'Govt Pushes for More With Less’

Revenue targets set at historic highs while spending on luxuries is ruled out

By Francis Maingaila ♥️

Lusaka, Zambia24 – (25-08-2025) – Government has directed ministries, provinces, and agencies (MPAs) to exercise strict discipline in the 2026 National Budget. Reduced allocations, rising debt service, and the cost of the 2026 general elections leave no room for waste or unfinished projects.

Secretary to the Cabinet for Finance and Economic Development, Patrick K. Kangwa, speaking through Deputy Secretary Siazongo Siakalenge, warned that workshops, excessive travel, and inflated operations will no longer be tolerated.

“Deliver more with less. Stop lobbying Treasury for additional funding and show what you can achieve with what you already have,” Kangwa said.

The 2026 budget, set for presentation on September 26, closes out the UPND administration’s first term. Kangwa highlighted achievements including the IMF Extended Credit Facility, 92 percent debt restructuring progress, resilience during the 2024 drought, and social programmes like free education, cash transfers, and mass recruitment in health and education.

He noted that debt restructuring has sharply increased repayment obligations, reducing fiscal space.

“Higher debt service further squeezes the resource envelope,” he said. Revenue targets have been set at “historic highs,” depending on improved compliance and efficiency.

He instructed to complete ongoing projects before launching new ones, ending the costly habit of unfinished works.

“This is not business as usual,” Kangwa stressed.

With elections a year away, citizens expect visible results. Kangwa emphasized the three key words for 2026: “deliver, deliver, and deliver.”

He urged ministries to make strategic allocations, prioritize high-impact projects, and embrace technology to stretch scarce resources.

“This is providence—that we serve at such a time,” Kangwa concluded, officially opening the budget hearings.