AS Finance Minister Dr Situmbeko Musokotwane prepares to present the 2027 National Budget on Friday, November 6, attention will naturally turn to PAYE. But the more consequential question is whether government has a credible plan to collect more revenue without repeatedly leaning on the same workers and businesses. This is the first full-year budget of the UPND administration’s second term. It also arrives under the shadow of another possible climate emergency. The Southern African Development Community’s seasonal outlook favours below-normal rainfall across much of Zambia during the first quarter of 2027, amid a strengthening El Niño. A forecast is not a declaration of drought, but after the damage of 2024, failing to prepare would be inexcusable. Government needs resources for...