Cost of living goes up in Solwezi

Sat, 26 Nov 2016 13:33:38 +0000

THE cost living in Solwezi district has increased from K3,991.86 to K4,022.22, translating into 0.76 percent. According to the Basic Needs Basket (BNB) conducted by the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR), the month of October shows that there is an upward adjustment in the cost of living in the mining town. And the Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR) has raised concern on the upward swing in the cost of living. CSPR provincial coordinator Haggai Nyambe said if the trend continued poverty levels might increase.

He said stakeholders such as Government and civil society organisations should show concern and work towards improving the living standards of the people. “For example, here is a general worker who gets K 1,000 per month and has a family to look after.

How will that person survive on such a salary considering the rise in the cost of living? he asked. He however attributed the increase in the cost of living to the recent upward adjustment in fuel by the Energy Regulations Board (ERB). Meanwhile, Mr Nyambe has emphasised on the need to diversify the economy to agriculture if poverty levels especially in peri-urban areas was to be reduced.

He said his organisation was happy that Government had shown political will to diversify the economy by allocating enough funds to the agriculture sector in the 2017 national Budget. “If the agriculture sector is promoted there will be enough food in the country and poverty levels are likely to go down,” he said.