11 August 2008
Ndola — THE Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) has said the rising food prices are a source of concern and called for all-time alertness to household survival mechanisms.
JCTR information officer, Chilufya Chileshe, said in a statement yesterday that the alertness should not only be confined to the Government alone but must include everyone, even households themselves.
"Even in circumstances where it is believed that the economy is performing well, examination of household survival mechanisms is necessary as it serves as an indicator whether or not the economy is serving the people," she said.
Ms Chileshe said the JCTR made the observation as it released its monthly Basic Needs Basket information compiled to estimate the cost of living for a family of six in Lusaka, Livingstone, Kabwe, Ndola, Luanshya, Kitwe, Kasama and Mongu.
She said the Central Statistical Office (CSO)'s estimates suggested that a huge percentage of Zambian households continued reducing the number of meals taken per day as a survival mechanism.
Ms Chileshe said a more examination of survival mechanisms, as revealed by CSO, showed that another huge percentage of households were coping by asking from friends and relative.
She said the observations by the CSO revealed that there were limited opportunities for gainful employment and the scarcity in formal social protection mechanisms in the country.
Ms Chileshe said unfortunately, unavailability of social protection meant a transfer of responsibility of social protection from the Government and other stakeholders to the household.
She said the Basic Needs Basket for the month of July continued to indicate the challenge of household food affordability.
Ms Chileshe said apart from Kasama, increases in price of mealie meal were experienced across towns of Lusaka, Livingstone, Ndola, Kitwe, Kabwe and Luanshya.
The basket indicated that in Lusaka, the price rose from K46,700 in June to K48,400 in July, and in Livingstone the increase was from K48,300 in June to K54,900 the same month.
In other towns that are in Ndola, the upward adjustment was by K1,500 from K48,200 to K49,700 and Kitwe recorded it at K50,200 in July compared to K48,200 in June, representing an increase of K2,000.
It also revealed that Kabwe recorded an increase of K300 from K44,800 to K45,100. Luanshya recorded an increase from K46,900 in June to K49,000 in July and Kasama showed stability at K49,600.
She said with current fuel prices and the rising food prices globally, the situation could worsen and that there was need to put developmental interventions in order to cope with the situation.
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