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2018 was a difficult year – NGOCC

Non-Governmnetal Gender Organisations’ Coordinating Council (NGOCC) says the year 2018 was a difficult year, not only for an ordinary citizen, but also for business entities both formal and informal and the development actors.
According to the Central Statistics Report titled “Zambia in Figures, 2018”, poverty in 2018 was recorded as being at 54.4% in urban areas with rural poverty rising to 80%.
NGOCC Chairperson Mary Mulenga says the increase in the fuel prices in the third quarter of 2018 just worsened this situation.
In her end of year media statement, Ms Mulenga says the depreciation of the Kwacha also particularly from third quarter onwards, with inflation rates around 7 to 8% also contributed to constraining economic activities.
“Statistically it is usually evident that poverty has a feminine face and hence perpetuating the vulnerability and marginalisation of women and girls in national development. Additionally, according to the November 2018 Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflections (JCTR) Basic Needs Basket (BNB), a family of six in urban areas needs about K5,324.40 to survive in a month. Evidently, very few citizens can afford this amount and worse still those of our women and men who do not have any sources of income. This is amidst unemployment levels which stood at 32.2% in urban areas and 50.8% in rural areas with the national average standing at 41.2%,” she said.
The NGOCC Chairperson also says her organization remains deeply concerned with the high public debt which Zambia has accumulated over the last two years and thereby crowding out expenditure to the social sectors like education and health, which have a substantial bearing on the realisation of women’s economic empowerment.
“According to the Ministry of Finance quarterly reports, the domestic and external debt stock increased from US $8.7 billion as at end of December 2017 to US $13.8 billion as at end of September 2018. In addition, the country has seen the Kwacha depreciating with exchange rate of around K12 to one US Dollar, inflation rate at close to 8%, increased taxes and high interest rates,” said Ms Mulenga.
She adds that it is NGOCC’s considered view that urgent measures be put in place to bring the country’s debt portfolio under control for the nation to realise meaningful economic growth.
Ms Mulenga notes government’s efforts at mitigating the risk of sovereign debt default and dealing with the slower economic growth, but however urges government to ensure that they engage widely and seek more local expert input.
She is of the view that this will ensure that people-centred interventions are put in place with regular information flows made to all citizens.
On the 2019 National Budget, the NGOCC Chairperson has noted that the 2019 budget is premised on more borrowing of up to K28.8 billion, which defies the push for fiscal consolidation.
“It is NGOCC’s considered view that sustainable and inclusive growth can only be achieved when women and men are accorded equal opportunities to participate in national development. NGOCC notes that there has been a reduction in funding to the key social and other growth sectors such as health, education and agriculture that have potential to accelerate efforts towards gender equity and equality,” she said.
Ms Mulenga said with this scenario, NGOCC does not see how sustainable and inclusive growth can be attained.

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