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2012

Happy new year! Not much changed from the last.. Arsenal got beaten again. I guess you get used to it to a point you no longer feel the pinch. We were spoilt in the past to expect excellence at all times. We are slowly becoming a mid table team at this rate. I worry that if we fail to make Champions league this season we can become like liverpool or worse Tottenham.. At least the Africa Nations cup is there to distract us.

This year is expected to be the last year of man's existence (if you follow the doomsayers) so maybe that is the thought behind Zambia removing three zeros from their currency that if it doesn't work- who cares. Take it from someone who actually participated in currency revaluation, it is an exercise in futility which has very few benefits except the pride at saying our currency has near value to the more established currencies. I believe that this revaluation will just push inflation on. The cost of a revaluation far exceeds its benefits.

I believe Zambia needs to work on more pressing matters such as diversifying away from extractive industries into productive industries such as food processing and manufacturing. the growth of the economy of the last 10 years shows to me at least that the economy has the ability and capacity to attempt this. The policy of revaluation of the currency, to me, is a misplaced priority. Essentially the policy is putting much needed resources into something that has a nil result on the real economy. No-one has adequately explained this policy.

The government needs to spend resources on opening up areas of the country up to economic exploitation so the cities can be de-congested and employment found elsewhere. Ideas to attain this is the creation of growth points where incentives are offered by government for businesses to open up. in this policy, work can be created in agriculture and such areas by creating new farm blocks. I believe that it is criminal for a nation to be blessed with such resources as Zambia and not exploit them. Please look beyond these conventional policy interventions and look at sustainable development options.

Just my thought

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