Jesuit Centre for Theological Reflection JCTR has called for a pro-poor 2023 national budget by government that will address the majority’s demand for affordable food and shelter.
JCTR Executive Director Fr. Alex Muyebe said enough evidence has shown that the poor social and economic conditions of the majority of the population have not improved and are getting worse.
Fr. Muyebe said government should at least demonstrate that it is a listening government as it puts together the 2023 national budget.
“As we continue to interact with people living in challenging circumstances, it is very clear that the least the government can do as it puts together the 2023 national budget is to demonstrate that it is a listening government, notwithstanding the challenges of prolonged debt negotiations, by putting in place some measures to address the majority’s demand for affordable food and shelter,” he said.
He said the people of Zambia are keenly watching to see if the new administration is going to fulfill a great deal of its election promises.
“People want not only jobs but also decent incomes and a living wage coupled with less punitive taxes,” he said.
