Vice President Mutale Nalumango says President Hakainde Hichilema is in a hurry to transform the country’s economic fortunes.
Ms Nalumango stresses that it is for this reason that all international and local trips that President Hichilema and herself undertake are economically calculated.
She says the new dawn government remains focused to ensure economic benefits to the Zambian people who she says are eagerly waiting for their lives to be transformed by the new administration.
The Vice President was speaking on the sidelines of the Seventh Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction conference which officially opened today in Bali, Indonesia.
“ I want to inform you that we are not walking, but running, we want to transform the people’s lives and provide jobs to the people, the reason you see us moving and lobbying on behalf of the country,” she said.
The Vice President Mrs Nalumango is in Asia nation to share and learn how that country has managed to create wealth even when Indonesia is a perpetual victim to disasters.
Other than this, Mrs Nalumango is in the Asian nation to discuss ways to tackle underlying risk drivers both locally and globally with the international community.
Mrs Nalumango, who is among several International governmental and non-governmental representatives attending the GP2022 platform held several private meetings with key stakeholders aimed at steering investments into the country’s economy.
She held a private meeting with Indonesian President Joko Widodo to find common grounds for developing the mining and the energy sectors as well as to strengthen the two country’s bilateral relations.
Other key stakeholders that the Vice President met was, President of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, Abdullah Shaihid and Deputy Secretary General of the UN Amina Mohammed who deliberated with the Vice President on developments and innovations in disaster management.
The Vice President is expected to give her keynote speech at the forum on Friday, May 27,2022.
Earlier, UN Disaster Risk Reduction Chief of Communications Officer, Janette Elsworth, expressed happiness that Zambia had sent a high level representative in Vice President Mutale Nalumango.
“This is a demonstration that Zambia attaches great importance to issues of disasters and the UN body is grateful to Zambia,” she said in an interview with ZANIS.
And Indonesian President Joko Widodo opened the forum with a call to UN Member states to work as one, in fighting world calamities.
Mr Widodo said Disaster risk reduction is central to Indonesia’s national development strategy and the country is a leader in disaster risk reduction (DRR).
Meanwhile, President of the UN general Assembly Abdullah Shaihid called for more concerted efforts in fighting global disasters.
The Global Platform takes place seven years from the adoption of the Sendai Framework and just over two years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
This global crisis has exposed how underlying vulnerabilities and inequities have catastrophic consequences for the most exposed across the world.
The GP2022 is organized by the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) from 23 to 28 May 2022, in Bali, Indonesia, hosted by the Government of Indonesia.