As workers’ representatives, ZCTU held a 2023-2024 pre budget Workshop on 25th April 2023 who’s objectives are:
- i. To analyze the broad implications of the debt restructuring process
- ii. To analyze the current economic situation and economic policies;
- iii.To make proposals for inclusion in the 2024 National Budget and beyond.
As the workers of Zambia continue to face the challenges of the high and increasing cost of living ZCTU and COS makes recommendations towards addressing these endemic challenges.
Addressing the delegates, the ZCTU General Secretary, Mr. Joy Beene, highlighted a number of issues affecting the employees such as:
- i. The cost of living that have continued to rise
- ii. The heavy tax burden and that require a significant change to the PAYE Tax regime by substantially reducing the tax rates.
- iii. The need to have a clear path towards debt sustainability over the long term to avoid the risk of going back into repeated cycles of debt crisis in future.
- iv. The need to significantly expand the fiscal space for the Zambian government to invest in job creation, social protection and improved public services for future recovery and economic growth.
- v. The delay in reaching consensus on the debt restructuring process.
The ZCTU Secretary General thanked Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Zambia for helping to organize the workshop within a short space of time which aims to consider the current economic challenges facing Zambia and, on that basis, make proposals and recommendations for submission to the Ministry of Finance for inclusion in the 2024 national budget.
Invited guests at the workshop were representatives from the Ministry of Finance, CSPR, CTPD and Researchers and trade union leaders.