IT is heartening to note that the Government has proposed to spend about K72 billion next year, which translates into nearly 26 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Zambians should note that the K71.6 billion National Budget, which was unveiled by Finance Minister Felix Mutati yesterday, has increased by K7.1 billion.
It is also reassuring to note that the allocations were targeted at addressing five strategic areas of economic diversification and job creation, poverty and vulnerability reduction, reducing development inequalities, enhancing human development and creating a suitable governance environment for a diversified and inclusive economy.
The allocation of K1.1 billion to the Local Government Equalisation Fund, which represents an increase of 21.5 per cent from 2017 levels will lead to a well-oiled system which is the heart of the country’s economy.
Commendable also is the allocation of a total of K218.4 million to support projects at community level through Constituency Development Fund.
Since one of the Patriotic Front’ PF’s trademark has been infrastructure development, allocation of  K17.3 billion or 24.1 per cent of the total Budget will see the continuation of the Link Zambia 8,000, the C400 and L400 projects.
The budget allocation has also catered for agriculture by targeting of one million beneficiaries under the Farmer Input Support Programme (FISP) to the tune of K1.8 billion and K1.1 billion for the maintenance of strategic food reserves, with a 500,000-tonne storage capacity.
This will certainly fit well with government’s ambitious programme of diversification from over-dependence on copper to agriculture.
The budget’s allocation of more than K251 million to rural electrification will bridge the existing gap between citizens in rural places and their counterparts in urban areas.
We also hail Mr Mutati for allocating K11.6 billion to the education sector to facilitate spending on infrastructure development, student loans, teacher recruitment and procurement of school requisites.
The health sector’s allocation of K6.8 billion out of which K1.2 billion would be for the procurement of essential drugs and medical supplies, representing a 56 per cent increase on the 2017’s is commendable especially that it is coming at the time when access to ARVs was becoming crucial.
Other sectors that have received colossal sums like community, maintenance of public order and safety, water supply and sanitation, recruitment of security officers, continued rehabilitation and construction of infrastructure, reduction of vulnerability and inequalities among the people, defence, environmental protection and recreation, culture and religion will see improvement in these sectors.
It is reassuring to note that the PF government is keeping the initial dream of the founder of the Patriotic Front (PF) the late Michael to improve the welfare of the poor by bridging the gap between the apamwambas-upperclass and those in the low bracket income.
The government’s increase of budgetary allocations to social protection programmes is testimony enough of its commitment to helping the have nots.
We thus salute President Lungu’s PF government for  actualising the late Michael  Sata’s rallying campaign cry of ‘more money in your pocket’ to woo votes from marginalised Zambians since the incumbent is making inroads in broadening the number of middle class citizens who can afford three decent meals and live a decent life.