I would be ‘careless’ in my responsibility as a politician to say that everything is perfect – Milupi

UNITED Party for National Development (UPND) Alliance Chairperson, Charles Milupi has defended the government’s performance since taking office in 2021, acknowledging the difficulties faced by Zambians.

Speaking when he featured on ZNBC’s Sunday Interview last evening, Milupi, who is also Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development minister, was upfront about the realities of governance, saying that while the government has not achieved perfection, significant strides have been made in improving the country’s economy and social services.

“I would be remiss in my responsibility as a politician, in my responsibility as chairperson of the alliance, indeed in my responsibility as a cabinet minister, to say that everything is 100 percent. No, that’s not what we are saying.” he stated.

He further described the economic situation inherited by the UPND government as dire, citing a recession with negative growth of minus 2.8 percent and Zambia’s 2020 debt default, which saw the country fail to pay US$45 million in interest.

“We inherited a collapsed economy,” Milupi said.

“What we inherited in 2021 is minus 2.8 percent, an economy that [was] going downwards, but not growing.”

Milupi highlighted the new dawn government’s efforts to address these challenges, including restructuring the debt and introducing free education.

“Can you imagine what would have happened if the poor child’s parents still had to pay for their school fees? That would have made life even harder for them,” he noted.

Commenting on the ongoing debates surrounding the proposed constitutional amendments specifically on the delimitation of constituencies, Milupi explained that some constituencies with large populations currently receive the same level of funding as smaller constituencies, which undermines fairness in the distribution of resources

“Every person in this country, far-flung or not, must feel they’re being represented,” he said. “Those funds are used to bring development, build schools, build clinics, and empower people in those constituencies.”

Meanwhile, earlier today during the launch of the new currency in Lusaka, the Minister of Finance and National Planning, Situmbeko Musokotwane stated that despite the drought, the Zambian economy has shown reillience, recording a 4 percent increase last year.

Dr Musokotwane was hopeful that the 6 percent economic growth target will be attained by the end of 2025…https://kalemba.news/…/i-would-be-careless-in-my…/

By George Musonda

Kalemba