By NATION REPORTER
ZAMBIA must target GDP growth of between seven to 12 percent to remove most poor people out of abject poverty, Zambia’s former ambassador to Germany Anthony Mukwita has said.
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“The government of President Hakainde Hichilema must take an ambitious position and target double digit economic growth rates to raise our people, the majority of whom are starving out of a poverty rut, the current four percent GDP growth rate won’t do it,” Mr Mukwita said.
Speaking during Millennium TV programme “Pulse Nation” on Thursday, Mr Mukwita also said it was sad that the government had a tradition of giving a “free tax pass” to the foreign-owned mining companies that pay “little or nothing” to contribute to the national coffers.
“It is criminal for Zambia to be poor or having a larger portion of people wallowing in abject poverty living on crumbs daily when we are the continent´s second largest producer of copper and other minerals such as emeralds,” he said.
He added that it is wrong for the government to heavily tax ordinary Zambians while rich foreign owners of mines get a “free pass” resulting into Zambia losing up to US$3 billion in tax evasion and or avoidance annually while racking up a huge foreign debt.
Mr Mukwita also expressed concern at the rising inflation now at 13 percent that was pushing more and more Zambians into a poverty rut where they cannot afford three meals a day.
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