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EXPANSION OF HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURE CHOICES
REMAINS ZAMBIA’S MAJOR CHALLENGE, OBSERVES THE JCTR
October 2007
In the face of high cost of living, HIV and AIDS, household vulnerability to shocks, high unemployment levels, inadequate or totally absent non-farm income generating activities, etc., the ability of households to shape their own lives or to have expanded choices will remain a serious challenge in Zambia, says the Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection (JCTR).
This observation of inadequate household expenditure choices is not of a cursory nature, but is a daily lived reality as revealed by the monthly survey of prices of a Basic Needs Basket for a family of six of both food and non-food items conducted by the JCTR in several retail outlets of Lusaka and other urban areas. The cost of basic needs remain very high and still a serious challenge to many households. For example, in Lusaka basic food for the month of October was recorded costing K549,050; in Ndola for the same month K571,700; Luanshya K537,900; Kabwe K511,180; Livingstone K534,850. Compared to the previous month of September, these figures -- which are quite significant in some towns -- reflect an upward adjustment in the range of K5,750 to K45,500 in the cost of basic food in all the towns.
While Lusaka recorded some reduction in the cost of a 25 Kg bag of breakfast mealie meal, Kabwe, Luanshya and Ndola recorded increases. In Livingstone there was no change in the cost of breakfast mealie meal. Increases were recorded in the price of a Kg of beans in Lusaka, Kabwe, Luanshya and Ndola. With the exception of Luanshya which recorded a decrease of K3,400 in the price of a Kg of dry fish, Lusaka, Kabwe, Livingstone and Ndola recorded increases. A Kg of mixed cut beef recorded increases in cost in Ndola, Luanshya, Livingstone and Lusaka, while Kabwe experienced some reduction. Green vegetable price increments occurred in Lusaka, Kabwe, Livingstone and Luanshya. The price of tomatoes increased in Lusaka, Kabwe and Luanshya while Livingstone and Ndola recorded some decline. That of onion increased in Lusaka, Ndola and Kabwe. Except for Ndola which recorded some slight increase, the price of eggs remained stable across all these towns.
In terms of non-food items, the price of charcoal increased in Lusaka, Luanshya and Ndola. In Kabwe it remained stable as in September. Lusaka recorded reductions in wash and bath soap including jelly (Vaseline).
As can be seen from the above situation of cost of living across some Zambian towns, investment in household wellbeing as a development goal is not only a fundamental force for “pro-poor growth” but also a strategy for the attainment of expanded choices for the people.
Households’ inability to meet adequate food consumption not only result in malnutrition and other undesirable strategies to “make less last long” or meet food needs altogether, but also implies incessant household preoccupation with the quest for adequate food consumption. In such a situation, it simply means that the freedom to be creative is seriously compromised.
It is because of realising this important starting point of satisfying the needs of food as a precondition to creativity and subsequently development that the JCTR has relentlessly conducted the monthly Basic Needs Basket to bring about structural changes that will lead to expanded expenditure choices among the Zambian people.
JCTR believes that the issue really is about Zambians’ right to decent livelihoods. This of course is related to the need to put Economic, Social and Cultural rights (ESCR) in a new Bill of Rights in a new Constitution. The National Constitutional Conference (NCC) must put that as a number one priority.
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Related Links
October 2007 BNB @ K1,582,750
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