GOVERNMENT has proposed a K284.8 billion budget for 2027, an increase from K253 billion in 2026, with Finance Minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane targeting K233.7 billion in domestic revenue. And Dr Musokotwane has proposed raising VAT from 16 to 16.5 percent, introducing a 39.5 percent PAYE rate on monthly income above K37,000, and increasing taxes on sugar, imported tiles, mobile money transactions and selected passport fees. Meanwhile, Dr Musokotwane has proposed allocating K38.2 billion to education and K30.3 billion to health, with plans to recruit 3,125 frontline health workers. He has further proposed allocating K9 billion to the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), up from K6.2 billion in 2026, while maintaining the allocation of K40 million per constituency. Presenting the 2027 national...