THIS week I will anchor the column on President Edgar Lungu’s speech when he opened the fifth session of the 11th National Assembly because of the salient points he raised.
The speech rested on an appropriate theme – Embracing a transformational culture for a smart Zambia now – and was an inspiration to the labour and employment sector as it offered solutions to move the country to greater prosperity.
There is certainly higher productivity needed to rekindle the economy which for too long has depended on copper.
The road may seem long and muddy for many Zambians, but there is no better remedy than to change the way matters have been handled, something some people would refer to as ‘business as usual’.
As the President ably put it, “we need to change the way we think, behave and do things. Zambians deserve the very best and we are determined to ensure that this is achieved.
“Our transformational culture should, therefore, start with each and every one of us getting involved. In this transformation, we must leave the past behind and embrace positive attitudes in all our endeavours.”
There is indeed need to embrace innovation and entrepreneurship, to adopt a new paradigm to resolving the current and future challenges, and to promote technology to simplify and quicken provision of services.
Mr Lungu was apt in his proposal to realign institutions, where necessary, to make them more responsive to the needs of the nation.
Being patriotic and putting the nation before personal interests, promoting cost-effective operations in Government to eliminate waste and abuse of public resources are some of the virtues the President shared with the nation.
It is important to hold on to high aspirations and the courage to achieve them with a strong sense of vision and mission.
Zambians should seek to end wastefulness in everything they do for the benefit of the current and future generations.
This is the reason why Mr Lungu said there must be created smart institutions and smart budgeting that promote a whole-of-Government approach to public service delivery.
Promoting a saving culture among citizens to promote investment, fostering punctuality and efficiency to enhance productivity, and promoting and nurturing talent are values that will aid Zambia’s march towards economic emancipation.
The President acknowledged some challenges such as the current power shortage which has negatively affected those running small businesses like salons, barber shops, welding workshops and bakeries.
He said the use of energy server bulbs, and the use of alternative sources of energy for cooking and heating will help ease the burden in the short term.
It is good to know that Government has taken measures to protect the low-income households and is importing electricity from neighbouring countries, besides adjusting the price of electricity for commercial entities to attract increased investments in electricity generation.
There are steps being taken to develop alternative sources of energy such as solar, and this must be good news for both employees and employers.
By establishing 13 milling plants throughout the country as a way to tackle the high costs of mealie-meal, the Government is also opening another window for jobs.
A school of milling technology under this initiative will promote skills development and employment opportunities for young people.
As Mr Lungu said, having attained 50 years of independence, Zambia has entered a new phase of socio-economic transformation for the next 50 years.
But that would not be possible if there was no reflection on the country’s destiny.
“We must apply our talents to fulfill that destiny. Let us, therefore, create the future that we want.
“It is against this background that we, as a nation, need to be adaptive, innovative and determined to change the way we do things,” Mr Lungu said.
Much has been said about diversifying the economy away from mining, and the Government is doing the right thing by proposing higher investments in other sectors.
It is inarguable that Zambia is losing out on value-added products, employment opportunities and foreign exchange which could have accrued had the manufacturing sector been operating efficiently.
For this reason, the Government will gain a foothold on the economy by creating the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC).
Some of the gaps in the economy that have warranted the introduction of the IDC include a collapsed industrial base.
Over the past years, most of Zambia’s industries closed down as most goods were being imported.
To date, the country’s manufacturing sector, although growing, is performing well below its optimum.
The country has continued to be swamped with cheaper imported goods despite having the requisite raw materials to manufacture such goods locally.
Against this backdrop, Zambia has no choice but to take bold measures that will help reverse the negative economic trends that are in part due to a collapse in the global economy.
This is actually in sync with the theme, ‘Embracing a transformational culture for a smart Zambia now’.
Dear readers, let us keep the link open as we share issues on labour and employment.
(This column is an initiative of the Ministry of Labour and Social Security. For comments or questions, email info@mlss.gov.zm or niza12001@yahoo.com)