Has my government run out of pro-poor ideas?

PF founder Michael Sata

I shudder to think as to whether there are any economic experts advising and formulating policies.

BANNING MINI BUSES

The people who highly supported my President from their minibus campaigns are now facing the wrath of unfriendly policies.

Look at this, there is an irrational move to ban all mini buses, citing congestion on the road. But is banning mini buses the solution? No. The solution rests in engineering ingenuity.

Redesigne the road network to more lanes and create upper roads. Create Free Ways in the city. None of this is happening.

Banning mini buses will invoke more crime, unemployment will increase and the voter will feel short changed.

There are millions of cars and mini buses in Nigeria and theres no such policies and yet Zambia has less than 100,000 mini buses on the road.

ZESCO AND ERB
My second point is on Energy Regulation Board – ERB allowing ZESCO to slap 75% tarriffs increment of electricity tarriffs. This will hurt the poor. The rich don’t feel it. ZESCO and government must reduce on expenditure. ZESCO spends over 50% of its revenue on administration and emoluments.

Increasing power tarriffs will hurt ministry of finance because workers will demand 100% salary increments.

This increment is a political land mine. Yes let the government increase the tarriffs but over 5 years – not 75% in one time. This will increase minimum wage demand, cost of mealie meal, tomato, bread, transport will all increase.

Net effect will be a backlash dissatisfaction against government. This should be avoided. Where are the logical State Counsels.

In any case the law of demand and supply dictate that the more hydro power stations we have the cheaper our power tarriffs should be.

Whom does the government’s want to impress? A local investor or foreign investors? Let the foreign investors subsidise the local production – that’s how it works.

Government should avoid subjecting citizens to deliberate hardships. There are ways in which we can even have the cheapest power than what ZESCO is charging us.

By Emmanuel Chilekwa