrate their preparedness to deal with challenges imposed by the debt restructuring discourse.
Also Read: Zambia is not benefitting from its mineral resources.
As patriotic Zambians, we all need to help our vision carrier to FIX IT by ensuring that we share our strategies on how best we can drive a sustainable socio-economic development agenda that prioritizes maximization of benefits by the Zambians from their own resources anchored on prudent resource management as espoused by Sejani in his latest press address.
Once the real benefits of the debt restructuring program become feasible and tangible, then we shall be justified in amplifying our celebrations to euphoric levels. For now, let’s do away with celebrations and leverage a results orientation.
About The Author: Hon. Ponde Chunga Mecha is the immediate past Member of Parliament for Chifunabuli Constituency. He is currently an agribusiness consultant.
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