On the 11th of November 2016, the Minister of Finance, Hon. Felix Mutati MP, delivered the 2017 Budget Address to parliament and the rest of the country. The theme of the 2017 National Budget is “Restoring Fiscal Fitness for Sustained Inclusive Growth and Development”. In order to restore economic stability, the Government has designed an Economic Recovery Programme dubbed “Zambia Plus”. This Programme is aimed at ensuring sustained and inclusive growth. Zambia’s economic recovery programme ‘Zambia Plus’ is a home grown plan designed with the objective of attaining inclusive and sustained growth by Zambians and complimented by cooperating partners.
The Minister of Finance on 11th November, 2016 presented the National Budget to the National Assembly. The National Budget contains the plans that Government is proposing to carry out in 2017. These plans include key changes in the way Government will raise and spend money. Citizens are, therefore, encouraged to read this booklet, which has been produced to make it easier for them to understand the proposed 2017 National Budget. All citizens should tell their area Member of Parliament of any concerns that they may have with regard to the Budget. This will help their Member of Parliament to discuss the citizens’ ideas on the proposed Budget during the Parliamentary debates. Citizens are also encouraged to listen to Parliament Radio in order to follow the debates by Members of Parliament on the proposed National Budget.
This Survey Report provides a brief background of China and its contribution to Africa and Zambia in particular. This provides a rich background to generate an appreciation of the rich history that China has and how other countries can learn from this to advance their economic interests. This report provides empirical evidence on the integration of Chinese nationals in Zambia. The report documents socio-economic and demographic trends that influence the integration of Chinese nationals into the local Zambian society. This report also discusses the factors that influence the contribution of the Chinese communities to social, cultural and economic fundamentals of Zambia.
The 2017 budget is anchored on equitable growth and development across the entire country. The government of the republic of Zambia is cognizant of the challenges involved in its economic recovery programme and has instituted measures to scale up social safety nets to protect the poor in line with the Patriotic Front’s commitment as a pro poor government. Most of the studies of the optimum size of government made by reputable scholars in recent decades have indicated that total government spending should be no lower than 17% and no larger than about 30% of GDP. The 2017 national budget for Zambia stands at K64.5 billion or 27.7% of GDP which is close to the optimal government spending.
The Constitution (Amendment) Act No. 2 of 2016 came into effect on Tuesday 5th January 2016, when President Edgar Lungu assented to it at the Heroes Stadium in Lusaka. The Constitution was signed into law with some amendments that largely border on the electoral process. Some of the new provisions in the amended Constitution include, “Dual Citizenship”, which allows Zambians who obtain citizenship in another country to maintain their Zambian citizenship. It also contains the “50% + 1” clause which requires that a presidential candidate win an election by 50% or more of the total votes cast. Further, the amended Constitution stipulates that a presidential candidate must have a “running mate” in a presidential election, who will become the Vice President for the Republic. The provision is progressive as it guarantees that Zambia will not be subjected to Presidential by-elections in the event that the sitting president dies, as the vice president would immediately assume office. The Constitution has also made provision for the establishment of a “Constitutional Court” to preside over constitutional disputes. Under the amended Constitution, the minimum requirement for people who are contesting in elections is set at “Grade 12 qualification”.
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