Reflections on The Need for Zambia To Triple Her Efforts for Sustainable PRO-POOR Development and The Achievements of The Millennium Development Goals:

Zambians approach the middle of 2006 with concerns around the pace of pro-poor development. Zambia has less than a decade to go to achieve the globally adopted Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and national poverty reduction by 2015 and 2030 respectively. Civil society thus calls on Government to heighten its pro- poor development efforts if we are to make any headway.

 After implementing a full cycle of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), Zambia is still falling short in making desirable strides in poverty eradication. Indeed CSPR’s evaluation of the implementation of the PRSP compels us to commend the PRSP approach in raising the profile of poverty reduction in Zambia, facilitating a more civic friendly participatory process than was previously the case, bringing to the fore a number of structural changes including the introduction of economic management tools such as the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF), Activity Based Budgets, the PEMFER and the IFMIS among others, to improve on economic management.  But we note with concern that these changes were however setback by inadequate capacities for implementation and monitoring at various levels, continued use of discretion to switch funds to activities unrelated to poverty reduction programs and violation of expenditure ceilings. There has also been lack of clarity on the definitions and classifications of poverty reduction programmes in the national budget.

 Consequently, communities visited stated that government’s poverty interventions were not visible in their areas and that the PRSP did not lead to notable improvements in people’s livelihoods.

In 2005, Government announced that the PRSP and the Transitional National Development Plan, 2002-2005 would be succeeded by the Fifth National Development Plan, 2006-2011. To ensure priority poverty focus Civil Society has mobilised and held intensive consultation with communities and also through thematic groups, which culminated into submission of our official input into the NDP in a document entitled “A 5^th National development Plan for Zambia 2006-2010; A Civil Society Perspective.”

 CSPR and civil society broadly anxiously awaits the draft NDP and urge government in include, as a minimum, the priority sectoral poverty interventions proposed from civil society groups from different parts of the country as maintained in this report. If the minimum popular priorities are not reflected, then we shall question the ‘national’ nature of the document.

 Regarding the process of formulating the NDP, CSPR appeals Government;    

1.   Not to rush the process as this Plan is meant to bring        meaningful development to the nation and thus planning should not be rushed.  At the same time ensure that the process is as consultative as possible, including all key stakeholders at all levels.  Not less than 15 working days from the time of receipt should be given to stakeholders to provide effective feedback to the draft document.

2.   Constantly provide update information on the progress of the NDP formulation process vis a vis the roadmap. This will keep the interested stakeholders informed on the process to enable them give input, and thus enhance a sense of ownership of the plan

3.   Not turn the NDP into a political campaign strategy for the upcoming elections as this would undermine the legitimacy of the document.

4. Open discussion of the NDP to Parliament. After all parliamentarians are the legitimate representatives of the people and therefore should be accorded the chance to participate and debate on what should be contained in the NDP.

5.  MPs should be proactively engage with the 5^th NDP as it is meant to be a National and not Government Plan unlike in the process of the case of the PRSP.

 It is our expectation that the 5^th National Development Plan will show a marked difference in the levels of poverty by the close of its phase and call on government to present Zambians with a baseline at the start of implementation of the NDP derived from a national PRSP evaluation and other up to date statistical information on poverty.

 As a key implementing agent, government must be committed to implementing the plan by enhanced political will to allocate, fully disburse and utilise funds within the framework of the NDP, on a timely basis. We expect higher allocations to popular priority poverty programmes, especially in view of less commitment to debt servicing.

 We call on the international community to harmonise and align its commitment to Zambia in view of the NDP and in support of the country’s effort to attain the MDGs.

The socio-economic and political work that Zambian society has been undertaking brings with it immense responsibility with regard to consistent and vigilant engagement and solidarity with the poor and marginalised. Having prepared a civil society perspective on poverty reduction in 2001, civil society was inevitably obliged to follow through in monitoring the implementation of the government PRSP. Further, the end of the first PRSP could not spell the end of the engagement that civil society had taken on at the start of that process. In 2005, poverty in Zambia is far from being eradicated. 

Presented by Robert Kelly Salati, Board Chairperson – CSPR

13^th April 2006