Lungu exhibits a sense of loss of direction-Tayali

The appointment of 14 District Commissioners (DC) for Southern Province by His Excellency Mr. Edgar Chagwa Lungu exhibits a sense of loss of direction in terms of the Country Economical situation. Zambia is currently faced with serious challenges economically and the President does not seem to be alive to the economical red light that is flashing.
The biggest problem with the President Lungu is lack of clear governance and policy strategy on how to sort out the problems facing our Country. Since he came into power, President Lungu has not shown the Country what he stands for (Governance) and where he is leading the Country (Policy direction). He is like a substitute who joins a match in the second half without a game plan. Such a player would hardly perform or be noticed by the spectators.
When the late President Chiluba (FTJ) took office in 1991, he immediately came out and told the nation what his game plan was – Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP). He asked people to brace themselves for harsh times of Privatization to revamp the economy. The economy at that time was far worse than what we have at the moment but within a short time the gears of SAP were engaged and things started turning around.
When Mwanawasa came in, he also took us through his plan – “New Deal”. Mwanawasa wanted to curtail the corrupt deals cut in the selling of Companies during Chiluba rule, then get the best deals for Zambians. In no time, our economic ratings improved and we managed to clinch the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HPIC) deal.
President Rupiah Banda came in and got dazzled with power and brought back corruption. Instead of setting up a game plan, he enjoyed the flattery of the cadres and engaging corrupt companies brought to him by his son. He did not set an agenda for the Country which made him lose the elections in 2011 to President Sata.
President Sata came in and pronounced his over ambitious infrastructural development and fighting the corruption of President Banda’s rule. In no time, the Country was filled with dust of roads and other infrastructure contractions. Districts where created like villages with no headmen; Lawyers were busy cashing-in by defending RB and other former government officials.
The point is not whether any of the policy direction taken by our former Presidents worked or not, but setting a Country to a particular goal which President Lungu has not done. Setting this up a strategic plan helps to make appropriate decisions and measure performance, among other things.
One wonders how President Lungu intends to reduce on the current budget deficit while the Finance Minister is still doing trials and errors on a number of policies.
Instead of fixing the current fiscal stress, the President is busy making unnecessary political appointment. Since 1991, State House has never been so busy with swearing-in ceremonies has it has been since President Lungu took office. Unfortunately these people are not going to work for free, rather they are going to increase on budget deficit.
At the time when we are supposed to be saving money to pay for the EUROBONDS and other maturing debts, the Government is still busy borrowing even on unnecessary expenditure such as security equipment. Zambia is very peaceful that buying of security equipment should not be a priority to borrow for, rather poverty levels should be the concern of the government.
Country is at total loss on how to create employment for our youths who are the majority of the population at about 52%.
On the supply side of employment, we have more than 250, 000 of graduates being offloaded on the market every year while on the demand side we have very little investment to absorb the job-seekers.
To make the situation more hopeless, most of our graduates are not fully skilled to take up the few jobs available, so the few skilled people keep changing jobs without retiring supported by the high retirement age
A lot of businesses are on the verge of collapsing due to lack of business because there are very few people with buying power.
Recently Centre for Trade Policy and Development (CTPD) expressed concern on Zambia’s trade performance in the first quarter of 2015. CTPD revealed that the our Trade deficit shot up to by 189%, from ZMW 202.7 million in February 2015 to K310 million in March 2015. What are the quick remedies to curb such alarming situations?
While we are doing well in some agriculture produce our crop marketing is very disorganized with little or no value addition.
The Country is at loss on Mining policies and control triggering stress on our foreign exchange since copper is our major foreign earner.
Elections are coming next year but it is not too late, President Lungu can still devise his strategic plan which can take him into the elections and campaign on that. He (President Lungu) needs to get back to Mfwe with his think tanks then come out with a blue print which he should come and present to the citizens at a Press Conference, with The Zambian Voice invited.