ORGANISED People’s Party (OPP) president Brian Mushimba says once elected, his government will focus on economic activities that people feel rather than what is on paper.
Speaking during a recent interview on KBN TV, Dr Mushimba said many Zambians remain excluded from the benefits of economic growth despite Government’s emphasis on positive macroeconomic indicators such as single-digit inflation and increased foreign exchange reserves.
“I think it’s almost a mockery to the people when you keep speaking about single digit inflation and someone doesn’t have food at home. Someone doesn’t have a job and they are graduates and have a degree,” Dr Mushimba said.
“So what we are proposing is for us to move away from an economy that works on paper, which is good for the markets and foreign investment. But what we need is to migrate this economy, put it in the hands of the people, create agricultural jobs that create raw materials.”
Dr Mushimba said his party will focus on creating four million jobs within five years through agricultural expansion, industrialisation and increased citizen participation in the economy.
“We cannot be prosperous when the economy remains in the hands of foreigners. Our objective is to shift economic opportunities back into the hands of Zambians,” Dr Mushimba said.
Dr Mushimba said the country’s economic performance should be judged by improvements in household welfare rather than statistical indicators.
“The question is whether people have jobs, whether they can afford three meals a day and whether they have access to hospitals and medicines. Those are the indicators citizens care about,” he said.
He also proposed the establishment of a Mineral Revenue Authority to improve revenue collection from mining companies and increase local participation in the mining sector.
Dr Mshimba pledged to institutionalise the right to food, clean water, energy and healthcare through constitutional reforms.
The opposition leader said Zambia needs a leadership reset to unlock its economic potential.
“After 62 years of independence, a country endowed with vast natural resources should not have citizens without adequate access to food, medicines, water and jobs. Zambia requires serious leadership and a new development approach,” he said.
The OPP leader believes the opposition has a higher chance of unseating the UPND because of growing public dissatisfaction over the cost of living and service delivery, which have created an opportunity for opposition parties ahead of the polls.
Kalemba
