The United Party for National Development (UPND)’s Hakainde Hichilema, who is also popularly known as HH, lied again about the affairs of the country when on October 2 featured on Radio Phoenix.
HH, a 55-year -old tycoon, who also has lost five times presidential elections in a row, alleged that the projected four percent Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth would not be achieved because of corruption and debt.
He lied that US$ 900 million was stolen via construction of a 350 km Lusaka-Ndola dual-carriage road project at the cost of US$1.2 billion instead of US$300 million.
Further, he alleged that government plans to abolish Value Added Tax (VAT) and re-introduce a non-refundable sales tax to facilitate corruption.
HH fully knows well that his web of lies captured by social and media outlets hostile to Government will have a devastating effect on the economic growth. As an arm- chair critic of Government, he, when his prophecy of doom casts a black cloud on the economy, will simply swing his rocking -chair and say:”I predicted that will happen!”
HH’s penchant for peddling lies about the country has been orchestrated to erode the Zambian people’s confidence in the current Government, and tarnish the country’s image so as to chase foreign investors or scare the much-needed potential investors away.
Yet Direct Foreign Investment (DFI) holds the potential to significantly contribute to the economic growth.
Nevertheless, the projected four percent GDP growth will be driven by sectors like tourism, mining, agriculture and construction, and DFI will spur the economic growth.
As for the Lusaka-Ndola dual carriage road project, Infrastructure Development and Housing Minister Ronald Chitotela clearly explained, in his ministerial statement to Parliament, that the total Lusaka-Ndola dual carriage road stretch is 812 km and not 350 km as alleged by HH. He also clarified that the cost of the said road project is US$1.2 billion. This amount includes the cost of constructing bridges and toll gates, and the cost of road construction per km is about US$ 1 million.
Does HH have proof that US$S900 was stolen? How was it stolen? Or who received the money?
HH, who is aspiring for the highest office in the land, should not only provide credible proof of how the said money was stolen, but also stop misleading the Zambian people by peddling falsehoods about Government.
According to the Ministry of Finance statistics, the foreign debt stock stood at US$9.3 billion as of June 2018.
But whilst the debt service obligation gobbles 37 percent of the national budget, the consolation is that the debt management strategies such as the setting up the Sinking Fund three years ago, the current prudent debt management plan as well as the creation of the Sovereign Fund six years ago.
Further, the projected US$ 2 billion DFI would compensate the loss the country will incur in an effort to meet the debt service obligations.
Indeed, President Edgar Lungu was right when he told Zambians in Diaspora to defend the country from those Zambians who are peddling falsehoods about the affairs of the country.
The author is a political analyst and media consultant