Zambia's cabinet approves 8th development blueprint

LUSAKA, April 5 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian cabinet has approved the eighth national development plan, a new framework through which the country's national development aspirations will be actualized, a government spokesperson said Tuesday.

The development plan, which runs from 2022 to 2026, was anchored on four pillars namely economic transformation and job creation, human and social development, environmental sustainability, and good governance environment.

Chushi Kasanda, the Chief Government Spokesperson, said the plan will provide the development agenda for the country by way of providing specific strategies and programs for the attainment of desired development outcomes over the next five years.

"It will also be the basis for the formulation of all subsequent annual budgets and medium-term budget plans for the same period," she said in a release following a cabinet meeting.

The plan, she said, has been anchored on the principle of decentralization by devolution to ensure the attainment of its objectives.

Therefore, this will entail devolving some of the central government functions in order to enhance service delivery at the local level, she added.