Mon, 20 Feb 2017 13:13:08 +0000 By BUUMBA CHIMBULU GOVERNMENT should only request for an International Monetary Fund (IMF) supported programme when it has a clear agenda of what it intends to use it for, says development consultant Oliver Saasa. Professor Saasa, an international economist, warned that a premature invitation of the IMF would put Zambia in an awkward position. He was speaking at the public discussion on Zambia’s economic recovery programme organised by the Economic Association of Zambia (EAZ) in Lusaka recently. Prof Saasa said past lessons on the programme indicated that while Zambia attained positive macroeconomic fundamentals, it did not have a human face and there was little correlation with the reduction in poverty. “Having learnt lessons from yester years and now that we want to go back, the first lesson for me is that please do not look at them IMF) like doctors. “If you are not ready, minister [Felix Mutati] […]
