Govt optimistic of sealing deal with IMF

Mukuli Chikuba

Government has maintained that there is no conditionality attached to its engagement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Ministry of Finance Permanent Secretary for Economic Management and Finance, Mukuli Chikuba says the current IMF programs no longer have conditionality on employment and wages.

Mr. Chikuba says the IMF program focuses on social protection and therefore government has undertaken to protect social sectors in the economic program it has designed.

He states that the program is based on the Zambian government’s priorities in the medium term, and that this is the basis of engagement with the IMF.

Mr. Chikuba says this is notwithstanding the fact that the economic program government will be implementing is wider than the gist of the program it has shared with the IMF.

The Permanent Secretary was speaking when Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) called on Finance Minister Felix Mutate to get an update on government’s engagement with the IMF.

And Finance Minister Felix Mutati has expressed optimism that government will seal the deal with the IMF for the home grown economic recovery program it has set out to implement.

Mr. Mutati says the last meeting his delegation held with the IMF in Washington was tough but constructive.