Question

How is the seventh national development plan of Zambia going to be affected by the corona virus?
1000 words.

Answer 1

Q- How is the seventh national development plan of Zambia going to be affected by the corona virus?

Ansnwer- The Seventh National Development Plan (7NDP), which is the country's blue-print for development for the next five years, up to 2021, envisions a prosperous middle-income economy that offers decent employment opportunities for all Zambians of different skills and background and will be achieved by harnessing.

The Seventh National Development Plan (7NDP), which is the country’s blue-print for development for the next five years, up to 2021, envisions a prosperous middle-income economy that offers decent employment opportunities for all Zambians of different skills and background and will be achieved by harnessing opportunities for economic diversification and growth. It is a building block formulated to meet the goals contained in the Vision 2030.The Vision 2030 is a long-term plan that expresses the aspirations of the Zambian people to live in a strong and dynamic, middle-income industrial nation that provides opportunities for improving the well-being of all. It embodies values of socio-economic justice underpinned by the principles of gender-responsive, sustainable development; democracy; respect for human rights; good traditional and family values; positive attitude towards work; peaceful co-existence; and public-private partnerships (PPPs).

There are five pillars of the Seventh National Development Plan including:

• Economic diversification & job creation.
• Poverty & vulnerability reduction.
• Reducing developmental inequalities.
• Enhancing human development.
• Creating a conducive governance environment for a diversified economy.

The NDP aims to achieve the following objectives by 2030: Uniting South Africans of all races and classes around a common programme to eliminate poverty and reduce inequality. Encourage citizens to be active in their own development, in strengthening democracy and in holding their government accountable. The attainment of Zambia’s goal of being a prosperous and middle-income country by 2030 as stipulated in its Vision 2030 is dependent on among others, a healthy and productive population. Health has therefore been prioritized as a key economic investment in the Seventh National Development Plan 2017-2021. The Ministry of Health is implementing the National Health Strategic Plan to provide equitable access to cost effective, quality health services as close to the family as possible based on the principle of Universal Health Coverage using an integrated people-centered Primary Health Care approach Specific policy options and recommendations have been made for improving exclusive breastfeeding and childhood nutrition; increasing equity in antenatal care coverage and births attended by skilled health personnel; improving family planning, prevention of communicable and non-communicable diseases including increasing the availability of health personnel. The report has also identified key action areas for addressing social determinants of health.

Main Sectors of Industry

The agricultural sector is the backbone of the Zambian economy: although the sector represents only 2.6% of the country's GDP, it employs 54% of the workforce (World Bank). Zambia spans 75 million hectares, of which 58% is classified as medium to high potential for agriculture production; however, agriculture in Zambia remains largely underexploited, with only 15% of its potential arable land under cultivation. The sector's low contribution to GDP is attributable to poor rural infrastructure and an extreme vulnerability to drought.

The industrial sector is estimated to account for 36.3% of GDP and 11% of employment, mostly thanks to the mining, construction and manufacturing sub-sectors. Major industries of Zambia include copper mining and processing, construction, emerald mining, beverages, food, textiles, chemicals, fertilizer and horticulture.

Services play a major role in the Zambian economy. They represent 54.1% of GDP, and employ 36% of the total workforce. The tertiary sector includes a large wholesale and retail industry. Tourism is also growing and has a positive ripple effect on the transport and hotel sectors.