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The Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) has urged the Government to strengthen the country’s budget credibility, transparency and accountability after reviewing the 2026 supplementary estimates of expenditure.
CSPR Executive Director Isabel Mukelabai said the organisation made several observations and recommendations following the Minister of Finance and National Planning’s presentation to the National Assembly.
In a statement issued in Lusaka on Friday, Mukelabai emphasized the need for the government to ensure stronger budget credibility, transparency and accountability in public finance management as well as greater avenues for public participation in the supplementary budget development processes.
“Having made these observations of the 2026 supplementary estimates of expenditure outlined by the Minister of Finance and National Planning to the National Assembly, CSPR makes the following recommendations,” Mukelabai said.
She demanded that the Government should provide clear information on the usage of the K7.1 billion, or 26.6 percent of the supplementary budget, that had not been outlined and indicated in the same fashion as the other allocations.
“This is particularly important to avoid speculation, particularly that we are in an election year,” she said.
Mukelabai further called on the Government to provide a detailed breakdown of the K10 billion reprioritization of existing budget lines to enhance transparency and ensure that critical social sector lines and oversight components remain protected.
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She noted the need for the Government to enhance administrative and accountability mechanisms for the Social Cash Transfer to avoid the administrative and financial irregularities as seen in the 2024 financial year.
Mukelabai also stressed the need for Civil Society Organisations and Citizen monitoring mechanisms for the Social Cash Transfer to spot and report maladministration and financial irregularities.
“In conclusion, the 2026 Supplementary Budget reflects Government’s effort to respond to emerging fiscal pressures and safeguard economic stability in a challenging environment,” Mukelabai said.
She noted that while the measures introduced were largely justified in addressing immediate needs such as food security, wage obligations, and external shocks, they also exposed weaknesses in fiscal management and debt sustainability.
“The increased reliance on domestic borrowing, the introduction of non-concessional external financing, and the limited clarity on a significant portion of the budget raise concerns about long-term fiscal discipline and accountability,” she said.
Mukelabai said it was also commendable that the most significant component for financing the Supplementary budget was being drawn from reprioritizing existing expenditure lines amounting to K10 billion or 38percent of the Supplementary budget.
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