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National Democratic Congress (NDC) leader, Saboi Imboela, has stressed the need for Zambia to become more self-reliant in funding its health and education sectors, rather than depending heavily on international aid.
Imboela’s remarks come in light of the recent announcement by the United States government to cut approximately US$50,000 in annual health sector funding to Zambia.
She said this development should serve as a wake-up call for the government to explore sustainable domestic funding options.
In an interview with Zambia Monitor, Imboela proposed increased revenue collection from Zambia’s mining and agriculture sectors to support key social services such as healthcare and education.
“Agriculture, in particular, holds massive potential to become a new driver of economic growth. The government must prioritise this sector if we are to sustainably fund our health and education systems,” she said.
“For a long time, Zambia has relied on the international community to take care of our health and education sectors. This decision by the US Embassy should push us to look at alternative ways to raise domestic resources.”
Imboela also emphasised the need to address corruption, which she said diverts public funds away from essential services.
“When corruption is tackled effectively, money that would otherwise end up in a few people’s pockets can be redirected to health and education,” she said.
Imboela urged the government to act with urgency and take full ownership of national development and resource management.
Similarly, Revamp for Development Change (RDC) Party president, Robert Chansa, echoed Imboela’s sentiments, calling for improved tax collection and administration to boost domestic revenue for the health sector.
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Chansa also underscored the importance of continuing partnerships with the private sector to enhance healthcare delivery.
“The Zambian government must start thinking about implementing or expanding health insurance programmes to cover more citizens and generate consistent funding for health services,” Chansa said.
He further stressed the need to diversify funding sources, saying dependence on a single donor makes the health sector vulnerable.
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