Reshuffle entire cabinet,Msoni challenge Lungu
By Staff Reporter
All People’s Congress leader Nason Msoni has challenged President Edgar Lungu to reshuffle the entire cabinet to enhance efficiency and bring back sanity to governance of the country.
Commenting on the dismissal of Finance Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe who has been replaced with Bank of Zambia Deputy Governor Dr Bwalya Ng’andu, Msoni said that a more holistic approach is required to change the current stalled dynamics and the poor performance of government.
Msoni said that a far more reaching and inclusive cabinet reshuffle was expected and long overdue.
He said that this kind of piece-meal and cosmetic changes to the structure of government falls far short of public expectations and will not add any value or efficiency for as long as the incompetent and corrupt criminals remain in government.
Msoni has urged President Lungu to identify indicted criminals and remove them from government.
” Zambia desperately needs a fresh start if it is to win back local and international confidence,”he said.
Msoni said that no one believes that making one single appointment will bring the necessary spark needed to get governance back on track.
“Zambians expect President Lungu to inculcate that sense of inclusivity in the kind of appointments his making,”he said.
Msoni has further urged President Lungu to outgrow partisan and regional appointments which have the potential to further divide Zambians.
Meanwhile,the Emerald and Semi Precious Stones Mining Association of Zambia has thanked President Edgar Lungu for dropping Lusaka Central PF Member of Parliament Margaret Mwanakatwe as Finance Minister replacing her with Bank of Zambia Deputy Governor Dr. Bwalya Ngandu.
Asssociation presid2 Victor Kalesha said that the dropping of Mwanakatwe is a clear show that President Lungu means well for this country because he makes decisions in the best interest of the nation.
“Mwanakatwe had failed in some areas in diligently performing effectively in her position at the Ministry of Finance,”he said.
Kalesha has since congratulated Dr. Ngandu for his appointment as the new Finance Minister and describing it as a well deserved appointment.
He has advised Dr. Ngandu to immediately address the issue raised by key stakeholders on the issue of taxes by meeting stakeholders and listen to their grievances.
Kalesha said that there is need to take keen interest immediately on the cry from gemstone miners of the new introduced taxes especially the export tax which is an industry killer.
“It’s important that we get to terms on a dialogue table to discuss a win win situation with government in regard to taxes stakeholders are complaining about which we feel Comrade Margaret Mwanakatwe failed to address”, he said.
He has since called for an immediate meeting with the new Minister of Finance to iron out concerns that may cripple the gemstones industry.
Kalesha reiterated that some of these taxes can make the industry un-investable and has called for the abolishment of the 15 percent export tax which seems a thorn to the mining and marketing of emeralds.
