By AARON CHIYANZO
IT is treachery of the highest order for former senior Government officials to dent the economic image of the country in eyes of the international community, Chinsali Member of Parliament (MP) Kalalwe Mukosa has said.
The MP said it was unfair for former senior Government officials to engage in malicious falsehood that Zambia was in a crisis when the country had not reached any such benchmark.
Mr Mukosa advised such officials to seek audience with President Edgar Lungu whenever they wanted to offer their advice instead of washing linen in public when they were fully aware of the repercussions of such moves.
Having worked in Government, he said, they know very well that giving such negative and misleading sentiments could reduce investors’ confidence and ultimately affect the economy of the country negatively.
Mr Mukosa said people should be careful with some people who wanted to hide behind their professions when fighting a hidden agenda.
He was reacting to a statement by former Ministers of Finance, Situmbeko Musokotwane, Ng’andu Magande and Felix Mutati, and former Commerce Minister Trade, Dipak Patel and former Bank of Zambia Governor, Caleb Fundanga.
The former Government officials claimed in an open letter to President Edgar Lungu and Minister of Finance Bwalya Ng’andu that Zambia was in financial crisis, suggesting the primacy importance of clinching the IMF deal.
Mr Mukosa said apart from the medium of communication to the Head of State being foul, claims that Zambia was in a financial crisis were misleading.
He said in as much as Zambia like many other countries was hit with economic challenges owing mostly to the Covid-19 outbreak, it had not reached crisis level.
Mr Mukosa said the fact that Government was still able to support local businesses by dismantling arrears owed to them and offering tax relief and this was a sign that the country was not in any crisis.
He however warned that negative talk about the country’s economic status was denting the image of the country to the international community and that having served in Government, the group of eminent persons should know better.
“It is treacherous for the eminent persons to dent the image of the country in that fashion when they know too well the repercussions of such a move.
“These are all people who can be accorded audience with the President, so why not follow the right channel if they have something to communicate?” Mr Mukosa wondered.
‘It’s treacherous’
