Dear Editor, SO much has been said and written about how poorly the Zambian economy has been performing. The doomsayers have been in overdrive to perpetuate a false narrative that the Zambian economy is nearing a melting point. Listening to these paid analysts discuss the state of the economy does not paint an entirely true picture of the domestic economy.
When President Edgar Lungu recently remarked that the economy is doing well, his statement was met with rebuke and dismissed by the same gang of pessimistic individuals whose main preoccupation is to paint the country black. What however is true is that as much as commodity prices have recorded marginal rises, the general state of the economy is very sound. This is evidenced by the number of Zambians who are excelling in many sectors of the economy. World over, one of the early signs of a declining economy is the collapse of the property market but to the contrary, the Zambian property market is outperforming many other sectors.
The boom that has been recorded in the property market where Zambians are buying land and building modern residential and commercial properties goes to show that the economy is doing well. The other key indicator is the growth of the domestic tourism sector. With the Covid-19 pandemic affecting the inflow of international tourists, local Zambians have taken up the challenge and are now keeping our tourism operations afloat.
Just this Easter holiday, one will find it hard to secure a booking in Livingstone, Samfya and other tourism resorts as they are fully booked. If you check at Shimabala and Choma Toll Stations, you will be amazed at the flow of traffic out of Lusaka headed to Livingstone as Zambians go to relax with their friends and families. The question therefore is, if the economy is as bad as they wish us to believe, who then is spending at these tourism resorts? My conclusion is that as Zambians, we need to support President Lungu’s administration as the environment for business growth is already there for us to contribute to the economy.
Those who wish to continue complaining on social media will remain so as the rest of the nation continues to work hard to improve their lives. Throughout humanity, people have always been complaining even when Manna was served, some people complained. Even when Jesus performed miracles, some people questioned him and asked him if he could save himself by jumping from a tall building to prove he was a child of God.
The Bible also tells us about Doubting Thomasses because those will always be around and even today, some are still questioning President Lungu’s leadership even when it is abundantly clear that he has performed beyond expectations. What is true is that the government will not come and knock on your doors and supply all your needs but will create a supportive environment for you to prosper.
BOWMAN CHILOSHA LUSAMBO
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