April 2002 Basic Needs and Nutrition Basket: JCTR Says High Cost of Living Enhancing Reproduction of Poverty
Abstract
According to recent estimates as indicated by the JCTR Basic Needs Basket, the cost of living for a family of six in Lusaka now stands at K825,500 up from the month of March figure of K824, 600. The cost of food only, still stands at more than K300,000. ''We can see here that even the most basic need of human existence, adequate and nutritionally balanced food, is beyond the reach of many households,'' says Muweme. It can also be observed that the high price of mealie meal has since the last quarter of 2001 been one of the major contributors to the rise in cost of the Basic Needs Basket. Other nonfood essentials such as cost of housing, charcoal, water, etc., are amounting to K499,200
Description
The JCTR, following the lead of the Church's Social Teaching, holds that ''the economy is for the people, people are not for the economy.'' This principle should be guiding both public and private actions in economic matters. It should make a difference in the priorities, Muweme feels, of the current negotiations going on over KCM and what to do if Anglo-American Corporation pulls out.