Zambia's 2026 National Budget, presented by the Finance and National Planning Minister, has drawn sharp criticism from political leaders Sean Tembo of PeP and Kelvin Fube of Zambia Must Prosper (ZMP). Both leaders have highlighted significant economic discrepancies, unfulfilled promises, and missed opportunities within the budget, raising serious questions about the government's financial management and its impact on the nation.

Sean Tembo, PeP President, questioned the Minister's positive assessment of the 2025 national budget's performance. He pointed out that farmers who sold maize to the government over four months ago remain unpaid, despite specific budget provisions for such expenditure. Tembo underscored the critical need for farmers to receive their payments promptly to prepare for the upcoming agricultural season. Furthermore, he challenged the claim of excellent performance by juxtaposing it with the admitted projected budget deficit for 2025, which stands at 4.6% of GDP, or approximately 17% of the budget. This deficit, Tembo argued, indicates a failure to attain revenue targets or an overspending of expenditure targets, contradicting any assertion of good performance.

Concerns were also raised regarding the escalating national debt. Foreign debt, according to Tembo, has increased by approximately $4.55 billion over the past four years, reaching $15.78 billion from $11.23 billion. He contrasted this with the previous government's borrowing of $8.78 billion over ten years, which resulted in visible infrastructure projects like hospitals, roads, and power stations. Tembo questioned what tangible developments the current administration has achieved with the additional $4.55 billion. Similarly, domestic debt surged by K127.7 billion in four years, from K114.3 billion in August 2021 to K242.0 billion by August 2025. Tembo noted that the only significant infrastructure project by the current government, the Lusaka-Ndola dual-carriage way, is financed by NAPSA, not directly by this accumulated domestic debt.

The issue of domestic arrears owed to suppliers of goods and services was a major point of contention. Tembo reminded the nation that the current government inherited K28 billion in domestic arrears from the previous administration in 2021, with President Hakainde Hichilema promising liquidation within three years. However, four years later, these arrears have not only remained unpaid but have ballooned to K84.1 billion, an increase of K56.1 billion. Tembo questioned how such a significant increase in outstanding payments could be considered good performance. He also criticized the perennial allocation of K4.6 billion in the budget for