Zambia cannot afford to cut down on missions – Kalaba

Foreign Affairs Minister Harry Kalaba has observed that Zambia cannot afford to cut down on missions abroad when it is still a developing country.

Mr. Kalaba says this is because missions abroad are the entry point of Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs) it is using to grow the economy.

He has explained to Qfm News by telephone that as a developing country Zambia is also using such links being created by missions abroad to learn from the successes of other developed countries.

Harry Kalaba

Mr. Kalaba has cited Israel where Zambia recently opened an embassy as one such advanced economies the country take advantage to learn from.

He says Israel provides a good lesson worthy learning because its advancements in many areas of its economy have been despite the fact that it has only one source of water.

The Foreign Minister notes that Zambia, being a country that is blessed with abundant natural water bodies, can therefore pick up some ideas of how Israel has developed its economy.

He says this means that the PF government will continue opening up more new missions abroad that are strategic in line with the revised foreign policy.

Mr. Kalaba said this in response to the advice given by the Chairperson of the Expanded Parliamentary Committee on Estimates Highvie Hamududu who has suggested that government cuts down on missions abroad as part of its rationalizing expenditure following the deficits incurred in the 2015 national budget.