Step up economic diversification, State told

Sun, 17 Dec 2017 11:48:19 +0000

By SANDRA MACHIMA

GOVERNMENT must step up efforts in diversifying the economy by addressing bottlenecks that are hindering such efforts, Gallant Youths Zambia executive director Henry Mulenga has said.

Mr Mulenga said setbacks such as late delivery of farming inputs, high cost of financial credit and reduced investor confidence made it difficult to diversify the economy.

Mr Mulenga said economic diversification remained key to addressing the high levels of poverty and inequality in Zambia.

He appealed to relevant authorities to expedite the process of the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) so that the farming activities were not derailed.

Mr Mulenga noted that usually, the resources for farming were released on time but that some relevant authorities responsible for distribution were the ones who were delaying the process.

He said Government should immediately address the mess that delays farmers from accessing their inputs on time under the new E-voucher system.

Mr Mulenga said strengtheniong the local agriculture sector and its importance would drive the economic growth of the country and enhance food security.

Mr Mulenga said the Government must revisit the FISP to seal loopholes, noting the programme in its current form had incorporated some individuals who do not qualify under the programme.

He urged Government to consider revising the programme so that only vulnerable people benefitted from the programme, saying the agriculture sector should be seen to be the backbone for the country’s diversification plan.