he Consumer Unit and Trust Society (CUTS) has disclosed that 10 percent of the richest population in Zambia account for 50 percent of the country’s wealth while 10 percent of the poorest account for 0.2 percent of the country’s wealth.
Centre coordinator Chennai Mukumba says Zambia has been ranked 4th of the most unequal countries in the world out of 150 countries.
Ms. Mukumba says the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has been growing between 5 and 6 percent in the past 15 years without trickling down to the least in society.
She was making a presentation on behalf of the Civil Society Poverty Observatory Group (CSPOG) and the Zambia Tax Platform (ZTP) on the state of poverty and inequality in Zambia.
Speaking at the same event, the Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) has observed that Zambia’s revenue base has remained flat while the expenditure base has widened.
CSPR Executive Director Patrick Nshindano says the country’s fiscal deficit has widened to 7.9 percent and is projected to go higher this year due to the energy deficit and climatic vulnerabilities.
Mr. Nshindano says the structure of the economy needs to be revisited adding GDP per capita is reducing and the subsidy program needs to be properly implemented.
He was also making a presentation on behalf of the Civil Society Poverty Observatory Group (CSPOG) and the Zambia Tax Platform (ZTP) on the state of the economy.