By JUDITH NAMUTOWE? –
FINANCE Minister Alexander Chikwanda has said Government will not allow the country’s deficit to rise beyond 4.6 per cent in the 2015 National Budget.
Mr Chikwanda said Government’s desire in 2015 was to run a budget not exceeding 4.6 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product  (GDP).?At the First National Bank (FNB) Budget discussion forum in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Chikwanda said one of the reason the country was not developing was that Government was spending more than what was available.
“So  we have decided that going forward, the Budget deficit will not be allowed to exceed 4.6 per cent. A country is like a household, you cannot spend more money than you have without getting into trouble, because we have to borrow from cooperating partners.
So our intention in 2015 is to run a Budget with a deficit not exceeding 4.6 per cent of GDP,” Mr Chikwanda said.
He said the Budget that was supported by cooperating partners was only K1.2 billion or 2.6 per cent of the total estimates for 2015.

. CHIKWANDA

Government wanted to avoid fiscal indiscipline at all costs in the way money was being utilised, hence need to avoid shifting responsibilities and reduce dependence on external borrowing.
Government could not outsource responsibility for the development of the country.?Stakeholders should also assist the Government to explain the changes in the mining industry instead of just criticising State.