July 2004 Basic Needs and Nutrition Basket: Basic Needs Basket Reveals that Luanshya is High Cost of Living Area
Abstract
People of Luanshya are experiencing one of the highest cost of living among urban areas in Zambia. This is according to recent Basic Needs Basket information collected from Luanshya by the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR). An analysis of the information has shown that the cost of food alone during the last three months has consistently been higher in Luanshya than Lusaka, Ndola, Kabwe, Livingstone and Kitwe. According to Muweme Muweme, Coordinator of the Social Conditions Research Project of the JCTR, the cost of food alone for the months of April, May and June averaged K462,700 for Luanshya compared to the average cost of K456,300 for Lusaka.
Description
It is true to say that Zambia and most of Africa have had plans, in some cases well thought out plans, to address the problems of the people. For example, Zambia has had a series of national plans from the time of independence and now has a Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). However, these plans have most of the time suffered the fate of lack of effective implementation.