ZAMBIANS MUST BRACE FOR HARD TIMES – NJOBVU

Democratic Union Party leader Ackim Anthony Njobvu has warned that Zambians should brace themselves for difficult economic conditions following escalating tensions between Israel and Iran.

Speaking when he featured on the People’s Concern programme on Revelation TV, Mr. Njobvu said the global energy crisis triggered by the reported closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran is likely to drive up fuel prices, with a ripple effect on the cost of living.

Mr. Njobvu noted that many Zambians are already struggling due to limited liquidity in the economy, adding that inflation, which had recently dropped to single digits, is likely to rise again.

“We need to brace ourselves for hard times. The conflict between Israel and Iran will significantly impact Zambia. It will increase the cost of living, and even the inflation rate that had come down will rise again. In short, many of the economic gains may be reversed,” he said.

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He further argued that the current fuel challenges could have been mitigated if the government had continued utilizing strategic fuel reserves established by the previous administration.

According to Mr. Njobvu, failure to maintain continuity in key national projects has contributed to the current situation.

“Strategic fuel reserves were built across the country, but they have not been fully utilised. What we must understand is that governance requires continuity. If these reserves were effectively used, Zambia could have had enough fuel to last up to three months, reducing the immediate impact of global tensions,” he said.

Mr. Njobvu emphasized the need for proactive planning and policy consistency to shield the country from external economic shocks.