Mutati calls for private sector collaboration in budget formulation

Felix Mutati

Government has called for more collaborative dialogue with the private sector in the formulation of the 2017 national budget.

Finance Minister Felix Mutati says government wants to come up with a budget which the private sector itself should own.

Mr. Mutati says this in order that if the budget fails, Government should not be blamed for its failure.

He says to this effect his Ministry is proposing a meeting with the private sector and other related key Ministries in four weeks time.

Mr. Mutati was speaking in Lusaka this morning at a business community breakfast meeting organized by the Zambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ZACCI).

Speaking at the same meeting, Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe observed the need for the private sector to take advantage of the enabling environment government is creating.

Mr. Mwanakatwe has encourage the private sector to see how they can be part of the programmes being implemented under the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC)

And National Development and Planning Minister Lucky Mulusa has noted the need for a change of mindset in dealing with challenges being faced in the implementation of government policies.

Mr. Mulusa states that this is because such challenges are not structural in nature and therefore very easy to deal with by the private sector.

Earlier, ZACCI Acting Chairperson Professor Pinalo Chifwanakeni called for synergies between the Ministry of Finance and other Ministries which should result in the control of public finances.