President Banda: Work Since 2008
Since 2008 Rupiah Banda has delivered for Zambia:
Trade and the economy
- economic growth predicted at 6.6% or stronger
- inflation falling to 8% by the end of the year
- mineral export earnings of US$4.2 billion in the last year
- other export earnings of US$1.4 billion in the last year
- investment of over US$2 billion with 18,000 new businesses being registered in the last year
- copper production forecast to rise 10% to new high of 900,000 tonnes in 2011
- one of the ten most-improved economies in the World Bank ease of doing business ranking 2011
- a B+ sovereign credit rating by international ratings agencies Fitch and Standard & Poors
Agriculture
- an unprecedented 3 million tonne maize harvest in 2011, bringing self-sufficiency in food and increased exports without risk to Zambian food security
- exports of maize following a surplus of 1.7 million tonnes
- 500,000 farmers benefitting from the highly successful Farmer Input Support Programme, which is being expanded
- increased production in most major crops
- the establishment of a new Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries
- the provision of K37 billion to build dams for irrigation and water supply to livestock
Health
- 12 new district hospitals commissioned or under construction and 5 clinics upgraded to district hospitals since 2008
- 323 new health centres and health posts commissioned
- 9 new mobile hospitals and 17 ambulance boats to provide health services to 8.7 million
- recruitment of over 5,700 doctors and health workers since 2008
- creation/refurbishment of more than 1,000 clean and safe water points
- child immunization rates above the 85% World Health Organisation target
- delivery of anti-retro viral drugs to 89% of the population afflicted by AIDS, an increase of 25 percentage points since last year
- a 66% decline in malaria-related deaths, outstripping the 2010 ‘Roll Back Malaria’ Abuja target of 50%
Education
- the training and appointment of 12, 500 new teachers since 2008
- the construction of 45 new high schools and 42 new basic schools
- 2,543 classrooms built in 2009 with another 2,016 under development
- training of 2,000 young Zambians in President Banda's Youth Resources Centres
Infrastructure
- 17 new bridges built since 2008
- repair and refurbishment of thousands of kilometers of roads
- 3 dams constructed or repaired and more boreholes installed in rural locations
Fuel and energy
- quadrupled strategic fuel reserves
- power generation increased by more than 1,080 mega watts
- completion of 67 rural electrification projects, with 24 in progress