By CHARITY MOONGA-

YAMBA

GOVERNMENT has released K418.5 million for debt service, development programmes and operations, Secretary to the Treasury, Fredson Yamba has said.
Mr Yamba said Zambia could not afford to slip into a debt burden with K277 million being channelled to servicing local debt because of the credit-rating by internationally recognised agencies, Fitch, and Standards and Poor’s respectively.
Mr Yamba said from the funds which were released last week on Friday, K14.4 million was for rural roads infrastructure development programmes in various provinces such as Central, Copperbelt, Luapula, and North-Western.
Mr Yamba said in a statement issued by Ministry of Finance public relations officer, Chileshe Kandeta, that the release of the funds was timely as it coincided with the end of the rainy season.
“As long as the stakeholders involved in the crop marketing process do their work diligently, most farmers who have produced the expected 3.3 million metric tonnes bumper harvest for the 2013/2014 season will greatly benefit from the rural roads programme because the yields will efficiently be transported from their fields to relevant sheds and crop markets across the country,” Mr Yamba said.
He said the Treasury had given K8.5 million to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of which K2.5 million was targeted at programmes related to controlling the spread of the African swine fever and a further K6 million for aerial spraying of crop.
“Financing of these programmes is consistent with government’s long-term objective to fully diversify the economy, with agriculture as one of the leading sectors,” he said.
Mr Yamba said K1.6 million had been allocated to the Drug Enforcement Commission (DEC) for operations while the Zambia Prison Service got K12 million for purchase and operation of speed boats.
“The activity is part of the government’s programme to strengthen the capacity of the law enforcement fraternity,” he said.
Mr Yamba said K8 million was released for Foreign Service expenses.
The Ministry of  Youth and Sport received K5 million for the Youth Development Fund while the Ministry of Community Development, Mother and Child Health received K2.5 million for women empowerment programmes.
Other State entities that received funding included Cabinet office, the Ministries of Home Affairs, Justice, Labour, and the Anti-Corruption-Commission, (ACC).
Mr Yamba said the successes which the economy was scoring were not a twist of luck but planned programmes complimented by the toils of citizens. He said  the citizens on a daily basis, continued to grasp the opportunities for empowerment and business development created by the Government, and turned these into personal wealth, jobs for the people, and profits for their businesses.
“More of our people should participate in economic transformation programmes with open minds by taking greater interest in monitoring the implementation of projects in their localities.
“Participation in, and ownership of development programmes, is essential to our successful socio-economic adjustment. It is also one way in which the Government could be held accountable on utilisation of tax payer’s resources,” he said.