By SIMON MUNTEMBA
CITIZENS, including those working from home because of the covid-19 pandemic, must work hard so that the country’s economy is not negatively impacted, President Edgar Lungu has advised.
And President has said government has done very well in regulations relating to speedy supply of seeds, registering fertilisers, securing water, sustaining livestock and accessing finance, among other thematic successes, and hence being rated highly in the World Bank’s Enabling Business of Agricuirure (EBA19) Report.
The President said Zambia scored 63.73 from a possible 100, which is way above the regional average.
He further said the World Bank’s Enabling Business of Agricuirure (EBA19) Report, launched last Thursday, placed Zambia third in Sub Saharan Africa, among the top countries that are encouraging the private sector to invest in agriculture.
And the President said he wanted to encourage all households to work hard amidst the covicd-19 pandemic and engage in some farming activity so that we end hunger and create capital for ourselves from the surplus that we produce.
“Working from home is different from staying at home, and, therefore, citizens working from home must use the available ICT tools and work hard rather than deciding to abandon work,” the President cautioned.
In a statement to the Daily Nation by his special assistant for press and public relations, Isaac Chipampe, President Lungu noted that from last years’ experience, many citizens who were asked to work from home decided to stay at home and abandoned work.
The Head of State said abandoning work when allowed to work from home would not just negatively affect productivity but will impact, negatively, the county’s economy.
And the President has encouraged people engaged in farming to ensure they visit their farms regularly, despite the surging cases of covid-19, so that the county continues to do well in food production and security.
He said, like all citizens, farmers needed to observe the covid-19 health guidelines of wearing masks, social distancing, hand sanitising, and steaming among others, but should not abandon their fields.
