JOIN DRIVERN TAXI AS PARTNER DRIVER TODAY!
–Health Deputy Minister Christopher Mulenga has defended the removal of both fuel and maize subsidies by government as unsustainable to the Zambian economy.
And Mazabuka District Patriotic Front (PF) leadership has commended President Michael Sata for taking bold decisions but politically unpopular in order to transform the Zambian economy.
Meanwhile, Mazabuka District Commissioner Eugene Munyama has asked government to quickly release the findings that led to the death of a patient at Mazabuka District Hospital due to allegedly professional negligence by health workers.
Mr. Mulenga explained that the government has not increased the price of both fuel and maize but merely removed the subsidies that went to consumption because they had become unsustainable.
ZANIS reports that the Health minister was speaking when he addressed civil servants in Mazabuka today.
President Sata said recently that government was losing a lot on mealie meal and fuel subsidies thereby denying government the needed revenue for national development such as infrastructure building.
However this move has been received with mixed feelings by sections of society more especially the student populace.
Yesterday, armed police fired teargas canisters at demonstrating University of Zambia (UNZA) students who were demonstrating against the removal of subsidies.
However, the Health Deputy Minister said what people are paying now is the actual prices of fuel and maize saying that MMD government was not courageous enough to take the step for political gain.
He further explained that government decided to remove the subsidies in order to make savings that will be channeled to the productive sectors such as putting up infrastructure and improvement of the social sector as outlined in the Patriotic Front (PF) manifesto.
Mr. Mulenga who is also Chinsali Central Patriotic Front (PF) Member of Parliament, implored Zambians to look for long term benefits that will accrue the savings.
Earlier, Mazabuka District Patriotic Front (PF) Vice Chairperson, Peter Chirwa has commended President Michael Sata for taking bold decisions but politically unpopular in order to transform the Zambian economy.
Mr. Chirwa said President Sata has shown Zambians that politics of appeasement in the name of subsidizes will not this country anywhere.
He urged the opposition political parties for once to shown political maturity and support government for its good intentions of bettering the lives of ordinary Zambians.
At the same meeting, Mazabuka District Commissioner Eugene Munyama has asked government to quickly release the findings that led to the death of a patient at Mazabuka District Hospital due to allegedly professional negligence by health workers.
Mr. Munyama said while the district administration is alive to the challenges facing the health sector such as inadequate personnel and infrastructure in the district, public health workers should do their part in serving the community.
He said the community is anxiously waiting to see what kind of action government will take to erring public health workers who were on duty that week.
