By REBECCA MUSHOTA –

. Lubinda

FINLAND has urged the Zambian Government to stick to its self-prescribed and positive economic reforms regardless of the outcome of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) deal.
Finland Ambassador to Zambia Timo Olkkonen said the Government should to stick its voluntary decision to carry on with economic reforms whatever the outcome of on-going negotiations with the IMF for a financial package.
He said this when he addressed journalists at the celebration of 100 years of Finland’s independence in Lusaka on Wednesday evening.
“The Government had good intentions already voluntarily to commit to economic reforms and what we see is that it is not clear if the IMF deal will happen, but we hope that these reforms will go forward,” Mr Olkkonen said.
He said a number of positive reforms had been undertaken like the cutting down of subsidies and increasing allocation to the poorest population through the social cash transfer.
Finland contributes about three million Euros to Zambia’s social cash transfer programme.
Mr Olkkonen expressed the hope that the Government would undertake more subsidy cuts in its continued economic reforms.
He said Finland also recently undertook austerity measures in which the trade unions and the Finnish government agreed not to increase wages for civil servants and the economy was picking up again.
Mr Olkkonen said public spending was a burden on the country’s economy and the temptation to borrow to implement big projects that helped the development of a country was always there.
It was, however, important to prioritise and ensure that only money that was available was spent.
The ambassador said he was happy that the social cash transfer programme was a success.
Mr Olkkonen said relations between Finland and Zambia were good and it was his intention to move the relations from its concentration on donor funding to technology transfer.
He said the Finnish embassy would next year host a private sector conference at which a number of Finnish businesses would be present.
Justice Minister Given Lubinda said the Government wanted to move Zambia from a donor recipient nation to a donor.
Mr Lubinda said Finland was a good example for Zambia because 50 years ago it was a recipient of donor aid and it was now a donor country.
He said Finland and Zambia enjoyed good relations that would next year clock 50 years.
The Finnish embassy was opened in Lusaka in 1968 after first president Kenneth Kaunda facilitated its opening.
Dr Kaunda was also present at the 100 years celebrations in Lusaka.