By NAKUBIANA SHABONGO –
BRITISH High Commissioner to Zambia, James Thornton says the gap between the rich and the poor in the country is wide and should be addressed.
Speaking when he delivered a keynote speech at the ‘Shaping Our Future’ conference in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Thornton said all citizens should have an opportunity to share in the country’s development.
He said it was evident that most of the benefits of economic growth were accruing to the middle classes, especially in Lusaka.
“The increase in traffic on the roads here is a testatment to that. The poor and isolated, particularly those in rural areas all need to be able to access education and other public goods.
“They need to be able to improve their farming techniques, and sell their produce,” he said.
Mr Thornton said Government had a fundamental role to provide opportunities and incomes for all, adding that its 700 per cent increase in funding for the social cash transfer scheme was a step towards attaining such a dream.
He said Zambia should have a vision that should be translated into economic growth to benefit all citizens by collecting and managing funds in a transparent way through the rule of law policed by an efficient judicial system.
Mr Thornton said Britain, through the Department for International Development (DFID), was working with the Zambian Government to remedy the low education standards.
He commended the Government for the development of small and medium entreprenuers.
He also said foreign investment was vital as home-grown enterprise would take time to expand.
“To put it bluntly, Zambia has to beat the competition. Competition not just from neighbouring countries but also from other producers in the developing world such as China and Vietnam,” he said.