Zambia’s Economic Success is Centred on Improving Citizens' Lives - IMF

Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Nigel Clarke expressed his confidence that Zambia will record 6.2% GDP growth this year. Speaking to stakeholders, the IMF official explained that after historic droughts, there was every suspicion that growth would have been impacted. 

However, last year's growth outturn was higher than anyone expected. This gives the IMF “confidence to believe that the growth that we saw last year will continue and accelerate into the year ahead.”

Clarke presented Zambia’s economic growth recovery programme as a model centred on improving citizens' lives. The reforms have paved the way for the recruitment of thousands of civil servants, particularly in the health and education sectors. In just four years, the government has brought over 70,000 new professionals into the public service.

“Social support spending has more than doubled from 0.7% of GDP to 1.7% of GDP, which means that the vulnerable population has been able to receive more support from the government, more than twice as much as prior to this reform effort. In addition to that, the government has been able to prioritise and implement free education to the benefit of millions of Zambian children,” continued Clarke.

Speaking when he met President Hichilema in State House this morning, Clarke said the recent successes are rooted in the Zambian government's clear and consistent commitment, which has driven coordination and implementation of the reforms. 

Clarke concluded by reaffirming the IMF’s readiness to strengthen its support for Zambia, especially given the shift in geopolitics.