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Lunte Patriotic Front (PF) Member of Parliament, Mutotwe Kafwaya, has criticised the 2024 Supplementary Budget, accusing the government of grossly overstating its figures by allegedly double-counting declared savings.
The government had requested an additional K41.9 billion for the financial year ending 2024.
In a statement issued in Lusaka on Monday, Kafwaya argued that since the proposed expenditure matched the projected income, the government would need to source the same amount in additional revenue to cover these costs.
However, Kafwaya pointed out that the budget summary revealed the government expects to generate only K3.77 billion in additional revenue, covering just nine percent of the required expenditure.
The remaining 91 percent, he argued, would likely come from borrowing and donor funds.
“This is deeply embarrassing for Zambia, as it reflects a government overly reliant on borrowing and external support to meet its financial obligations,” Kafwaya stated.
He further criticized the supplementary estimates presented to the National Assembly, calling them “conceptually flawed” and questioning the government’s rationale for presenting such a document for approval.
“Under the summary of income, the government lists K17.2 billion as ‘Savings Declared Across Heads.’ If this amount comes from declared savings in the original budget, why is it included in the Supplementary Estimates? It has already been appropriated,” he questioned.
Kafwaya, who is currently suspended from Parliament, also questioned the legal basis for appropriating the same amount twice in one fiscal year.
He suggested that if the United Party for National Development (UPND) wanted this amount included in the supplementary estimates, they should have amended the original Appropriation Act to avoid incomplete transactions.
He further criticised the lack of transparency, stating, “How can the government declare savings of K17.2 billion without providing a detailed schedule of which budget heads were affected? This raises concerns that there may be more to this than just savings declarations.”
Kafwaya concluded by expressing skepticism about the government’s intentions, stating that time would reveal the true nature of these budgetary maneuvers.
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