DOOMSAYERS UNDERMINING GOVERNMENT’S EFFORTS TO FIGHT COVID-19-YALI

Says the priority as a nation is to support the President’s measures to combat the pandemic and keep the country’s economy running

Sunday….May 17 2020 (Smart Eagles)

The Young African Leaders Initiative YALI is saddened that some doomsayers are undermining government’s efforts to fight against COVID-19

YALI president Andrew Ntewewe notes that the cynicism against the country’s health architecture and the minister of health is nothing but an effort to undermine the impressive,robust,and effective intervention against COVID-19.

Speaking when he addressed the media this morning, Mr Ntewewe encouraged that priority as a country should be to support President Edgar Lungu’s meaures put in place and therefore called on all cooperating partners and Zambians to collaborate with the entire health infrastructure and to ensure that the ravaged economy is equally revamped.

He said it is a total misplacement of energy to constantly be talking and accusing one another of corruption on donations when the energies should be on being innovative and imaginative on how to seek access to the 30 billion kwacha stimulus package.

“We want to particularly note the gradual ,strategic and cautious approach of opening the country for business and announced by president Edgar Lungu which we are in agreement with and must be made known to the public that other countries are opening up for business in order to save their economies despite the high number of people dying from the disease” he said.

“Currently, there is a K2.5 billion to pay arrears, pensioners and contractors,10 Billion kwacha for commerce set up particularly to assist women, youth entrepreneurs through banks and the 10.3 Million Dollars for aquaculture through CEEC.This is where the agenda must be. In total there is an estimated 30 Billion Kwacha for commerce, trade and industry which must be the national agenda to get the economy running again” Mr Ntewewe emphasized.

Mr Ntewewe reitarated that the COVID-19 is real and its fight must not be trivialized and thanked the health workers for the priceless efforts they are putting in place to manage the pandemic