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Zambia will prioritise debt sustainability, domestic revenue mobilisation and prudent management of public resources to protect essential services and support economic growth, Finance and National Planning Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane said on Friday.
Musokotwane said the government would also prioritise conservation of natural resources, support for vulnerable households, productive infrastructure and enterprise development.
He was speaking in Lusaka during the official opening of the 2026 second and third quarter National Development Coordinating Committee meeting at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre.
Musokotwane said the country’s economic gains were being threatened by the impending El Niño phenomenon, which is expected to be characterised by severe dry spells, low rainfall and extreme heat.
“This may lead to reduction in hydro-power generation, water-related disease outbreaks, crop failure and food insecurity,” he said.
He said mitigating the effects of El Niño would require additional resources, effective programme implementation and continued monitoring and evaluation.
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“The mitigation of El Niño effects will require mobilisation of additional resources, effective programme implementation and ongoing monitoring and evaluation,” he said.
Musokotwane said the government remained cognisant of the need to do more to reduce the cost of living for ordinary citizens.
He congratulated President Hakainde Hichilema and the UPND administration on their re-election in the 2026 general election, saying voters had opted for continuity.
Musokotwane said the president had directed that economic gains be driven under the Grow Zambia Agenda during the Ninth National Development Plan period.
He said the agenda included targets of producing 10 million tonnes of maize, generating 10,000 megawatts of electricity and producing 3 million tonnes of copper annually by 2031.
Musokotwane appealed to cooperating partners for financial and technical assistance to support public investment before officially opening the meeting.
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