From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:ZAMBIA: DONORS UNHAPPY WITH GOVERNMENT'S PERFORMANCE/REPEAT/
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 04:40:36 GMT
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Reference: Trade & Finance
Title: ZAMBIA: DONORS UNHAPPY WITH GOVERNMENT'S PERFORMANCE/REPEAT/


lusaka, dec 4 (ips/jowie mwiinga) -- with only a week before
zambia meets donors in paris to discuss funding for 1993, the
donor community has expressed displeasure at the level of
government corruption and failure to meet world bank and
international monetrary fund (imf) preconditions.

diplomats from the donor countries meeting president
frederick chiluba at an economic appraisal meeting thursday,
bluntly urged him to make the politically hard decisions he has
been avoiding if zambia is to get the donor support it requires.

''it is extremely important that allegations of corruption
must be seen to be dealt with firmly and quickly whatever
the cost'', british high commissioner in lusaka peter
hinchcliffe said.

chiluba's one year old cabinet has come under intense public
pressure over the conduct of its ministers, several of whom
are being investigated over allegations of graft.

earlier this year, two ministers resigned in protest over the
lack of probity within government, while a deputy minister was
forced out of office after a court ruled that he had won his
position through fraudulent means.

president chiluba recently moved against mounting public
indignation by firing two ministers over their conduct.

meanwhile, the high court was this week considering an
application by two businessmen to challenge the appointment of
foreign affairs minister vernon mwaanga and deputy tourism
minister princess nakatindi, who in the past have been linked to
drug traficking.

donors also took chiluba to task over his failure to trim the
civil service to what united nations development programme
(undp) representative onder yucer described as a smaller, more
efficient and professional body.

the government has pruned an estimated 13,000 civil servants
over the past several months, but donors are still not satisfied
with the present staff levels. it is expected that more civil
servants will be retrenched in the new year.

the uncharacterisitcally blunt meeting urged chiluba to take
the neccessary decisions to reduce public expenditure, whatever
the temporary loss of popular goodwill. (more/ips)


zambia: donors (2)

it called on the government to liberalise the economy
further, and make real strides in privitisation. the state
presently controls about 80 per cent of the economy, and
the government is currently engaged in the process of
selling-off parastatals.

while the donor community expressed disquiet over government
lapses, however, they indicated that it was on the right track
and urged chiluba, a former trade union leader, to maintain the
momentum.

hinchcliffe hailed the government for its exemplary drought
management programme and an impressive start after a year in
office, but said it needed to make more tough decisions if the
objectives of the structural adjustment programme were to
be realised.

it was inevitable that vulnerable groups would suffer under
the recovery programme, he said.

zambia intends to ask for one billion dollars in development
aid for 1993 at the dec. 11 donors meeting in paris.
(end/ips/jm/oa/92)