The Poverty reduction strategy process in Zambia

THE POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY PROCESS IN ZAMBIA

INTRODUCTION

In line with the call by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB) for poor and heavily indebted nations to prepare country papers on poverty reduction strategies, the Government of Zambia, under the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MOFED) has opened an office to spearhead this process.

The process began with the preparation of an interim Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper that has been presented to the IMF and World Bank to facilitate debt relief negotiations. Government prepared this paper with minimal participation from civil society and various other stakeholders.

The main reason given is that Government was under massive pressure to submit the paper to IMF and World Bank within the stipulated time. Secondly, this “interim paper” was merely a guide for poverty reduction strategies. The main paper would require contribution of various stakeholders.

The opposing response to this view is that stakeholders input would some stakeholders have been necessary even for the “interim paper” to show real commitment to wide participation. The second comment on the interim PRSP is that it heavily relies on the Policy Framework Paper and does not prioritise poverty and hope is expressed that the main paper will reflect this critical need.

PROGRESS

Recently, there has been tremendous progress on the PRSP process. The Government has prepared and presented the programme to be completed in March 2001. The first main event is the stakeholders’ conference for the 29^th – 30^th June, 2000 focusing on the current poverty situation in Zambia and the PRSP. It is also hoped that during this meeting, working groups on the PRSP will be formed.

THE ROLE OF JUBILEE 2000-ZAMBIA

Presently in Zambia, there is no single co-ordinating body of civil society organisations. Though very key for effective co-operation amongst civil society organisations, its’ absence should not be seen as a hindrance. It is the hope of Jubilee 2000-Zambia that through its facilitation role, civil society can develop a co-ordinating component to ensure effective participation in the PRSP process. Ideas about co-ordination are currently being floated.

As a social movement that is actively involved in debt cancellation and poverty issues, the main role of Jubilee 2000-Zambia in the PRSP process is to facilitate capacity building for civil society to meaningfully contribute to both the process and the content of PRSP. Civil society involvement and mass mobilisation for the PRSP in Zambia are the main two programmes drawn for this purpose.

Jubilee 2000-Zambia is working to ensure that civil society is kept abreast with the dynamics and challenges and is able to fulfil the demands posed by the process. This facilitation role is undertaken on two levels, namely the national and regional. The role is further strengthened by the international links with organisations working on the PRSP.

INTERNATIONAL LEVEL

Jubilee 2000-Zambia has been closely working with various organisations and institutions from various parts of the world on the PRSP process. Through discussions with experts and contributions to presentations, Jubilee 2000-Zambia has been able to put the expectations and challenges of the PRSP process in Zambia on the world map.

NATIONAL LEVEL

Government

Since the introduction of the PRSP in Zambia, Jubilee 2000-Zambia has been consulting with Government through the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, especially on the civil society involvement in the process. So far, a certain level of partnership has been established between Government and Jubilee 2000-Zambia that is marked by frequent exchange of information and consultation on intentions. The preparation for the first Government/Stakeholders’ meeting on PRSP is a good example.

Civil Society

As a start, Jubilee 2000-Zambia facilitated a preparatory meeting of civil society organisations on Government/stakeholders’ conference on the PRSP convened by Government.

Stressing the civil society’s key role in the PRSP process, the meeting recommended that civil society make presentations on “Civil Society’s Role in the PRSP Process”, “Questions from Civil Society to IMF and World Bank Regarding the PRSP Process”, and “Poverty Profile and Poverty Reduction during the Government/stakeholders meeting. As regards the Working Group, the meeting suggested that it was important to form a group to focus on poverty reduction measurements and indicators.

Another critical concern of civil society is on the level of involvement in the entire PRSP process. Full involvement in both consultative and technical terms was identified as key to civil society. It was suggested that civil society be involved in the actual drafting of the paper as well as in implementing, monitoring and evaluation of the strategies.

At this level, Jubilee 2000-Zambia will continue to facilitate civil society’s real involvement in the terms mentioned above. This is necessary to ensure that contributions from various stakeholders are taken into consideration. Learning from past experience, final documents did not always reflect the real consultations and this is a constraint that civil society must aim to overcome this time.

REGIONAL LEVEL

Jubilee 2000-Zambia has embarked on mobilising people at the local level with the main call for the need to organise themselves to input in the PRSP through forming coalitions. This is a national mobilisation programme aiming at sensiting people about the PRSP for two main reasons. First, these coalitions are necessary to strengthen and focus the contribution of civil society at this level, thereby presenting one voice. Second, this will facilitate linkage to the national level to ensure exchange and sharing of information and ideas.

This is a very cardinal level in the PRSP process because it comprises the very people at the centre of PRSP – the majority poor and those who work directly with them. Aiming at ensuring that the voice of the majority is heard in the PRSP process, the main topics in the mobilisation programme are poverty, debt and the role of PRSP.

Eight regional conferences will be conducted in the through out the country. Grassroots, rural and community based organisations, church and other interest groups are the target audience. Poverty within the local context and the opportunities offered in the PRSP are the main focus of these conferences.

With the establishment of focal desks in the various regions, Jubilee 2000-Zambia hopes to create a web to ensure communication and information flow at various levels and consolidation of one voice for the majority poor in the civil society for the PRSP process in Zambia.

CONCLUSION

The process of PRSP in Zambia has come at a time when pressures to prioritise poverty reduction have intensified. For some time now, development strategies have centred on economic growth and poverty strategies have been employed as an after-thought, mainly as coping and adjustment strategies. These interventions have not been sustainable and have contributed to worsening the poverty situation in the country.

The current poverty situation has indicated the serious limitations of this approach, hence the introduction of the PRSP process. This time, civil society is determined to ensure that this process brings change through meaningful and real participation of various stakeholders.

Thank you

Charity Musamba – Research and Communication Officer
Jubilee 2000-Zambia
27/O6/2000

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