Zambians at crossroads, facing harsh economic problems – Mpundu
By Mast Reporter
ZAMBIA is at a crossroad, facing the harshest economic challenges under the cruel leadership of President Hakainde Hichilema, Nkana Member of Parliament Binwell Mpundu has said.
Mpundu, an independent lawmaker said the wrong decisions made by the United Party for National Development (UPND) and Hichilema had a negative economic bearing on Zambians.
He said Zambians should wake up and start holding the UPND government accountable for its actions and inactions on issues that were hurting the citizens.
“Our nation stands at a crossroads, facing the harsh realities of economic hardship driven by leadership decisions that have prioritised monopoly and short-term gains over the wellbeing of our people and the long-term health of our economy,” he said.
Mpundu cited the decision by the government to single-source Agro Fuel to supply expensive fuel compared to what was prevailing on the market as a wrong choice and a corrupt one.
“The recent episode involving Agro Fuel’s exclusive access to the Tazama pipeline is a textbook example of how monopolistic arrangements and opaque decision-making can have dire economic consequences,” he said.
Mpundu said the decision by those in the New Dawn government to grant a private company control over strategic national assets was not only irregular but unusual as it stifled competition.
“Note that even at the same price this is nearly double the market rate. Note the interesting twist of events that only when competitive bidding was finally introduced did the price drop dramatically to as low as US$54.12 per metric ton the case of karma catching up with you. This is not just a number on a balance sheet; it is a direct transfer of wealth away from Zambian families and businesses, who have been forced to pay far more than necessary for fuel for over three years of this arrangement,” Mpundu said.
He said the exclusion of Tazama had raised critical question which the UPND administration needed to address if they cared for the people of Zambia.
He said such disregard of corporate governance in the management of public assets was a clear desire to dump Zambians into serious poverty by the uncaring regime.
“The exclusion of the Tazama board from these critical decisions raises serious questions about transparency and governance. Such disregard for institutional checks and balances undermines public trust and sets a dangerous precedent for future resource management.
“Let us be clear: the marginal decline in fuel prices announced a few days ago is a drop in the ocean compared to where prices need to be for Zambia to realize robust, inclusive economic growth,” he said.
Mpundu said since August 2021, petrol and diesel prices had increased by approximately 80 percent, deepening the cost-of-living crisis and putting immense strain on every sector of the economy.
“Transport costs have skyrocketed, food prices have surged, and small and medium enterprises-the backbone of our economy-are struggling to survive. Elevated fuel prices have drastically increased transportation costs, raising the price of goods and services across the board. Zambia’s competitiveness in the global market has been eroded, and our growth projections have been slashed as industries contract under the weight of inflated overheads. Households, especially those in lower income brackets, are forced to make impossible choices just to get by,” he said.
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He urged Zambians never to be fooled by the K2 reduction in fuel prices as nothing will change in the poverty levels of the people.
Mpundu said the economic future of Zambia depended on bold reforms, such as restoring competition, enforcing transparency, and ensuring that national assets were managed in the interests of all citizens-not a privileged few.
“Let us not be fooled by marginal, short-term price reductions when the structural issues of monopoly, lack of transparency, and poor leadership remain unaddressed. As the Movement for Good Governance (MGG) Ichabaice, we call for urgent action to dismantle monopolies, restore institutional oversight, and put the needs of Zambian families and businesses at the center of our fuel policy,” Mpundu said.
He said time for accountability was now and Zambians must start demanding for accountability and avoid being easily fooled by such selfish decisions of adjusting fuel by K2.85 instead of restoring the price to where it should be.
