CSPR SAYS BENEFITS OF RECENT ECONOMIC IMPROVEMENTS NOT FELT BY AVERAGE ZAMBIAN DUE TO STAGNANT WAGES
By Elesani Phiri
The Civil Society for Poverty Reduction -CSPR- says while the kwacha has appreciated and inflation has declined, the benefits of these improvements have not been felt by the average Zambian due to wages that have largely remained unchanged.
CSPR Executive Director Isabel Mukelabai tells Phoenix News that low salaries remain one of the major drivers of poverty in Zambia despite recent positive economic indicators.
Ms. Mukelabai says current economic policies have not yet succeeded in redistributing wealth in a way that promotes equity and improves the living standards of poorer households.
She explains that reducing poverty is a long-term process that requires consistent and coherent policies whose impact can be measured through improvements in household welfare.
Speaking to Phoenix News in an interview, Ms. Mukelabai explains that while the free education policy has improved access to schooling, many households still struggle to meet other education-related costs, limiting the full benefits of the programme.
She has therefore urged government to complement macroeconomic gains with policies that increase workers' incomes and strengthen social protection measures to ensure economic growth translates into improved living standards for ordinary Zambians.
PHOENIX NEWS