Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa pledged to deliver on pre-election promises on Friday to slash taxes and combat poverty in his maiden speech to MPs since being returned for a second term a month ago.
Mwanawasa also announced sweeping policy changes to address grievances levelled by his chief rival, main opposition leader Michael Sata, before the September 28 elections.
”Almost all the stakeholders have been complaining about high levels of taxation. Our ultimate objective is that Zambia should have a transparent tax regime that is stable with lower tax for everyone,” Mwanawasa told parliament.
”Whilst we have made important macroeconomic gains, admittedly the standard of living of the majority of Zambians remain poor. This was clearly the message that came out from the electorate,” the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) leader added.
About two-thirds of Zambia’s population live on less than $1 a day, and Mwanawasa admitted during the election campaign he had only ”scratched the surface” in his first five-year term.
Mwanawasa lost votes to Sata’s opposition Patriotic Front in urban areas, particularly in Copperbelt and Lusaka provinces, Zambia’s economic heartland.
”The people of Zambia now want results and a translation of the macroeconomic achievements into uplifting of their standard of living,” he said. — Sapa-AFP