Nawakwi calls on Govt to put in place austerity measures

Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) President Edith Nawakwi has observed that the escalation of Zambia’s economic crisis calls for austerity measures to be put in place.

Ms. Nawakwi states that if the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank do not come to the aid of the country now, Zambia risks falling in a worse economic meltdown than the one facing Greece.

Ms. Nawakwi who is also a former Finance Minister says her party’s advice to government in this case is to come with an austerity blue print for stabilizing the economy in the next 10 months.

She says this austerity master plan should be targeted on the public service as it holds is its responsibility to save the Zambian economy from total collapse.

The FDD leader has also advised President Edgar Lungu to avoid using his Special Assistant for Press and Public Relations Amos Chanda to issue statements on the state of the country’s economy.

Ms Nawakwi states that Mr.Chanda is not competent enough to discuss issues of the economy, adding that his statements are to some extent making the situation even worse.

And Ms. Nawakwi has observed that President Lungu’s call for national prayer and fasting to seek Devine intervention in resolving the current economic crisis is as mockery and sin to God.

She says this is because it is not expected that God will end the current load shedding nor cure the Kwacha from the depreciation path.