The current projected budget overrun debate calls for a check on resources available for poverty reduction says, Civil Society for Poverty Reduction (CSPR). The CSPR has observed that poverty levels are yet to show significant signs of decline despite more than a year's attempt at implementing Zambia's Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) by government. This is according to a recent poverty monitoring survey conducted in selected provinces as a follow up to a base line survey done in conjunction with ZAMSIF in September 2002. The May 2003 surveys were conducted in sites in Luapula, North Western, Western, Eastern and Southern Provinces, four of which are among the poorest provinces of Zambia and as such areas that should receive a good deal of poverty reduction interventions. Particular focus was on agriculture, education, health, water and sanitation, industry, tourism, mining and cross cutting issues.

CSPR is pleased to note some positive changes in some sites (e.g. Senanga) such as the actual disbursement and use of HIPC funds resulting in the set up of social infrastructure to serve the communities.

It was also comforting to note that other communities visited reported that food security, a prime concern of government and civil society groups, has been attained in their areas largely due to early delivery of farm inputs and the improved rainfalls. Though this may be attributable to factors other than PRSP implementation, it does show some levels of government commitment to addressing the hunger crisis faced in 2002.

 However, it should still be noted that other areas continue to report food insecurity as a major concern attributed to inadequate access to farm implements, farm power, inputs, credit and markets (e.g. certain parts of Kalomo). Overall, the survey revealed that the agriculture sector is still beset with high cost and untimely delivery of inputs, poor road infrastructure (both trunk and feeder roads), and inadequate extension services.

The findings go on to reveal that the education sector continues to be constrained by factors such as poor infrastructure (including staff accommodation), inadequate staffing, inadequate teaching materials, HIV/AIDS, few female teachers especially in rural schools, poor teacher morale, high cost, and early pregnancies among others.  Teachers continue to live in poor, often temporary structures made of grass thatched roofs that leak, turning classrooms and office into teachers' accommodation and classrooms that allow wind and rain during the cold season and wet seasons respectively. Majority pupils sit on the ground with hardly any teaching or learning materials. It also appears that the government's announcement of free primary education has not completely removed barriers of cost even at primary level especially at Grade VII.

The health sector recorded several positive developments in certain sites visited such as rehabilitation of health centers, decentralization and autonomy in the form of Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) and Community Health Workers, and a modest improvement in staffing levels. However, even in light of these developments, the survey noted a number of impediments to the provision of quality health services including the long distances patients have to travel to access health coupled with erratic, often expensive and unavailable transport, low staff levels, high cost of health services and inadequate bed spaces.

The report also observes that there is no notable progress towards the provision of safe and clean water and sanitation facilities. Similarly, the survey noted that no notable strategies identified in the PRSP were being implemented in Industry and tourism. Meanwhile in mining, the survey observed that although clearly stated in the PRSP, the issue of licensing gemstone miners has not been addressed resulting in a number of small-scale miners (mostly foreigners) operating illegally and evading tax in some of the areas in which mining is an economic activity.

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