Social Protection Advocacy and Coalition says the debt restructuring deal clinched by the Zambian Government and its creditors is still inefficient to reduce the country’s debt expenditure in order to redirect spending to other critical sectors.
Speaking at the social policy forum on navigating debt expenditure and social sector needs in the face of the crisis, CSO Debt Alliance Coordinator, Peter Mumba, says government should perhaps explore significant debt cancellation to free up most resources.
Mr. Mumba says currently, even with the debt restructured, government projects to spend about 210 billion kwacha on debt servicing in the medium term whereas 3.6 billion kwacha will be spent on education, 27.2 billion kwacha on health and 51.5 billion on education affairs.
The remaining functions such as social protection, environmental protection, defense, recreation, culture and religion will account for an average 26.1 billion kwacha.
By Prudence Chota