August 2020 Basic Needs and Nutrition Basket: A Call for the Pro-poor Budget to Address the Rising Cost of Living

The Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR) Basic Needs and Nutrition Basket (BNNB) for the month of August 2020 stood at K7, 178.22. Reflecting a reduction of K26.02 from the month of July 2020 that stood at K7, 204.24. Reductions in the basket were noted in prices of the following food items; other fruits such as oranges and apples moved from K283.33 to K244.33; cassava flour moved from K135.50 to K100.91 for 6Kg; roller mealie meal moved from K175.71 to K 161.00 for two 25kg bags; pounded groundnuts (1kg) fell from K102.16 to K80.20; and beans moved from K121.52 to K104.84 for 3Kg. Increases were however recorded in the prices of kapenta that rose sharply from K188.19 to K301.21; and vegetables that increased from K442.93 to K493.39 for 40Kg. From the non-food but essential items the price of charcoal increased from K266.67 to K272.00 for two 90kg bags from the preceding month. Other items specifically washing soap, vaseline and tissue recorded minimal increases of between K1 and K6.