Debt can be an important mechanism for governments to invest in development and infrastructure, or respond to crises. However, over the past decade the public debt portfolio of many countries in Africa has ballooned to unsustainable levels, to the detriment of spending on essential public services. Parliaments have a critical role to play in providing oversight of government budgeting, borrowing, and spending, and serving as a check on the executive branch. This study, conducted by the Southern Africa Institute for Policy and Research (SAIPAR), is part of an NDI program that seeks to enhance transparency and accountability in public debt management through strengthened civil society advocacy and oversight by parliamentary actors. Against the backdrop of public debt restructuring in Zambia, this report aims to provide parliamentarians, civil society actors, and other stakeholders with a background on the country's debt burden and the role of parliament in providing oversight of borrowing, as well as recommendations for improving transparency and accountability in public finance management in Zambia.