Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
CSPR Civic Participation and Advocacy Programme Officer Maxson Nkhoma
The Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) has called for greater fiscal discipline if government is going to address the current economic challenges facing the country by ensuring that expenditure is planned for in the national budget.
CSPR Civic Participation and Advocacy Programme Officer Maxson Nkhoma says government must also avoid making expenditure on programmes and projects that were not planned for.
And Mr. Nkhoma has congratulated President Edgar Lungu for successfully delivering an inspiring speech to the national during his address to Parliament yesterday.
Mr. Nkhoma has told QFM News that the President’s address to Parliament has demonstrated government commitments and clearly outlined strategies that government has put in place in addressing various social and economic challenges affecting development in the Country.
He states that President Lungu’s has resonated well with a number of expectations and proposals which CSPR and other interest groups have been submitting to the Government for consideration and he is pleased that the head of state has made bold steps to include their recommendations in government plans in his pursuit to develop the Country.
He has commended government for taking into consideration a number of proposals made by his organization through the Ministry of finance during the consultative National Symposium on the formulation of the Seventh National Development Plan (SNDP) such as creation of an independent Ministry responsible for national planning and development, creation and development of a sustainable roads maintenance strategy plan through creation of road toll gates.
Mr. Nkhoma says while the intention of creating new ministries is to ensure improved efficiency and investment out comes from government programmes in order for the for the government to save the people better, the government must guard against increasing its expenditure on personal emoluments at the expense of providing adequate resources for social sectors which are key in poverty reduction such as Education, Health, Social Protection, Environment and Agriculture among others.