ZTP predicts pressure for Govt to finance 2016 budget

The Zambia Tax Platform (ZTP) says it foresees government facing tremendous pressure to raise revenue for the 2016 national budget.

ZTP a consortium of civil society organization that include the JCTR, CSPR, CCZ, CSO-SUN, PSP, CTPD, NGOCC, ActionAid Zambia and Save the Children in Zambia, is basing its prediction on the 2016 instruments government has availed.

ZTP Chairperson Isabel Mukelabai says for the fact that the government has been contracting debt in US Dollars at the time the Kwacha is depreciating means government will have to introduce high taxes next year to finance debt repayment.

Ms. Mukelabai who is also CTPD Executive Director says the key question that her consortium is asking what the impact will however be on the ordinary Zambians when this happens.

She says the widening trade deficit the country has continued to record is an indication that imports are still on high demand in the country.

Ms. Mukelabai says the ZTP is of the view that this is an indication that improving the country’s capacity to trade needs a clear strategy to operationalize economic diversification.

She states that this is besides building resilience against external factors that are causing trade deficits.

The ZTP Chairperson says her consortium holds the position that there are some in-house solutions that need to be devised in this cause as opposed to using global economic factors as an excuse.

She says the 2016 national budget therefore provides an opportunity for Zambia to address some in-house economic management issues.

Ms. Mukelabai was speaking this morning at media breakfast meeting on the 2016 pre-budget proposals that her consortium has presented to government.

Speaking earlier, ZTP vice chairperson Lewis Mwape observed the need for government to move quickly in enacting the Planning and Budgeting ACT to enable stronger framework for citizens’ input in the national budgeting process.

Mr. Mwape states that his consortium believes that this would greatly strengthen the participation of ordinary people in the process.