December 2004 Basic Needs and Nutrition Basket: JCTR ask's: why Don't Politicians Speak About What is Important in People's Lives?

According to the JCTR’s November Basic Needs Basket, the cost of living for a family of six in Lusaka has continued to fluctuate at a very high level. For food alone, the cost is K456,200, and for non-food essentials, the cost is K658,600. Compared to civil servants’ take-home pay that rarely touches the one million kwacha mark, a great gap is revealed between what households ought to spend at a minimum level and the actual amount of income at their disposal. “In all honesty and decency, says Muweme, “this should be the number one political issue being discussed today!” Instead of focusing on the critical question of cost of living – the key in determining people’s welfare since it shows how households and individuals relate to food, education and health, shelter, agricultural production, and other welfare indicators -- we hear at one level an immense amount of talk about the reaching the doubtful and ever “floating” HIPC Completion point as though its attainment would automatically guarantee improvements in people’s lives.