Zambia to continue promoting Peace, stability – Lungu

President Edgar Lungu and his Vice Inonge Wina

President Edgar Lungu and his Vice Inonge Wina

President Edgar Lungu says Zambia will continue to play an active role within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Region and beyond to promote and maintain peace and stability.

The Head of State says he will continue to reach out to his fellow leaders on the continent and all other heads of state and government in his collective efforts towards bringing about lasting peace to Africa’s troubled parts and beyond.

President Lungu says there is no doubt that through Zambia’s membership to the SADC, International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the African Union, and the United Nations, Zambia’s active participation will be stronger than before, as the nation aspires for a prosperous global community.

Meanwhile, President Lungu says his government is fully aware of the hardships caused by the economic downturn of 2016.

He says this global economic slowdown has compelled his government to implement austerity measures such as the removal of fuel subsidies and the gradual introduction of cost reflective electricity tariffs.

He explains that ultimately, these measures are designed to ensure that financial resources are channeled towards productive sectors of the economy to stir increased efficiency and investor confidence.

President Lungu says this will, in turn lead to a robust economy that will provide more jobs and services to the people of Zambia.

The Head of State is however pleased that the Zambian government will soon launch the 7th National Development Plan to cover the period 2017-2021, and whose ultimate goal is to create a diversified and resilient economy for sustainable growth and social economic development.

He has since called on partners, to support the nation in the implementation of this five- year plan, whose main focus is agriculture, to enable Zambia achieve intended goals of improving the welfare of the people.

The Head of State said this at State House on the annual greeting of members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Republic of Zambia who were led by Mr. Attalla Subhi Ahmed Qubia, Ambassador of the State of Palestine to Zambia and Dean of the diplomatic corp.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*