JCTR Challenges State On Poverty

from All Africa

THE Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflections (JCTR) has urged the next Government to lift more people out of hunger and poverty as the country has made macro- economic progress under president Mwanawasa.

JCTR assistant coordinator, Miniva Chibuye said in Lusaka yesterday in a statement that the high poverty levels averaging 62 per cent nationally indicate the extent of hardships currently being experienced by households in accessing basic needs.

"Indeed, the late president Mwanawasa has left a legacy upon which further economic progress can be made. It is, however, imperative to highlight that while Zambia has recorded economic progress, this has hardly translated into the expected benefit at the household level," Ms Chibuye said.

Ms Chibuye said according to JCTR's 'Basic Needs Basket' that measures the cost of living for a family of six in Lusaka and other towns like Livingstone, Kabwe, Ndola, Kitwe, Luanshya, Mongu and Kasama, trends of cost of living continue to show an increase.

She said in relation to the 'Rural Basket' conducted in Malama area in Eastern Province, Matushi in North-Western Province and Masaiti on the Copperbelt Province, the information indicated that most households were facing serious difficulties in accessing food needs and meeting nutritional requirements.

She said the hardships were much more in rural areas as seen by the higher poverty levels, which had 80 per cent than urban areas, which had 34 per cent.

Ms Chibuye said the scenario could be explained in terms of inequitable distribution of resources between rural and urban areas.

She said the current double digit inflationary levels propelled by the increase in food and energy prices also risk increasing the already high poverty levels to unprecedented levels.

Ms Chibuye said as at K710,920 for basic food, Ndola recorded higher than all the other towns and closely followed by Kabwe, which recorded a cost of basic food at K688,750.

She said Livingstone and Lusaka recorded K678,850 and K664,700 respectively.

Ms Chibuye said across these towns, with the exception of Lusaka, huge increases were seen in the cost of mealie meal, dry fish and cooking oil.

She said it was important to note, however, that Lusaka recorded a reduction in food items amounting to K37,950 from the July figure of K702,650 to K664,000 for August.

Ms Chibuye said the reductions that Lusaka recorded were coming from marginal reductions in all basic food items with the exception of sugar and cooking oil.