Musokotwane: second term will be about production, exports and jobs

Finance and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane says the Government will use its second term to turn the promises of its first five years into higher production, more exports and new jobs under the Grow Zambia Agenda. Speaking at a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday,…

Finance and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane says the Government will use its second term to turn the promises of its first five years into higher production, more exports and new jobs under the Grow Zambia Agenda.

Speaking at a press briefing in Lusaka yesterday, Dr Musokotwane said the Government would build on the economic gains of the New Dawn administration’s first term. Its focus now, he said, is to turn those commitments into tangible outcomes for Zambians.

“The promises that were made in the last five years are going to be fulfilled in this second term,” he said.

Production first

The minister said the second term would be marked by higher production across key sectors. That output, he said, would be the base for stronger exports and job creation.

The Government is aiming for large increases in production beyond mining, particularly in agriculture, where the plan includes more maize and sugarcane.

Sugarcane alone is expected to grow by about one million tonnes as the Government works to expand the productive capacity of the economy.

“We are targeting increased production, not only in copper and maize, but also in sugarcane, where production is expected to grow by one million tonnes,” Dr Musokotwane said.

From output to employment

The minister described a chain of cause and effect. Higher output means more goods for the domestic and export markets, and those exports in turn support jobs for ordinary Zambians.

For that reason, he said, the Government’s second-term strategy is about moving beyond policy commitments to actual production.

“If we increase production in these various sectors, exports will increase, and that will create employment for ordinary people,” he said.

A call for support

Dr Musokotwane said the second term of the United Party for National Development (UPND) Government would demand greater effort and commitment.

“This second term is about working hard and ensuring that we deliver according to the expectations of Zambians,” he said.

He called on citizens to back President Hakainde Hichilema and his administration as they work to meet those expectations. The task ahead, he said, is to convert the country’s productive potential into measurable economic opportunities for citizens.

The targets behind the plan

The Ministry of Agriculture has set out the production targets that underpin the minister’s vision.

Agriculture Permanent Secretary for technical services John Mulongoti said the presidential targets for 2031 are 10 million tonnes of maize, three million tonnes of soya beans, one million tonnes of wheat and one million tonnes of sugar a year.

Speaking at the Agricultural Institute of Zambia conference in Lusaka yesterday, Mr Mulongoti said meeting them requires a fundamental shift in how farming is done. Productivity must rise through science, technology and innovation, he said, not just by planting more land.

“Government provides an enabling policy and regulatory environment, while the private sector must bring investment, innovation and commercial discipline,” he said.

Where production stands

The National Union for Small Scale Farmers in Zambia (NUSFAZ) says maize is on course. Secretary general Ebony Lolozi said output reached 3.9 million tonnes in the 2023/2024 season and 5.1 million tonnes last season, while soya beans, wheat and sugar are lagging.

For sugar, NUSFAZ plans to replicate the Kaleya Smallholder Scheme in northern districts such as Mansa and Kawambwa, where sugar mills are under way.

In mining, Konkola Copper Mines has signed a US$498 million contract with China NERIN Engineering Company for a new tailings leach plant in Chingola, with capacity of 70,000 tonnes of copper a year. The company says the plant is part of its contribution to the national target of three million tonnes of copper.

The second-term test

The Treasury chief has set a simple measure for the next five years: more output, more exports and more jobs.

He has asked Zambians to support the Government while it tries to deliver on that plan.