By SIMON MUNTEMBA
NOW that the new dawn’s 2022 budget has kicked in, Government should pay suppliers of goods and services who have not been paid their dues since August 2021, the Patriotic Front has said.
And PF vice president, Given Lubinda has said that the K960 million that government released to pay farmers was a mockery as it did not only come later but fell short of paying all the farmers who have waited for long.
Speaking at a press brief- ing in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Lubinda implored gov- ernment to settle the local debt speedily so as to inject liquidity into the economy and to give relief to those suf- fering people who depended on suppliers of goods and services to the State.
He noted that failure to pay the suppliers on time had a spiral effect on house- holds and on the economy generally.
We are aware that suppliers of goods and services have not been paid their dues since August 2021 thereby subjecting them to numerous financial hardships such as payment of salaries, rentals, insurance etc.
“Now that the new dawn 2022 budget has kicked in we implore the Government to settle the local debt speedily so as to inject liquidity into the economy and to give re- lief to those suffering people who depend on suppliers of goods and services to government,” he said.
Mr Lubinda also urged the government to release all the money owed to farmers without any further de- lay since the long awaited and much publicised new dawn government budget was in effect. He said released K960m for payments to farmers who supplied maize under the 2020/2021 farming season to the food reserve agency was a drop in an ocean.
Mr Lubinda said his party was disappointed to note that the money was coming so late in the season that farmers would not be able to utilise it to invest for the 2021/2022 farming season.
