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| Zambia's PRSP implementation and its priorities |
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1. Introduction
The Civil Society welcomes the approval of the final first Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) for Zambia by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The ever increasing poverty levels and the large number of Zambians living in abject poverty are a defining moment that calls for immediate action. We believe that this approval should signal a move from mere pronouncements on what needs to be done to actual action and concrete on the ground to address this profound moral challenge facing the Zambian people. Civil society therefore attaches great importance to the 2002 Consultative Group meeting. We are convinced that the Development partners presentative share our desire as Zambians to effectively deal with poverty in our country. Zambia requires immediate assistance to address the current poverty situation and we urge you, the development partners, to provide necessary support. In asking for this support, the civil society, however, would like to underscore that the PRSP should not just be a process of resource mobilization for poverty reduction activities, but rather a process for long term development planning to effectively eradicate poverty.
Civil society remains committed and sincere in its partnership with Government in order to achieve the national aspirations of eradicating poverty. However, civil society will not abandon its role of speaking out on behalf of the ‘voiceless poor’. In our partnership with Government, we will critically assess any programme meant to reduce poverty. We adopt this position, not for the sake of publicity or visibility, but because we are moved beyond compassion by the suffering of the majority of Zambians. Civil society generally agrees with the PRSP, but will consistently advocate that it has to remain a pro-poor plan for action and not a testing ground for new macroeconomic theories. The PRSP is about human lives and so must not be used for experimental purposes. Aggravated by the ongoing drought-related famine in the country, the cry of the poor is growing louder each day and impossible to ignore.
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