“The Basic Needs Basket for Lusaka, for example, stood at K3, 715.47 in July … but in December it stood at K4, 371.76, representing an increase of 17.6 percent,” says JCTR media and information officer Tendai Posiana. “JCTR observes that the increase in the cost of living was taking root amidst other challenges the country witnessed and experienced. A growth in the deficit of the national budget from about K8bn to K20bn created among others, a reversal by the Patriotic Front (PF) government of the proposed mine tax regime for 2015.” THE Jesuit Centre for Theological reflection (JCTR) says 2015 was generally not an easy year for most Zambian households.
In a press statement made available to the Lusaka Star, JCTR media and information officer Tendai Posiana said 2015 saw a steady increase in the cost of living for most towns in the country.
“The Basic Needs Basket for Lusaka, for example, stood at K3, 715.47 in July … but in December it stood at K4, 371.76, representing an increase of 17.6 percent,” she sated.
Ms. Posiana said an increase in prices of some food items such as mealie meal and kapenta and non-food items such as charcoal and washing soap were among some of the contributing factors to the increased cost of living.
“JCTR observes that the increase in the cost of living was taking root amidst other challenges the country witnessed and experienced. A growth in the deficit of the national budget from about K8bn to K20bn created among others, a reversal by the Patriotic Front (PF) government of the proposed mine tax regime for 2015,” she explained further.
The JCTR Media and Information Officer further revealed that an increase in load shedding during 2015 had a negative impact on household incomes noting that most people in the country earn their living in the informal sector and depended on small businesses that depend on power from ZESCO.
“The country has been experiencing power defeceit since earlier last year and this has affected people in the informal sector especially those in urban areas.
“Those in the mining sector were also affected due to unexpected retrenchments witnessed which eroded families of the much needed incomes for survival,” she said.
Ms. Posiana was however quick to note that government had put in measures aimed at improving the living conditions of people through various infrastructural developments in various sectors of the economy.
But Ms. Posiana said government would have done a little bit more had they focused on areas such as mining, agriculture and entrepreneurial promotion.
She argued that such would have had meaningful direct benefit and impact on lives of most citizens in the country.