CSPR REITERATE ALARMING POVERTY LEVELS AMID ACCALIMED ECONOMIC GROWTH

The Civil Society for Poverty Reduction says that Zambia still has alarming levels of poverty despite the country having recently recorded an economic growth of over 40 percent.

CSPR Executive Director, Patrick Mcheleka has said that the 6.5 GDP growth recorded in the country between 2005 and 2010 does not correlate with the levels of poverty that are currently looming in the country.
Mr Mcheleka said that the growth benefits of the economy are only being felt by rich people and not the less privileged people living in the rural areas of the country.

He has explained that most Zambians especially in rural areas are walloping in abject poverty despite government’s claims of improving the economy.

Mr Mcheleka has since called on government to massively take development to rural areas where social amenities still remains a challenge.

He has stressed that the country’s economic growth figures do not tally with the poverty statistics which currently stand at 85 percent in the rural areas and 34 percent in urban areas because of lack of government funding to the key sectors of the country.

Mr Mcheleka has further hinted that as long as the people are not put first on the agenda of the government the poverty levels of the country will continue to rise to unexplained and untold levels.

And the Civil Society for Poverty reduction has called on the government to learn from the Australian government move of introducing super tax on its mining sector so as to improve the country’s service delivery.

He has said Government should get back to the discussion table with the country’s key stakeholders and reconsider reintroducing the Windfall tax to the Mining sector so as to enable the country raise its revenue base.