The Jesuite Centre for Theological Reflections (JCTR) has noted that it is still advocating for the Non-Taxable Income Threshold to be increased further.
Centre Deputy Director Father Alex Muyebe says the threshold was increased from K1,200 in 2012 to K3,300 in 2019 with the advocacy from the centre.
Father Muyebe says the data that JCTR has provided through the Basic needs Basket (Survey) has contributed largely to informed Policy formulation.
He was speaking at the launch of the Revised Basic Needs Basket where they announced the conclusion of a Nutrition Component to the basket as a way of incorporating nutrition aspect to the needs of the average Zambian family.
“Our Country is currently strained with many challenges: high unemployment levels, high poverty levels, high inequality and Hunger and Malnutrition in all its manifestation have remained high. Poverty levels have remained high at around 54.4 percent and the Gini coefficient is estimated at 0.69 (Central Statistical Office, 2016). To deal with these challenges availability of accurate information therefore becomes paramount.” Says the Director
He adds that “as availability of accurate information and statistics is bound to assist government, other duty bearers and stakeholders to accurately plan and implement appropriate interventions.”
Presenting the Revised Basic Needs and Nutrition Basket, JCTR Social and Economic Development Programs Manager Innocent Ndashe says the NonTaxable Income threshold needs to be above K400 as the cost of Living is above K5000.
Under the Basic Needs and Nutrition Basket for July 2019 for Lusaka, the cost of essential Items for a family of five has gone up to K5,979.57 from the K5,286.01 under the Basic needs Basket for June 2019.
The Increase has been necessitated by the food items that have been added to the Basket in ensuring that nutrition is accounted for among the basic needs of an average Zambian.
Some of the changes made under the revised basket include the replacing of Breakfast Millie Meal with Roller Meal, the removal of bread, addition of pounded groundnuts and the increase in the quantity of some essential commodities required in a month.