THE International Monetary Fund (IMF) says it is not possible to share any additional details on the programme ahead of the board discussion.

Responding to a letter from Kabushi PF member of parliament Bowman Lusambo who requested for full disclosure of details of the agreement between Zambia and the IMF, IMF mission chief for Zambia, African Department, Allison Holland said full details of the programme would be published once the programme was discussed.

“Thank you for your interest in the Staff-Level Agreement on an Extended Credit Facility reached between IMF staff and the government of Zambia on December 3, 2021. Please see our press releases for summary information on the purpose and goals of the programme. Once the programme is discussed with and approved by the IMF Executive Board, the full details of the programme will be published. However, in line with the IMF policy, it is not possible for us to share any additional details ahead of the board discussion,” said Holland.

But in an interview, Lusambo said it was disappointing that the IMF had failed to disclose the full content of the agreement with Zambia.

“First and foremost, I am happy that the IMF has replied to that letter. Secondly, we are not happy that the IMF have failed to disclose the full content of the agreement with Zambia. This is a deal about Zambia and the people of Zambia just have to know the contents before it is signed. So for us, we are not happy that the IMF, they have failed to give us the full information on what we needed. We will also be engaging the Minister, the Secretary to the Treasury, that they are just agents to the people of Zambia and that they should give information to the people of Zambia to debate. It is the people of Zambia to say yes or no. If it was good they would have just released the information. So, we are worried as citizens of this country. The people of Zambia are speculating. In their response, they have told me that they can only disclose after the final approval from their board, it will be too late for us to contribute on this matter,” said Lusambo.