MINISTER of Transport and Logistics Frank Tayali says the recently unveiled 2022 national budget has sent shock waves to the PF.

In an interview, Saturday, Tayali said his government had demonstrated that every Zambian deserved a share of the national cake.

“This government has demonstrated that every Zambian regardless of where they are located, deserve a share of the national cake. We have done this by increasing the Constituency Development Fund from K1.6 million. This, in my own view, is the home of what this entire budget has been all about and this is what has caused this budget to send shock waves to our colleagues. They now probably realise it’s game over. Because the people will see through, that when the government is serious, it will reach out and do that for which we have been elected [for] and that is to provide for our people,” he said.

“Further, we are employing 30,000 teachers. A number that put together all the past 10 years, we have never had such a number of teachers being recruited. This government realizing that it should not be business as usual has stepped out to recruit that many number of teachers.”

Tayali said the 2022 budget had shown people the kind of government they elected.

“Now for any citizen who might have been in doubt out there, there you have it. There were so many complaints on social media about young people seeking employment and what more. Now I hope the young people were listening to this budget. And if you were listening to this budget, it is not a formal employment per se, a white collar job that they may be looking for. Stick in your location, work with cooperatives, establish skills amongst yourselves and utilize the money that has been thrown back at you. We shall not import desks anymore from China, we would have been killing ourselves,” he said.

“So if there was any citizen in doubt, there is your answer in the sort of government you elected. This was a revolutionary election. People wanted change and your President, His Excellency Mr Hakainde Hichilema means business. We are not here to waste time that even within the means resources, we have been able to reach out and do the things that we have already pronounced to do. What more as we now tighten the fiscal space and improve financial discipline. There is a lot more we are going to do for our people going forward.”

Meanwhile, Tayali said government would employ Public-Private Partnership, particularly on the economic roads.

“Going to my sector, the transport sector. We shall employ Public-Private Partnership particularly on the economic roads. So the amount of money we are raising through toll gates, it means that the Ndola-Lusaka road should be able to pay for itself in a very short space of time going by the tolls we are receiving at the gates,” said Tayali.